PART THREE:

Key components of brand identity.

Visual branding is an effective way for a brand to set apart from the crowd and represent its identity in a particular way. This can be highlighted through a brand’s use of logo design, taglines, brand families, and values to promote a certain idea. One way to characterise a brand’s identity is through theorist Aaker’s (1997) brand personality framework, which breaks down into 5 categories: ruggedness, sincerity, excitement, competence, and sophistication (Slade-Brooking, 2016).

Sportswear brand Nike are a great example of effective brand identity, and fall into Aaker’s ‘excitement’ personality, as they are visually imaginative, ‘cool’, and up to date. On its website, Nike defines its values as ‘supporting and inspiring athletes across the world’, and this idea is represented through its visual branding (Nike.com, 2023). Nike’s logo and tagline features a ‘swoosh tick’ and tagline ‘Just do it’. The logo is black, which has connotations of power and authority, the perfect colour to embody sports and being active. The tagline uses a bold sans serif font as it is easy to read and therefore instantly recognisable, constantly keeping Nike up to date and relevant in the sporting community (Saltz, 2009). The strategic logo and tagline brand allows the consumer to associate Nike with excitement and enthusiasm for sport, perfectly embodying Aakar’s ‘excitement’ personality framework.