{"id":64576,"date":"2021-09-13T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crazyeggblog.wpengine.com\/?p=64576"},"modified":"2026-01-06T15:14:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T23:14:30","slug":"how-to-define-your-companys-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/how-to-define-your-companys-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Easy Steps to Define Your Company’s Identity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Even if you sell the most innovative products in the world, your company is just another face in the crowd without a well-defined identity. Nailing your company\u2019s identity from the early stages can save a lot of time and grief by ensuring that you\u2019re marketing the right products to the right people the right way from the very beginning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we\u2019ll go over why it\u2019s so important to have a clearly defined company identity, and we\u2019ll share nine simple steps to help you find yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Defining Your Company\u2019s Identity is Worth It<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that high-quality products and superior customer service are enough to set your business apart from your competitors. Don\u2019t get us wrong\u2014service and quality are extremely important, but your identity is what will set you apart from your competitors, drive customer loyalty, and make you memorable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without a clearly defined identity, you\u2019ll struggle to express your company\u2019s branding consistently. Worse, you may find yourself floundering when it comes to making decisions about everything from day-to-day operations to big-impact moves like acquisitions and mergers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your identity isn\u2019t a logo, a tagline, or even a name, though those are all important ways that identity is expressed. Your company\u2019s identity is its purpose, vision, mission, and values. In other words, it\u2019s the beating heart that informs everything your company does<\/em>, not just what it looks like from the outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your identity creates consistency. It ensures that everyone in your company represents it the same way every time they interact with clients, stakeholders, and customers. Consistency, in turn, builds recognition and loyalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A strong identity also helps guide your decisions and growth. If your identity is centered around stability, quality, and a premium experience, for example, it probably won\u2019t make sense to add new products every few weeks or have frequent sales. This is the kind of consistency that establishes trust\u2014and people are willing to pay more for brands they trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Investment Needed to Define Your Company\u2019s Identity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At a minimum, you\u2019ll need to work with a graphic designer to come up with a logo that represents what your company stands for. You may also find it useful to work with a marketing team, either in-house or an agency, that can guide you toward a consistent identity that includes both visual and written assets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve begun to create these assets, you need to monitor them carefully to be sure that they\u2019re not being misused or diluted. Whether you have one employee or thousands, a single office or a global presence, your identity should be cohesive and consistent across the board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A brand management platform such as Frontify<\/a> helps ensure that your identity stays strong, even when dealing with multiple stakeholders throughout your company. Frontify allows you to upload, store, organize, find, and share any type of asset. This creates a centralized system where anyone can find exactly what they\u2019re looking for and allows you to create on-demand templates which allow you to quickly scale your campaigns. It also streamlines cross-team collaborations, allowing team members to monitor progress, ask for approvals, give actionable feedback, and move things forward, all while working from anywhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can dive into over a dozen case studies on the Frontify site that show how companies from a variety of industries have increased brand engagement and enhanced consistency using their software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9 Steps to Defining Your Company\u2019s Identity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hopefully, you now understand the importance of a strong, clear company identity, but maybe you\u2019re still a little fuzzy on how to figure out what that identity actually is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following is a step-by-step guide you can use to begin brainstorming and refining your company identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1 – Know what you stand for<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We mentioned purpose, vision, mission, and values a little earlier. Those aren\u2019t just trendy marketing terms\u2014they\u2019re the basis of what will set your company apart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it\u2019s not already clear to you, spend some time thinking about what you want your company to stand for. How will you impact the world, or at least your little corner of it? What feelings do you want to inspire? What do you want to be known for? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2  – Define what you\u2019re *really* selling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Starbucks sells coffee, sure, but they also sell an experience. You can go into literally any Starbucks in the world and be confident of a pleasantly upscale ambiance and a sense of comfort and familiarity\u2014along with a decent Americano. The branding people at Starbucks have thought through every part of this experience, from the artwork on the walls to what the stores smell like to how many electrical outlets their customers have access to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, Dutch Bros, a West Coast coffee chain, doesn\u2019t have stores at all, at least not the traditional kind. It only offers drive-through coffee kiosks, but it makes its mark with enthusiastic baristas (who are called \u201cbroistas\u201d), playful marketing campaigns, and swag geared toward the skiing and cycling cultures. It\u2019s selling a friendly, insider, \u201ccool kids\u201d experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both companies sell coffee, but they sell very different experiences. What experience do you want your customers or clients to walk away with? How do you want them to feel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3 – Study your audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Quick, who is your target market? And don\u2019t say \u201ceveryone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where your company identity will make the difference, especially<\/em> if you offer a product or service that appeals to a wide range of people. Cell phones are used by people from virtually all walks of life, but Apple has established its iPhone as a premium brand that integrates seamlessly with other Apple products and offers a simple but elegant customer experience. Apple\u2019s company identity sets the iPhone apart from dozens of other products that have virtually identical features that let you call, text, and post on social media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It pays to really know your audience and what they want. Study demographics\u2014statistical data like age, gender, profession, and location. But pay equal attention to psychographics–that is, people\u2019s opinions, activities, and interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t worry that by focusing too closely on a particular type of person that your audience won\u2019t be big enough. After all, millions of people from all walks of life use iPhones. What they have in common is that they value a particular type of customer experience and that they\u2019re willing to pay more for a premium product. Also, the smaller your audience niche is, the more passionate its members will likely be about your kind of product or service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#4 – Study the competition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Creating a strong company identity is all about differentiating yourself, so it pays to have a close look at your nearest competitors. Remember, it\u2019s not just about their branding, though that\u2019s an important part of it. It\u2019s also about their values and their mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is your competition showing up, whether that\u2019s on store shelves, Facebook ads, or blog posts? How do their salespeople interact with customers? What do they stand for in terms of values? Are they involved in local communities? Do they contribute to particular charities? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these are areas in which you can potentially set yourself apart–either by highlighting different values and practices, by doing what they do even better than they\u2019re doing it, or by bringing your unique identity to similar approaches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#5 – Brainstorm your vocabulary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You know what your company\u2019s values are, what experience you want your customer to have, and who your customer is. With all that in mind, it\u2019s time to start brainstorming a list of words that describe your company. You can do this on your own, but if you can do it with a handful of people who are as invested in your company as you are, then go for it. The more people who can contribute, the better! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing what you know about your customers and the experience that you want to provide for them, brainstorm words to describe your company (a thesaurus can be a great tool for this). Think beyond just what your ads and website will look like, and consider your company\u2019s mission and values as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps your company is traditional, creative, hip, or inspiring. Maybe it\u2019s socially conscious with a sense of humor, or relaxed yet reliable. Imagine your company as a person, and describe their personality and their unique sense of style. Narrow your list down to no more than six words, and use these to inform your identity going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you\u2019re at it, come up with words that definitely don\u2019t<\/em> describe your company, the absolute opposites of what you want to stand for or express. These lists of \u201cdo\u2019s and don\u2019t\u2019s\u201d words can help inform your branding and identity decisions going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#6 – Understand how identity informs decisions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your company\u2019s identity doesn\u2019t begin and end with the customer. It should help inform the company experience from the inside out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If high tech efficiency is part of your identity, it doesn\u2019t make sense to have an office full of outdated equipment, for example. But if your identity revolves around environmental awareness, then re-using and recycling might influence decisions about the equipment and supplies your company uses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A strong identity helps you make company decisions that are in line with your values. It can affect everything from who your suppliers are to where you advertise, so spend some time thinking about how your identity will express itself within the company itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#7 – Communicate your identity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Make a list of every place in which the public will come in contact with your brand. This could include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n