In our age of stiff marketing competition a brand identity is essential to stand out among the crowd. Many people think that it’s hard to create a brand identity starting from the conception period, but I assure you that it’s not that tough if you go about it in an organized manner. In this article I’ll explain, step by step, how to accomplish this vital aspect of marketing technology. Whether it’s creating a brand for your services or products or for those of a client, you may find the task challenging at first. But since you are a skilled person you need not be unduly worried; you have to use your talents in the proper way – in the manner I’ve laid down here. These guidelines will surely help you develop a great brand for yourself or your client.

Have a Strategy in Place: Before you set off creating a brand image make sure that you have a strategy that you and your client agree upon. This will comprise a firm and clear intention and a list of values. It’s essential that this is agreed upon before the actual commencement of work, otherwise the client will not have anything with which he will be able to gauge if the concepts and plans are relevant or not.

Stick to the Brief: A brand will succeed if it is designed on the basis of its initial briefing, and if this brief is maintained. If instinctive ideas are used either by the designer or the client, it may result in irrational or biased solutions. If the brand strategy is clear, the design decisions will be rational. For solutions to this aspect of brand identity creation you can visit Spinx Inc., a web design and development company that is based in Los Angeles.

Recognize the ‘Special’ Feature: Almost every successful brand has something special that helps it to make its mark on the market. As a brand-builder you have to identify that special feature as quickly as possible. Indeed, once you identify that ‘something’ in a product/service/client you’re practically halfway to creating a great new brand identity.

Study Your Rivals: Take a deep look at what your rivals are doing with their brands. Study their visual styles, color schemes and typefaces before working on your brand. Ensure that yours is unique – standing apart from what your competitors have. When you've got something down, examine it from your client’s point of view.

Research Well: You must have a complete understanding of your brand’s personality. You have to study its history, all its functions and its culture. On your research list note down 1) your client. 2) The company and its features. 3) The target market. 4) How the client wants his brand to be seen. 5) Various formats and places where it wants to get promoted.

Logo is Not Everything: You cannot build a brand on the strength of its logo alone. While you cannot dispute the fact that a logo gives a brand its immediate recognition and it’s the key player around which everything else revolves, don’t ignore the other, smaller elements in the big picture and how their interaction with each other makes up the brand identity.

Keep Client in the Loop: The client is always right. This is something that you must remember throughout the process for, whatever be your skill and experience, and it is your clients who will know better what his product/service is. Colleagues may praise you for those fashionable images that you plan to use for the brand’s identity; but your client may find them entirely unsuitable. Remember, he knows what’s best for his brand.

Restrain Yourself: If you understand what your client wants you will be on your way to creating a great brand identity for him. But restrain yourself; don’t be extravagant with colors, typography and other details. A simple identity is most of the time the best way to project the brand’s image. It has been proved right for the world’s top brands, so let it work for yours too.