The Basics of a Brand Identity

Whether you’re building a new startup, pivoting, changing your company's name, or preparing for a brand audit, make sure your visual brand and story is consistent across the following platforms, products, and materials. 

Looking for an identity designer or help with crafting a brand strategy for your company? CMYK's global network of consultants and collaborators can help. 

Basics of a Brand Identity

• A clever company name 

• An equally clever, easy to remember domain

• A beautiful website 

• Logo in multiple sizes 

• Custom or consistent font  

• Company description 

• Company tagline 

• Business cards

• Company letterhead & envelopes

Website

• Website URL

• Website Name 

• Favicon

• Company logo

• Company description

• Description of your product or services

• About, Contact & Help Navigation Pages 

• Copyright Information

• Terms of Use, Privacy Policy & Copyright 

• Links to Social Media Profiles

Email Newsletter

• Company Logo

• Company Description

• Contact Information

• Links to Social Media Profiles

• Support Email Address

• Company Address & Signature 

External

• Company Email Addresses

• Employee Email Signatures

• Contracts & Documents

• Press Kits & Promotional Materials 

• Company listings on Mattermark, CrunchBase, AngelList 

• Customer Support Channels

Investor Relations

• Pitch Presentations 

• Monthly Investor Updates  

• Board Meeting Materials

Employer Branding

• Job postings & company descriptions (what’s it like to work on your team?) 

• Photos of your office and happy team (and maybe an office dog)

• LinkedIn Page for your company & employees

• Twitter accounts of your employees (if they mention their employer in their bio)

Events & Offline

• Office Signage

• Branded Event Signage & Postcards 

• Foursquare Venue Page

Gifts & Branded Products

• T-shirts 

• Stickers 

• Notebooks 

• Water bottles

eCommerce or On-demand Delivery (if applicable)

• Shipping boxes or delivery packaging (such as shopping bags)

• Printed materials inside packages 

• Stickers or branded tape for closing packages 

• Return labels

Apps (if applicable) 

• App store link 

• App store description 

• App name in listing 

Twitter

• Twitter Handle (Company Name)

• Twitter Bio (Company Description) 

• Company logo for avatar

• Website link

• Twitter Header (Background Image)

• Tweet button on your website

Facebook

• Page Name (Company Name) 

• Vanity URL 

• Company Description 

• Website 

• Header Image

Additional Social Platforms

Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, Vimeo

Changing your company name? Make sure to notify these stakeholders: 

• Employees and Interns

• Userbase & Social Community

• Investors & Advisors

• Press & Media 

• Consultants & Agencies you work with (lawyers, service providers, your bank) 

• Partners you work with (brands, corporations, API integrations) 

Resources

• Domainr - Search a company name across multiple domain extensions. 

• Poppin - Modern, colorful office supplies with branded options. 

• Makr - Create branded cards, totes, shirts and tattoos, coasters, and calendars.

• Moo - Print business cards and postcards using their marketplace or your designs. 

• Startup Threads - Print company t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies. 

• StickerMule - Make custom stickers with your logo and/or mascot. 

• Lumi - Create custom rubber stamps, packaging tape, shipping boxes, bags + more!

• Pakible - Design custom packaging for products.