Introduction

Let's get to the heart of the matter, the one on which everyone has an opinion: your visual identity. But what is a visual identity? No, it's not "just" your logo. The logo is part of the package, but it doesn't represent the identity on its own. A visual identity brings together all the graphic elements that make this brand yours: a main logo (and its variations), a set of fonts, a unique color palette, illustrations with a particular style, a singular photographic treatment (or artistic direction of the photo), a motif... in short, all the elements you need to lay out your various communication media and bring your brand universe to life.

In 4 points we show you why a complete visual identity is so important:

1. Create instant recognition

Let's take some simple examples: if you're asked to name Netflix, Facebook or Google, you'll be able to perceive their logo, of course, but also their color scheme, perhaps their homepage and a few other proprietary elements. These brands have created a universe around themselves. They don't just have a logo! They've managed to dress themselves in memorable, unique codes that will help their users/customers remember them. Creating a strong, impactful visual identity means standing out from your competitors in a sometimes saturated market. And a logo alone won't achieve this, because it won't be able to reflect your brand's universe on its own! Above all, the logo must remain simple and legible. It won't be enough to avoid confusion with other brands and establish a distinctive presence in consumers' minds. Likewise, visual identity will enable you to instantly create a link with the brand, even in the absence of the logo, for example on ads in an Instagram feed or on a poster in the metro, where the customer's attention span is around 3 seconds.

"We're in a society where we're confronted with brands at every turn: on our phones, in the street, at the movies... so we need to seek to make the brands we create memorable. Visual elements repeated in different contexts will become familiar to consumers, facilitating recognition and recall. This is exactly the case with the Frichti brand, for which we've carried out various comm campaigns: as soon as we're told about this brand, it's "ah yes, the yellow brand, isn't it?". It's the same with the photos we're regularly asked about, because they have a particular, brand-specific touch, with a lot of foodporn. We've succeeded in visually integrating the brand's codes with consumers. That's great!" reminds Théodore from point zip.

2. Create affect

It's all very well to create a recognizable brand, but our target audience needs to become attached to it, to turn around and feel involved. When creating your visual identity, we'll do our utmost to communicate your brand's values and personality through graphic codes. This makes it easier to connect with your audience. From the way you write your brand name in your logo to the style of your illustrations, we'll convey a specific emotion and message every time. All the elements of the identity will resonate and respond to each other so that, once all these elements are together, they convey a single message.

Visual identity conveys the authenticity of the product or service you're offering: it says "I'm a real, true brand with a real mission to share with you, and this is that message". Your visual identity is a person: it conveys a message through its attitude and the branding it wears.

These codes are meticulously chosen to convey the right messages, as Marion from point zip explains: "When we worked on Frichti's rebranding, we kept yellow, which was THE color of the brand: warm and vibrant, yellow allows us to convey the brand's energy, its very pop and happy side! As part of the rebranding, we also added a vibrant green that complements the yellow. This mint green, which cannot be found in nature, allows us to play on the collective imagination by referring to good earth products, while at the same time winking at the brand's digital DNA."

Obviously, there are no predefined rules! But the juxtaposition of all these carefully chosen graphic codes conveys a feeling or feelings about your brand, even before your customer reads the "about" page of your site.

3. Make yourself credible

Sure, you could arrive with just a logo to represent your brand. But that's a bit like arriving with just your apron in the kitchen and not having taken your set of knives and so on. It's a bit flimsy, isn't it?

Equipping yourself with a complete visual identity reassures your customers of your seriousness and intentions. It immediately shows the world (at least your contacts) that you're a brand that has taken the time to ask questions, not just about its product or service, but about the whole. It's a powerful investment of time and resources, and a reassuring guarantee of quality! A brand that has taken the time to dress up and choose its graphic codes carefully is a brand we trust, because it presents a coherent, polished image. It's a brand that's sure of itself and knows where it's going.

"These days, we get a lot of requests from start-ups, who have just created their company and finalized their product or service. Even before launching a fund-raising campaign, these start-ups call on us to create a complete visual identity: it's a guarantee of quality and seriousness in the eyes of future investors. This was the case with Tranché! who called on us just before pitching to investors. They came to us knowing that a polished and complete visual identity would be a real asset for the future of their company", say Théodore & Marion from point zip.

4. Adapt to all situations

Imagine that tomorrow your brand only has a logo as its 'visual identity'. How will it adapt to all the media on which you want to communicate?

Visual identity gives you flexibility and consistency, while always renewing your communication media. Depending on the placeholder (creation of a promotional video, newsletter, poster, packaging or even an ad on social networks) you'll have the means to create a unified brand experience for your target. You'll be able to adapt your brand to different media, contexts and audiences. This adaptability will enable your brand to maintain a strong image in all situations, including those you wouldn't have imagined when creating your brand. Having a complete graphic toolbox also means you can approach each new opportunity with greater peace of mind for your business, and avoid reinventing the wheel every time. This means you can quickly and flexibly adapt your communication tools to create a real unity for your brand.

"For Tranché!, a neighborhood bakery, there was a real challenge in creating unique packaging that could be shared on social networks. They wanted the packs to be recognizable on the street and for customers to want to share them around them. This would have been impossible with just a logo! Brand attribution would have been limited to the placement of a logo and therefore almost imperceptible, with packaging that you'd just want to throw away when you got home... disappointing! What we created for Tranché! was a real creative eco-system with singular, independent elements that they could use as they wished: illustrations, collages, a very proprietary font and several logos to cover every situation," confide Marion & Théodore from point zip.

Conclusion

A complete visual identity is essential! Whether you're creating your start-up or rebranding, it's a real asset to your business. Creating a strong, recognizable brand creates a bond of trust with your customers and prospects. It's also a much more cost-effective way of acquiring, retaining and building brand awareness. In short, it's the best tool for improving all your KPIS!