Visual identity

The brand, the visual identity and the logo work together to make a business recognisable and credible. The logo is the mark; the identity gives it a coherent visual language; and the brand is formed out of every experience and impression you build over time.

How a brand gets built

The word “brand”, defined in legal terms as a registered trade mark, translates directly as marking or inscribing a symbol in order to establish and fix ownership. Today, companies use a brand to distinguish their activity, their products and their services from those of their competitors — and that effort gives rise to a wide-ranging process of communication, one that conveys to the customer the attributes, attitudes and feelings attached to the philosophy a company and its products or services have adopted. For the brand to take shape, the effect perceived by the audience — customers and potential customers — has to be added to that act of communication.

A well-positioned brand distinguishes itself from the competition more easily and shortens the road to recognition. When the image is consistent, communication becomes clearer and trust builds faster. Investment in a brand shows over time in preference, in referrals, and in the relationship with customers.

What a visual identity is made of

A visual identity is made up of a set of elements that follow the same orientation and direction, so as to create a unified image everywhere it appears. It is composed of and represented by typefaces, colours and graphic patterns, combined in such a way as to form a single whole. A visual identity comprises every visual element that defines and represents the business, which generally means:

• the logo: the symbol;
• identity material (the stationery pack): letterheads, business cards, envelopes;
• leaflets, brochures, books, catalogues, monthly, quarterly or annual reports;
• menus and printed material describing what you offer;
• websites;
• products and packaging;
• textile printing: T-shirts, caps, uniforms;
• interior and exterior design;
• other forms of communication, visual and audible.

The role of a brand is to give information about a company’s products or services, directly or indirectly, and to establish a positive footing in the relationship with the consumer. That commercial process is much like an interaction in ordinary life, where a first impression can colour every exchange that follows, for better or for worse.