Brand Communication: Turning a Brand into Consistent Communication

In the second part of our blog series, we take a closer look at the brand as a whole. Clear messages need a visual framework that carries them consistently across different formats and touchpoints. We explore how identity, values and messages can be translated into a flexible communication system – and why recognisability does not mean looking the same everywhere.

Logo, Colours, Typeface – Is That All It Takes to Build a Brand?

Of course not. A strong brand is defined above all by whether it remains recognisable across a wide range of touchpoints: on a website as well as in an annual report, in a corporate presentation as well as on LinkedIn, in a brochure or at a trade fair.

This is where brand communication comes in: it translates a company’s identity, values and messages into a consistent communication system.

Corporate Design Needs a System

A logo can be clearly defined. Corporate communication, however, is constantly evolving.

New formats emerge, target audiences change, digital channels become more important, and different teams work with the brand. A corporate design therefore needs to provide enough guidance to ensure consistency and recognisability – while remaining flexible enough to work across different applications.

This includes, for example, typography and colour palettes, layout principles and design grids, imagery, icons, templates and brand guidelines.

Together, these individual design elements form a coherent visual system.

Recognisable Does Not Mean Looking the Same Everywhere

An annual report serves a different purpose from a job advertisement. A LinkedIn post works differently from a corporate brochure. And a corporate website places different demands on design and user experience than a presentation.

Brand communication should therefore not aim to make every medium look identical. The more important question is:

Which elements ensure that a brand remains clearly recognisable across different formats?

A good design system creates exactly this balance. It establishes a shared visual framework while allowing enough flexibility within that framework to meet different communication needs.

Before Design Becomes Visible, the Messages Need to Be Clear

Brand communication, however, is about more than corporate design.

Before deciding what a message should look like, we first need to establish what the company actually wants to communicate:

• Which values are at the core of the brand?
• How does the company want to position itself?
• Which messages are relevant to each target audience?

This is where the Silvester Group’s interdisciplinary approach plays a particularly important role.

Our communications and design teams work closely with colleagues who deal with corporate strategy, sustainability, Finance and Investor Relations on a daily basis. This allows us to consider not only the visual dimension, but also the substance behind it.

Strategy and specialist topics are translated into key messages. Key messages become communication concepts. And from these concepts, we develop visual systems and specific applications.

One System, Many Applications

Our range of services illustrates just how varied these applications can be. We:

• develop and refine corporate identities,
• create brand books and icon sets,
• develop templates for presentations, documents and reports.

These can then be applied across a wide range of formats, including:

• websites,
• brochures,
• advertisements,
• internal communications,
• trade fair appearances,
• and other digital and print applications.

The Real Test Comes with Everyday Use

The true quality test of a corporate identity does not take place when it is first presented. The key questions are:

• Can the internal team work effectively with the defined templates?
• Does the system also work for new formats?
• Is the brand just as recognisable on a smartphone as it is in a printed brochure?
• Can different service providers use the system consistently?

Strong brand communication takes these questions into account from the outset.

Does Your Visual Identity Still Reflect Your Company?

Companies change. Strategies evolve, new business areas emerge, and topics such as sustainability and digitalisation reshape corporate communication.

Sometimes, the brand evolves faster than its visual identity.

Meike Speckin
Senior Art Director