The art of building brand identity

Building Brand Identity

For any company to be successful it needs to have brand identity. But this involves having a sound understanding of what a "brand" actually is. According to the dictionary of business and management, a brand is "a name, sign or symbol used to identify items or services of the sellers and to differentiate them from goods of competitors."

Put simply, a brand is the customers' perception of a company's products and services.

So once a company has a coherent understanding of what its brand is, or could be, it can concentrate on building upon how the customer identifies this brand - i.e. building brand identity.

Consumers must be able to recognize a company name, logo or other details about a company's product or service. It is crucial for a company to differentiate between the product or service and the brand itself - a brand is an intangible part of a business, an image of the company created by consumers.

The basics of building brand identity can involve developing an "identity kit"

The very basics of building brand identity can involve developing an "identity kit", including things such as a logo, business cards, letterhead with envelope and also websites and brochures. But what if you are an established company looking to build brand identity in new or previously unsuccessful markets?

Take Lamborghini for example, a global brand synonymous with luxury super cars and extremely well established in many parts of the world, but until recently was relatively unknown in potentially lucrative markets like China. After a tough recession for the automotive industry and a rocky 12 months for the company itself, Lamborghini are looking for ways to ensure sustainable success for the future through building brand identity.

Manfred Fitzgerald, Director, Brand & Design, Lamborghini, spent nine years creating a distinct image for Lamborghini: aggressive, uncompromising and Italian. Fitzgerald has had to battle with a confused perception of the Lamborghini brand, building up from the company's core brand values and "CICD" (corporate identity and corporate design) to ensure its luxury brand has a "clear vision" of where it is heading.

In China people didn't even know what Lamborghini was

Whereas Fitzgerald highlights the need to be consistent in creating a brand, he also argues its important for a company not to just tie itself down to what the company has achieved but also what the company has the potential to achieve in the future.

In regards to the Chinese market, a few years ago people didn't even know what Lamborghini was, let alone what its brand stood for, "[People were asking] is it a coffee brand, is it something you wear? No, its a super sports car manufacturer and its a luxury brand."

Lamborghini are proven experts in building brand identity, having established a clear identity for itself in many corners the world.

To hear more about how Manfred Fitzgerald and Lamborghini achieved such a strong brand identity and how they plan to use it to ensure success in the future, check out the video below.

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