How to Craft a Visual Identity
In the highly competitive landscape of the food and beverage consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, standing out is not just an option; it's a necessity. Small business owners in this field have to go deep on branding to understand their brand from a 360 perspective, especially when it comes to visuals.
Crafting a visual identity is a dynamic process that requires a really intimate understanding of your brand, audience, and industry and lots of patience—this exercise is something you’ll have to do over and over again as your brand grows and changes! Small business owners in the food and beverage CPG industry can establish a lasting impression and build brand loyalty by investing time and resources into creating a visually compelling identity. As you take on this work, remember that consistency, authenticity, and a deep understanding of your audience are the key ingredients to success in a visually-driven market. But don’t worry too much: it’s easier than it sounds!
A few weeks ago, we talked about lifestyle photography 101 and how to use lifestyle photographs to build your brand's visual identity. But when the questions came pouring in, I thought it might be worthwhile to take a step back to good old square one and talk through how to create a visual brand.
What is a brand?
A brand is anything that identifies or differentiates you from your competition. It’s your name, your tagline, your logo, your packaging, your visual brand, and more, all rolled into one. And it should be distinctive, memorable, and impactful. After all, it's what makes you YOU.
Why is visual branding important for a business?
A visual brand is (usually) one of the first touch points that customers have with your brand. They stumble upon your social media feed. They spot your product on the shelf at Whole Foods. They see a billboard you put up on Main Street. Whether an ad, a photograph, your packaging, or your logo, they're seeing a piece of information they're going to associate with your product.
When you have a consistent, well-established visual brand, you build credibility and reputation. And when you do that, you build customer loyalty and sales numbers. Win, win, win.
How do you brand a food business?
There are three elements you need to incorporate into branding for your food business:
Brand Personality: A brand's personality are the human traits used to discuss a brand. Example: Page & Plate is witty, functional, and casual. Identifying your brand personality helps you determine the voice and style you should adopt to discuss your brand.
Brand Archetype: An archetype is a universally recognized character with certain qualities. You can learn more about the different archetypes here.
Visual Branding: A visual brand is made up of the colors, styles, and imagery you use to promote or describe your product.
Here me out: identifying your personality, archetype, and visual brand should drive your branding. Every post you write, every photo you share, and every interaction you have with customers should rely on this brand. Why? Because these personality traits and archetypes signal what value your customers see in you and how they’re being served by you, making them more likely to spend money on your product.
What is a visual strategy?
A visual strategy is the master plan behind all of the visual aspects of your brand. It should drive marketing campaigns, packaging design, logo usage, and all other parts of your brand's visual expression.
Choosing background colors for e-commerce photos is a key part of visual identity.
How can I figure out my brand's visual identity?
You can do a lot of research on your own OR you can book a call with me to help figure it out!
Here at my Chicago-based food and product photography studio, we love working with brands to help them determine their brand's visual identity and how to incorporate that into brand photography.