People can’t help judging each other. We don’t even realize that we do.
Vivian Zayas conducted a study into how we judge each other based on our looks, she is an associate professor of psychology from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Zayas and her team found that we make judgments about each other based on first appearances that stick even after we start to get to know each other.
So, ask yourself, if this is something we all do to each other without even thinking, how much more will people judge your business image after their first glance?
Business Image Definition
The topic of business image uses some jargon that’s important to understand. There are basically three things we talk about when we talk about business image.
Corporate Identity
These are your visual assets, like your logo, color scheme, website design, and typography. It’s how you visually set yourself apart.
Brand Identity
This goes a step beyond being recognized visually. Brand identity refers to what your business actually does, it’s services and values. This is how you begin a relationship with customers.
Brand Image
Your corporate and brand identity contributes to your overall brand image. This is, how people feel about your brand and their experience with it. This is your established relationship with a customer.
Your business image matters, probably a lot more than you think. Here’s why.
1. Create the Right First Impression
The way you design your business imaging has a direct impact on how your customers feel about you.
The same as having a well-presented building gives off a good impression about what’s inside.
The colors, shapes, and fonts that you choose for your imaging all create an emotional response in a customer. It might be subtle, but science says that it’s there.
Certain colors, like blue, make us think of trust and professionalism, while pink brings to mind feminality and youth.
2. Instant Brand Recognition
A picture says a thousand words, especially when it comes to your business image.
Your main piece of visual branding is usually your logo and for good reason. Your logo encompasses your entire brand image and instantly brings it to the front of a customer’s mind.
That’s a lot of heavy lifting for one image.
3. It Creates Content Engagement
It’s a fact that the image is more engaging than text. This is because 93% of human communication is non-verbal.
Facebook content that contains images receive 53% more likes, while posts that keep characters to under 80 get 66% more engagement.
This makes it obvious why images communicate a business message so quickly and effectively.
4. It’s All in the Product Packaging
Sometimes the first interaction a customer has with a brand is by picking up a product on a shelf.
Here is a shocking statistic: 70% of people form an opinion of a brand based on product packaging. So the images you use on packaging have a direct impact on sales.
5. Your Whole Image Counts
As we mentioned at the start, your brand image is a combination of visual elements and personality.
This means that you can look great but you must prove that you actually are great in what you do.
Business image is not too different from real-life relationships. You might be attracted to someone because they are good looking, but if their personality doesn’t stack up it’s not going to be a lasting relationship.
The Best Brand Image Strategy
The best approach is to have an equal focus on your business images, like your logo, and your business’s personality.
Neither can thrive without the other. Images provide the fastest way to communicate, while brand image establishes a meaningful relationship.
While you’re here, check out the rest of our blog.
