How To Build A Brand’s Identity, Explained (Without the Fluff)
Hello, humans of the internet. Welcome back to Rants & Bants.
In the last video (find the blog post with the video here), I talked about how everything in branding fits together: how a logo is part of a visual identity, the visual identity is part of a brand identity, and the brand identity helps shape a recognisable reputation, which is the brand. All of that happens through the ongoing process of branding.
This time, I want to slow things down and look properly at brand identity itself. Not the buzzword version. The real thing.
Because while some people like to say “it’s all semantics,” I think these foundations matter, especially if you’re a designer or founder who needs to explain, sell, and create this work in the real world.
Why Brand Identity Is More Than Feelings
I recently had a conversation online where someone argued that brand identity shouldn’t include visuals at all — that it’s purely about emotions and feelings. I get where that thinking comes from, and yes, emotions matter.
But identity is, by definition, what can be identified.
Visuals absolutely play a role. So does language. So does behaviour. Pretending otherwise is just design snobbery dressed up as philosophy.
A Simple Brand Identity Framework
To make this easier to understand, I use a simple mental model:
- The Core
- The Orbit
- The Outer Field
This isn’t some official academic framework — it’s just a clear way to explain how identity works in practice.
The Core: What You Control
At the centre of brand identity are six core elements:
- Visual identity
- Verbal identity
- Product or service
- Personality
- Story
- Name
These are the things you can build with intention. You can design them, define them, and make decisions about them deliberately.
This is why we work on brand identity in the first place — to manage perception before our work hits the real world.
The Orbit: Experience in the Real World
Once your brand leaves your hands, things change.
People experience your work through behaviour, interactions, culture, service, and delivery. This is where perception starts to form — and where control becomes looser.
This “orbit” is how people feel about your brand once it’s out there living in the wild.
The Outer Field: Reputation
Beyond that sits reputation — the memory people carry with them.
Reputation doesn’t live in your brand guidelines or your website. It lives in people’s heads. It’s shaped over time through consistency, integrity, competence, and experience.
This is why brand identity matters so much. It’s not about aesthetics. It’s about creating the conditions for a reputation you actually want.
Visual Identity: More Than a Logo
Visual identity includes anything people can see:
- Logo
- Colour palette
- Typography
- Photography and video
- Layout systems
- Graphic elements
All of it contributes to how a brand is recognised and remembered.
Verbal Identity and Personality
The same goes for words.
Your tone, voice, messaging, captions, comments, and copy all shape perception. They help position you with the right people and repel the wrong ones.
Personality matters too. For me, that’s punk energy, hand-drawn imperfection, and a bit of irreverence — shaped by my background in skate and tattoo culture. That personality shows up visually and verbally, whether I intend it to or not.
Story, Truth, and Control
Story is another thing we control — as long as it’s true.
Making things up to sell products might work short-term, but it destroys trust fast. Strong brands are built around truth, consistency, and evidence.
When you work deliberately on these six elements, you gain something incredibly valuable: control over perception.
And that is the entire point of brand building.
Final Thoughts
Brand identity isn’t fluffy. It’s not academic. It’s not optional.
It’s the work we do so that when our brand enters the world — and we inevitably lose some control — the foundations are strong enough to hold the reputation we’re trying to build.
More Rants & Bants coming soon.
James
The People’s Branding Mentor
