Often visual identities are neglected in the first stages of start-up creation. However, visual identities are an important player in the success of startups (Sumelius, 2022). Furthermore, assessing a brand's visual identity can be used as a tool to identify organisational weakness (Baker & Balme, 1997). They can affect not only the credibility of a startup but can also impact the company's performance, attractiveness to investors, customers and employees. These factors ultimately can impact whether a startup succeeds or fails.
A strong visual identity allows the audience to feel a level of trust with a product. Consumers are unlikely to part with hard earned cash on a website with blurry pictures and 10 hard to read fonts - slap dashed across an unresponsive page.
What do we mean by a ‘good visual identity’? Importantly all aspects of your identity should have a purpose, that feels intentional, that has a spark of creativity - above all a good visual identity shows a brand's unique personality. The importance of this is backed up in the research, for instance, Luffarelli, Stamatogiannakis & Yang (2018) found that a logo which is congruent with the personality of the brand is more effective than one which is not. It has also been shown that brand personality is the largest predictor of purchase intent (Boudreaux & Palmer, 2007).
Good branding has permeated all aspects of our modern life from banking to sex tech. Consumers often use the success of visual identity as a cue into the worth and ability of the brand. Creating something that can stand out from less savvy competitors is a vital part of any good startup's journey. Given the option, consumers will pay more, engage with more, and will share further if the company has a strong and engaging visual identity. Making investing in your visual identity an important step towards your startups success.
References
Sumelius, J. (2022). How visual identities influence the performance and success of start-ups. Aalto University. Consulté 15 mars 2024, à l’adresse https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/
Baker, M.J. and Balmer, J.M.T. (1997), "Visual identity: trappings or substance?", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 31 No. 5/6, pp. 366-382. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb060637
Luffarelli, J., Stamatogiannakis, A., & Yang, H. (2018). The visual asymmetry effect: An interplay of logo design and Brand Personality on Brand Equity. Journal of Marketing Research, 56(1), 89–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022243718820548
Boudreaux, C. A., & Palmer, S. E. (2007, août 28). A charming little cabernet: Effects of wine label design on purchase intent and brand personality. International Journal of Wine Business Research. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Consulté 15 mars 2024, à l’adresse https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/17511060710817212/full/html
