What do you think is more critical to your baking business: the product you sell or how people perceive the business as a whole? That’s one of the big debates among entrepreneurs of all kinds, including those with baking businesses.
The truth is that both of them are just as important to the business. Your product’s quality is just as important as the perception or ‘brand’ that you put out there as well.
In this post, we’re going to explore the components which make up your visual brand identity: logo, colors, fonts, filters, and tone. By understanding how they work together, you’ll be able to create a brand identity that sticks in your customers’ minds and keeps them coming back for more.
Let’s get started.
Brand and Brand Identity Are Not the Same Things
First and foremost, let’s make sure that we understand what a brand is vs. brand identity. There are plenty of definitions out there for what it is, and many are correct in their way. But for this article, a brand is your business’s reputation. It’s what other people think. Your brand identity is made up of the elements that make up your brand’s look and feel.
It’s easy to get into the weeds when discussing brand vs. brand identity, so for simplicity and providing value, this post focuses on the logo, color font, etc.
Why You Need a Visual Brand Identity for a Baking Business
Plenty of baking business owners tend to focus their attention on producing the best products possible, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, ignoring your brand identity also means that you’re neglecting something that could give you a fantastic advantage over your competitors.
For example, a brand identity that portrays your business as being family-friendly will make it easier for parents to choose you to bake for a kid’s birthday party. Or, you might brand yourself as a luxury, high-end bakery business that caters to adults wanting decadent cakes. Your identity will provide cues to potential customers that they are in the right place.
With a cohesive brand identity, it’ll be much easier for you to get your baked goods into the hands of the people who will appreciate them the most.
The Key Components of a Visual Brand Identity
There are several components of brand identity. They include your logo, the colors, and fonts you use, filters (if you use them), as well as the ‘tone’ or ‘voice.’ Let’s look at each of those much closer.
Logo
At its core, a logo is all about communicating your brand to customers by using visual cues. Yes, the logo should be memorable and attractive to the eyes. But more important than that, people should look at your logo, and within seconds, they’ll be able to understand what your baking business is all about.
Using the earlier example of a family-friendly baking business will usually have a logo with visuals that scream, “Fun! Joy! Good times!”
Colors
Businesses with a strong brand identity have a ‘color palette,’ a designated set of colors used on the logo, menus and stickers, social media, and even your website.
According to neuroscientist Antonio Damasio (as shared on 99 Designs), how consumers feel about a brand has more pull than what they think about a brand. And colors can impact how people feel. If you want to read more about color and branding, check out this article: Color Psychology: How Color Meanings Affect Your Brand.
Just like the logo, the choice of color must also reflect the brand identity. Using another example, a luxury or high-end brand might use colors like black, silver, and maybe even rose gold.
The key here is to find a color palette that reflects your brand identity and use it consistently.
Font
Pre-selected fonts are another essential aspect of a baking business’ brand identity. Firstly, fonts must be easy to read. Some businesses make the mistake of choosing a fancy-looking font, even though it’s tough for customers to read.
A solid brand identity will leverage a font that’s easy to read, memorable, and style that matches the baking business’ brand. Plus, the font will be used across the board; on the logo, business cards, website, and any marketing materials.
Like the logo and color palette, the font is a crucial element because customers will see it long before interacting with the business. You will be amazed at how a font can help to build perception for a business. If you are stuck, you can look at Canva for their font paring suggestions. Learn more about what Canva can do on the My Tools page.
Filters
Most people use filters on photos to give them a consistent color story. Whether using a third-party app or Instagram filters, you can adjust the hues in your photos. After a while, your customer should be able to see a photo and know it yours. This shorthand is helpful for sure, but I don’t think filters are an absolute part of your brand identity,
Photography overall is a vital part of your business. Posting amazing shots of beautiful and delicious-looking cakes and cookies is key to any home baker’s success.
If you don’t use filters, try experimenting and see if it makes sense for your brand. I think you can still have a strong brand identity without using filters. It really depends on your brand.
Tone or Voice
Connecting all of the components mentioned above is the brand ‘tone’ or ‘voice.’ Think of it this way: if your baking business brand identity was a person, what would they sound like? How would they speak, and what kind of words would they use?
For instance, your ‘family friendly’ baking business will also want to use a family-friendly tone. That tone will reflect in any form of communication that you use, including your marketing materials and any posts you make on social media.
When you use the correct tone as part of your brand identity, your desired customers will have a much easier time connecting with your business and its brand!
Putting Them All Together
Now that you know all of the components of a brand identity, here’s one more crucial thing to remember: you don’t have to prepare all of them at the same time, nor do you have to get each one perfect.
Instead, choose whichever component you find is the simplest to do, then build from there.
Remember: your business is something that’s continually growing and evolving, just like you are! So, start with a simple brand identity, and let it evolve organically.
Before you know it, you’ll have a brand identity that your customers will come to know and love!
