Dissertation Report: Brand Identity By Connor Molde Computer Games & Interactive Media Year 2
Contents Section 1: Opening Page Page 1 Section 2: Abstract Page 2 Section 3: Aims and Objectives Page 3 Section 4: Definition of Terms Page 4 Section 5: The Objectives and Arguments Section 5.1. Research Pages 5-6 5.2. Vision Page 7 5.3. Cross Cultures Page 8 5.4. Name Page 9 5.5. Meaning Page 10 5.6. Brandmark (logo) Pages 11-12 5.7. Slogan Pages 13-14 5.8. Colour Page 15 5.9. Typography Page 16 5.10. Website Pages 17-18 5.11. Social Media Page 19 5.12. Advertising Page 20 Section 6: 6 Conclusion Pages 21-22 Section 7: 7 Action Plan/ Further Study Page 23
1. Opening Page What elements go into creating brand identity and how companies can use brand identity to have a positive effect on their success? (Hypothesis) The focus of the dissertation is brand identity and it will be looking into the hypothesis what elements go into creating brand identity and how companies can use brand identity to have a positive effect on their success? It will develop and draw conclusions as to what different elements go into creating brand identity and how businesses can use each of them to be as effective as possible. 1
2. Abstract Companies and businesses worldwide are trying to get their brand out to customers and want to become as successful as possible. There are many different elements that go into creating a successful business, for example, a business strategy which outlines exactly what they are going to do and how they are going to do it. However, the focus of this dissertation is brand identity and how company s can use it to have a positive effect on their businesses success. The hypothesis for this dissertation may seem to have an obvious answer, but it is particularly interested in identifying the elements that go into brand identity, as this will be very beneficial for both my university assignments and my own commercial work. The research undertaken for this dissertation is mainly sourced from the internet and books. The internet was very useful for some aspects of research as it is very easy to search for the specific information required. However, the most effective form of research was going to the NTU Library (Nottingham Trent University Library) as there were many books available to loan and finding the right book was very easy. I found a number of books which has helped a lot for the research of this report. They have provided vital information on many different aspects of brand identity such as; advertising, market research, names, vision and brand marks. 2
3. Aims and Objectives This is a metaphoric visual way of describing a company s aim. The darts hitting the bullseye is a way of showing a company achieving what it aimed to achieve. Marketing is a key area within industry; however, the intention of this report is to try to explain as many elements of brand identity as possible to show how and when they should/ can be used effectively. Brand identity can affect a business in a positive way. This report covers a series of topics that are all key elements of brand identity. They can all have a positive effect on the success of a business affecting market research, the company s vision, name, brand mark, colour and advertising. The main objective for this report is to give a solid understand of the elements that go into brand identity and how it can have a positive effect on their success. I intend to use the knowledge and understanding gained from this dissertation report in the development of my career in the setting up my own business as a freelance web designer, as I will need a better understanding of brand identity and how to market it. 3
4. Definition of Terms Understanding the terms that are going to be measured and assessed within this dissertation is vital. When asking can brand identity have an effective impact on a business, establishing what is meant by Brand, Brand identity and Branding in this context is essential for concluding effective results for my report. What is a brand? [1][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 2. What is a brand?]. A brand is a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name. As competition creates infinite choices, companies look for ways to connect emotionally with customers and create lifelong relationships. A strong brand stands out in a densely crowded marketplace. Customers fall in love with brands, trust them and believe in their superiority. How a brand is perceived affects its success, regardless of whether it is a start-up, a nonprofit or a product. What is a brand identity? [2][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 4. What is a brand identity?]. Brand identity is the expression of a brand, which includes its name, trademark, communications, and visual appearance. Because the identity is assembled by the brand owner, it reflects how the owner wants the consumer to perceive the brand. What is a branding? [3][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 6. What is a branding?]. Branding is a disciplined process used to build awareness and extend customer loyalty. Branding is about seizing every opportunity to express why people should choose one brand over another. A desire to lead, outpace the competition and reach customers is the reasons why companies leverage branding. 4
5.1. Research Part One This is a visual of a chart, which is a visual way of analysing data from market research. The first priority for a brand is to understand its mission, vision, target markets, corporate culture, competitive advantage, strengths and weaknesses, marketing strategies and challenges for the future. Research can be the catalyst for change. The use of misguided or no research can stand in the way of creativity. Research is the gathering, evaluating and interpreting of data. This affects customer s preferences for products, services and gives new insights about attitudes, awareness and behavior of the brand s prospects. There are two main types of research, these include: Primary Research: [4][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 120. Primary Research]. This is the collection of new information designed to fit specific needs such as; focus groups, online surveys and one to one interviews. Secondary Research: [5][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 120. Secondary Research]. This is the interpretation and application of existing statics or data. This form of research can be found in many resources such as websites and books. 5
5.1. Research Part Two If a company did not undertake any form of research anything they tried to do would be a risk as they would not know if it would work or if it was suitable for their target audience. There are two key benefits of using research in the brand identity development process: Minimize Risk: [6][WEBSITE][Franke and Fiorella. 2007. The Importance of Research in Brand Identity Development. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.frankefiorella.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/identitywise-the-importance-of- Research-in-Brand-Identity-Development1.pdf. [Accessed 09 January 14] Conducting research for the brand identity development process helps the business assess whether or not the brand strategy is suitable for their target audience before the launch. It is better for a brand to modify their strategy in response to any potential negative feedback before they launch it rather than waiting until they have launched it and realising there is an error and receiving negative feedback. More Confident Design Approaches: [7][WEBSITE] [Franke and Fiorella. 2007. The Importance of Research in Brand Identity Development. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.frankefiorella.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/identitywise- The-Importance-of-Research-in-Brand-Identity-Development1.pdf. [Accessed 09 January 14] Research can t predict what is going to happen in the future of the industry, but it does provide vital insights into how customers think, feel and act, giving everyone in the business the confidence to be creative and different, which leads to brands creating something completely new. There are many forms of research that companies use for effective brand identity development, e.g. focus groups. Group discussions are normally with a small amount of people, which the company are trying to base their brand around (target audience). Companies want to gather relevant information about attitudes; perceptions and needs of their target audience and helps brands create effective products that they know their customers will like. However if research is not used there is a strong tendency of brands taking the safe route because they will already know what products are currently successful within the industry; so instead of creating a new and unique product, they create something that is very similar to existing products by other brands. Research is arguably one of the most crucial aspects throughout the brand identity process, as it allows companies to be able to know what their target audience thinks and feels. This therefore opens the door to trying to create a product that completely unique and never seen before within the industry. 6
5.2. Vision This is a visual of a Venn diagram for a business plan and it shows the different aspects of the process. Vision requires big ideas, products and services by businesses that have the ability to imagine what others cannot see and the passion and drive to deliver what they believe is possible. Behind every successful brand are passionate people who inspire everyone within the business and inspire their customers to believe in their ability and goals to help them buy into the brands vision. Vision is a very important element of brand identity because it helps everyone buy into the ideas of the brand. From a customer s perspective it is very exciting to get the feel that you are part of the vision, for example, when companies like Apple have big visions for the future which normally consists of high-profile announcements of forthcoming new products. This enables their customers to see what the future holds so they get excited at the prospect and buy into the vision, which is very powerful in creating a successful brand identity. 7
5.3. Cross Cultures This image is from the book Designing Brand Identity and it shows the difference in the two advertisements for two different cultures. [8][Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 14. Cross Cultures] The web industry has made all companies global. When building a brand a cultural insight is vital, e.g., naming, logo design, image development and colour. It requires the creative team of any brand to pay attention to the cultural differences, as there have been so many examples of companies offending their own target market. [8][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 14. Cross Cultures] An example of a brand, who understands cross cultures, is Deloitte. For most countries, Deloitte s Green Dot campaign utilizes black backgrounds. However, the Chinese culture associates black with death so Deloitte decided to change the background colour to white for the Chinese advertisement. This aspect of brand identity is particularly relevant to big companies whose target audience is global. However, it is essential that every brand has a good understanding of their customer s culture(s). This demonstrates respect towards the customer and makes them feel important. 8
5.4. Name This image is a montage of different brand logos of successful companies, such as; Nike, Coca Cola, McDonalds and Apple. Finding the right name for the business is a vital part of any brand and is one of the main aspects of the brands identity. The right name should be timeless, tireless and easy to say and remember. The name of the brand is the primary element because all the other aspects, which go towards brand identity will all feature the name, e.g. on emails, the website, business cards, presentations and advertisements. A well-chosen name is an essential brand asset for any company. Typically, it is the name that customers remember. Look at companies, such as, Amazon, Coca Cola, Starbucks; they all have the qualities, which create an effective name. There are many factors which go into creating an effective name. The name has to be meaningful, which means it mimics in some way the brand and it supports what the company wants to achieve. It also has to be distinctive, which means it has to be unique and easy for the customers to remember. The brand name has to have positive meaning and no negative connotations. Finally, if the brand name is visual it will lend itself well in a graphic presentation (logo). 9
5.5. Meaning This visual is from the book Designing Brand Identity it is from the company Spectrum Health System s Mosaic which represents the many parts of the company working together to form an integrated health system. The use of colour emphasises vitality and the light from the centre of the logo reflects inspiration and healing. [9][Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Pages 32-33. Meaning] The best brands stand for something, e.g. a big idea, a strategic position or a defined set of values. The strength of a brand becomes more powerful when frequently used and when people/customers understand what it stands for. The meaning is rarely immediate and takes time for people to get a real understanding of what the brand stands for. Designers distill meaning into unique visual form. It is therefore vital that the meaning is explained so it can be understood. All the other elements that go into brand identity will show the meaning of the brand, so it is vital that the meaning is logical and can be used in all the different aspects such as, the logo, advertisements and the website. It is vital for brands to have a strong meaning. [9][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Pages 32-33. Meaning] An example of a brand that has strong meaning is Spectrum Health System s Mosaic which represents the many parts of the company working together to form an integrated health system. The shape of the symbol expresses movement and energy. The use of colour emphasises vitality and the light from the centre of the logo reflects inspiration and healing. The meaning of the brand in a visual sense is used everywhere within the company for example; the logo is on the uniform of each of the employees. It is so important for a company s meaning to be explained so customers and employees understand what the brand is about and what it is trying to achieve. The meaning is one of the key elements, as it will be used throughout all the other aspects of creating effective brand identity. 10
5.6. Brandmark (logo) Part One This image consists of three of the most recognisable company logos (McDonalds, Google and Apple). It just goes to show how important it is to have a brand mark that is recognisable. [10][WEBSITE] [Matchstic. 2014. The Visual Essence of a Brand. [ONLINE] Available at: http://matchstic.com/work/services/ brand-identity/ [Accessed 10 January 14] A brand mark (or logo), is the single most important mark and is the heart of the brand. It is the simplest way for a business to express its purpose and reputation. The brand mark has to be something that can reinforce the value and purpose of the company. Brand marks are usually word driven, image driven or symbolic. There are many categories of brand marks. Companies decide upon the category that they think will best express the message they want to create. These categories include: Word marks: [11][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 49. Word marks] Word marks normally consist of an acronym, company name or product name that has been designed to convey the brands attitude or positioning. An example of a brand that uses this style of brand mark is Google as the logo is simply the name of the company. I think this style of brand mark is very effective as Google s is a huge organisation and their logo is at the heart and is the most distinct form of brand identity. Letterforms: [12][WEBSITE] [Brand Excitement. 2010. Making your mark with brand marks. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// blog.brandexcitement.com/2012/03/06/making-your-mark-with-brandmarks/ [Accessed 10 January 14] Letterforms can just one letter of a brand and it is used to provide great distinction and remembrance. One of the most recognised letterform marks is the McDonald s M. It is recognised globally, in all languages and countries. I think as far as brand marks go, this style can very effective for customers as they are easy to remember and are seen everywhere. 11
5.6. Brandmark (logo) Part Two Pictorial marks: [13][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 49. Pictorial marks] Pictorial marks are immediately recognisable images that have been simplified to be very distinct and easy to express its purpose and reputation. These types of brand mark are also very easy on the eye. Apple uses a pictorial of an apple. I love how simple the design is, yet it is so effective and is well known by everyone. Just like letterforms, pictorial marks are very effective for customers as they are easy to remember and are very distinct. Abstract marks: [14][WEBSITE] [Brand Excitement. 2010. Making your mark with brand marks. [ONLINE] Available at: http://blog.brandexcitement.com/2012/03/06/making-your-mark-with-brandmarks/ [Accessed 10 January 14] Abstract marks are great when a company is going to have many divisions or levels of service. A great example of this is Microsoft. Their abstract service mark can easily be used on all their products and adjusted across many divisions to represent the brand. An abstract mark is also great for service based businesses because as the types of services change, or even as the name changes, the mark can remain the same. This form of brand mark is very effective because it can be used anywhere throughout the organisation. They are very effective and easily recognisable. A brand mark has to be something that can reinforce the value and purpose of the company. They are very symbolic and they are such a powerful element of a company s brand identity as they are what customers will remember. Take some of the world s biggest brands, such as McDonalds and Apple their brand marks are easily recognisable and seen by people everywhere. 12
5.7. Slogan Part One This image is a montage of different brand slogans of successful companies, such as; Nike (Just Do It), LG (Life s Good) and McDonalds (I m Loving It). [15][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 24. Taglines] A slogan (or tagline) is a short phrase that captures a company s brand essence, personality and positioning. It is used to distinguish the company from its competitors. Slogans are very powerful tools for building brands. Slogans have to be very catchy so they are remembers by the customers. There are many essential characteristics that have to be taken into account when creating an effective and powerful. For example, they have to be short, unique, capture the brands meaning, and be easy to say or remember and have no negative meaning. [16][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 24. 5 sections of taglines] There are five main categories of effective slogans. These include: Imperative: These types of slogans normally command an action and usually start with a verb, for example; YouTube s slogan is Broadcast yourself. Descriptive: This type of slogan normally describes the service, product or brand promise, for example, Philip s slogan is Sense and simplicity. Superlative: This type of slogan normally describes the position of the company as the best, for example; BMW s slogan is 13
5.7. Slogan Part Two The ultimate driving experience. Provocative: These types of slogans normally reveal their business category, for example; HSBC s slogan is The world s local bank. Specific: These types of slogans normally reveal their business category, for example; HSBC s slogan is The world s local bank. All these successful companies have an effective slogan that shows what their brands stand for and deliver. They are meaningful, memorable and frequently used throughout their marketing campaigns and are a main element to effective brand identity. 14
5.8. Colour This is a visual of a colour wheel, which represents that colour is a vital element of brand identity. Colour within a brand is used to create emotion and express personality. It is the colour of the brand that we as customers depend on. For example, everyone is familiar with Coca Cola s red. [17][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 150. Color?] In the sense of visual perception our brains see colour before it reads content. So in the content of Coca Cola, our brain will see the colour red and instantly recognise what the brand is and then, finally, it will see the product, such as Coca Cola s cans or bottles. For any brand it is important they understand colour theory and have a clear vision of how their brand will be perceived by everyone. The colours that are used for the brand have to be consistent and used throughout all the other forms of media and elements of brand identity, such as website, business cards and advertisements. Colour is so important because it is a brand s way of making themselves recognisable within the industry. For brands, it is vital that they are consistent with the use of colours throughout the development of the brand identity so that everything fits and it looks professional. 15
5.9. Typography This visual is from the book Designing Brand Identity and shows an image of typography. Typography is so important for a company because it has to be flexible so it works in all the different forms of media such as, for advertisements the typography needs to be big and bold whereas, on websites it needs to be smaller and more professional. [19][Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 154. Typography] [18][BOOK] [Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 154. Typography] Typography is a core building block for effective brand identity development. Companies like, Apple and Mercedes-Benz are immediately recognisable and this is due to their unique typographical style. There are so many different fonts available, so for brands who want to be unique it requires a basic knowledge and understanding of effective typography. The most effective typography within a brand has to be flexible and easy to use because it will be used on a wide range of media and in some cases the style of the typography may not work throughout the whole brand identity development process. For example, the typography on a poster would need to be big and bold. However, that style would not work as well on the company s website. Typography is so important because it is a brands way of making themselves recognisable. For brands, it is vital that they are consistent and the typography is very flexible so it can be changed to tailor the needs of all the different aspects of the brand identity development process. 16
5.10. Website Part One This is a visual of a company s website on three different devices, such as; Computer, Tablet and Phones. It is vital for websites now for them to be compatible on all different devices because of how advanced technology has become. Websites are at the top of the brand development process. As technology has developed, people can visit a company s website on their ipod or Smartphone s literally anywhere. Websites have made businesses global as it accessible to almost everyone everywhere. Websites have to create engaging content and inviting interfaces in order to make customers want to come back and visit it again. The most effective websites run faster and are more user-friendly. It is also important for companies to know who their visitors are and give them a reason to come back again, such as videos which have started to populate most website that show information about the brands identity in a visual format. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is vital for effective websites because it allows them to get high rankings within search engines. It is in a company s best interest to have very effective SEO In my opinion, SEO is more important than the actual website content because if there is no or minimal or in ineffective SEO it will be hard for users to find the company s website. 17
5.10. Website Part Two In order for a company to have an effective website they will need a group of people employed to work on it constantly, because the web industry is always changing as web technologies become more advanced and more trends are introduced. It is vital a company s website is always up to date because users will get bored of seeing the same content and style every time they visit the website. Even the biggest websites in the world, such as Facebook are always looking for new ways to improve their website in order to keep their users entertained. Websites are one of the most important elements of the brands identity development process because there are accessible globally. Almost everyone has access to a computer or some form of device, which can connect to the internet. Therefore, people use the web to view company s websites to gain information. If companies did not have a website they wouldn t be as effective and in some cases organisations base their business over the web. If ebay or Amazon didn t have a website their business would not be as successful and as they are arguably two of the biggest organizations globally. This has a lot to do with the success of their website. 18
5.11. Social Media This visual is from the book Designing Brand Identity and shows an image of social media. It shows icons of many different forms of social media, such as; Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. [20][Alina Wheeler (2013). Designing Brand Identity. 4th edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons inc. [Page 70. Social Media] Social media has become the fastest growing way to allow companies to interact with customers and advertise their products and information. Social media is such a powerful tool for companies, but the most challenging part is to analyse the data traffic such as, keeping track of how many people view their company s Facebook Page. There are many ways for brands to measure their success within the social media industry. Some of these include measuring the amount of fans/followers they have, the amount of likes and comments they get on their posts and the number of traffic and visitors they get on their pages. Brands can use social media for photo sharing, video sharing, live casting, audio and music sharing. This is such a powerful tool because it is an entertaining way for companies to show information, products or brand identity. One of the main positives of social media is that it is free and easy to set up. The social media chain is simple but very effective for a company because all it takes is one person to like the company s page and all of the friends of that person will see on their news feed that they have liked the page. Therefore, their friends can then like the page and this process will go on and on and companies will build up a huge amount of publicity. It is such an effective way for a company to promote their brand identity to the public and it is very powerful. All the big brands that are out there now, such as Google, Apple, Coca Cola, Amazon and Pepsi all have social media pages and have millions of fans. This allows the companies to post latest information and updates about products or about the company itself and (potentially) millions of people will be able to see what is happening. 19
5.12. Advertising This is a visual of Coca Cola s Christmas advert. This advert is an example of how powerful advertising is for brand identity. The Coca Cola lorry is instantly recognisable and you know Christmas is coming when you see it. Advertising is still one of the primary ways consumers learn about new products, services and ideas about companies. Advertising is the influence, information, persuasion and communication that determine new ways to create a relationship between the consumer and the product. For companies, advertising can help in attracting huge number of potential customers and make a positive impact about their products and services. Advertisements can create a brand name for the product being promoted. Advertising can also lead to direct feedback from customers, which helps companies in improving their products or services in the future. There are many different forms of advertising for example; billboards, television adverts, posters or even adverts on websites, such as Facebook. Advertising is one of the oldest but most effective forms of creating successful brand identity. Companies can advertise on any form of media and it is a very effective way of visually creating information about their products or services. 20
6. Conclusion Part One In conclusion, this report has shown that there are many different elements which go into creating a brand s identity. The development process of effective brand identity consists of research. This has to be the brands main priority because it helps understand the mission, vision, target markets, corporate culture, competitive advantage, strengths and weaknesses, marketing strategies and challenges of the company. The research will help companies create an effective brand identity. This consists of finding the right name for the brand, which has an effective meaning behind it so it fits with the company s vision. This will also help brands create an effective brand mark (logo). I believe brand marks are one of the most important elements to brand identity because it is such a simple but effective way for a business to express its purpose and enhance its reputation. The brand mark has to be something that can reinforce the value and beliefs of the company. The most effective brand marks are usually word or image driven and are very distinct and memorable because you want people to remember the name of the brand. Research will also have a positive effect on brand identity from a design perspective. It is vital for brands to take a lot of preparation and care in areas such as, use of colour and typography. This is because effective brand identity needs to use a consistent colour scheme as it will need to use it throughout all the other forms of media and elements such as, website, business cards and advertisements. However, Typography needs to be more flexible because the font style may vary slightly within the different forms of media. For example, the typography might be big and bold on adverts, but the typography on the website will have to be more elegant to make the website look professional. Recent studies have also shown that there are many ways for companies to advertise their brand to customers. Some of the main ways are having a website and using social media sites. It is vital for companies to have a website because as technology has increased people can visit websites on their electronic devices or Smartphone s literally anywhere. Websites have made businesses global. Similar to websites, social media sites are also vital for companies that want to become successful because it is such an effective way for a company to get their brand identity out there to the public. 21
6. Conclusion Part Two The older forms of advertising such as, posters, billboards and TV adverts are still a very effective way creating successful brand identity because consumers can learn about new products, services and ideas about companies. The evidence from the study report suggests that the hypothesis is correct. If companies take into account all the different elements of brand identity, such as research, brand marks, clear vision and effective advertising campaigns it can have a positive effect on their overall success. If you take Coca Cola as an example, they are one of the biggest global companies. They have one of the most iconic and famous brand identities and almost everyone in the world has heard of the Coca Cola. This isn t just due to brand identity, but it is such a key element in creating a successful business because if the company didn t understand their brand and didn t have a clear vision and didn t undertake thorough research on elements such as; colour, typography, brand marks they wouldn t be the unique and symbolic company they are today. I found this dissertation very interesting and I have enhanced my knowledge and understanding of brand identity, its different elements and how to use them effectively. My decision to base the report on the subject matter has proven to be correct as I know it is going to be very beneficial to me in the future. 22
7. Action Plan/ Further Study The information gathered will be very beneficial for both further study (university assignments) and my own commercial work as I am currently in the process of setting myself up as a freelance web designer and brand identity was one area I needed to develop and further my knowledge. The information that I have gathered from this dissertation has already given me many ideas that I am going to use that will be effective. From a personal perspective, I couldn t have chosen a more suitable written study as it fits well with my Final Major Project (FMP) at university and will help guide my own commercial work. Now that I have finished this dissertation report on brand identity, I intend to research other elements that go into creating a successful business. I believe there is so much more to learn in regards to creating a successful business. As I am in the process of setting myself up as a freelance web designer I think learning other skills will be essential, e.g. how to manage your businesses success. 23