What does a ‘brand identity’ do for pet brands?

A brand identity gives everyone in a company a path to follow when it comes to how the brand should be perceived by consumers.

BY Lindsay Beaton, Founder/Principal

Beaton Path Communications LLC

A brand’s ability to stand out is vital in today’s saturated pet marketplace. | davisuko, Unsplash

“Brand identity” is one of those seemingly nebulous phrases that gets tossed around interchangeably with “brand marketing,” “brand image” and, more simply, “branding.” But it’s actually a unique and vital component of a company’s existence, both as a corporate entity and as a presence among consumers.

What is a brand identity?

According to Harvard Business School, a brand identity “expresses what a brand stands for through distinct, recognizable elements that set it apart from competitors. [It] shapes how customers perceive a company, creating emotional connections that influence their buying decisions.” Common elements related to a brand include name, logo, color palette, tagline, packaging, tone and voice, and imagery. Basically, if a brand was a person, its identity would be who the brand is.

Brand identity is most commonly confused with a “brand image,” but the two have one distinct difference: a brand image comes from how a consumer base perceives a brand (an external perspective), while a brand identity is how the people behind the brand want the brand to be perceived (internal). This is an important distinction to keep in mind, because a company should be keeping track of both — ideally, the two will match, but there will almost always be a slight difference depending on market demographics and word-of-mouth among consumers, so the most realistic goal is to keep the two perceptions as aligned as possible.

How does a strong brand identity serve pet brands?

According to Grand View Research, the global pet food market is slated to reach US$135 billion in 2026, while global pet care is looking at US$225 billion in retail sales, according to Euromonitor data. That’s a lot of money with a lot of companies behind it, which means figuring out how to stand out should be a key component of every industry company’s marketing strategy.

It is almost never the case that a brand accidentally has its voice heard. In a market as diverse and saturated as pet, it’s far more likely that a brand is struggling to find its niche, hold on to enough real estate to get noticed and maintain its messaging, all while hitting sales goals. This is where a solid brand identity can come in clutch, both internally and externally.

First off, if those working on a brand don’t know its voice, they’ll never be able to sell it properly. How can a brand have a voice? By having personality. Again, we’re personifying, but that’s how consumers operate these days. Long gone are the limitations behind transactional business when it comes to most consumer goods; people want to have a connection to what they’re buying, especially when it comes to their pets. Is the company aiming to be fun? Scientific? Playful? More aimed at the pet or the human taking care of it? What colors work best to accompany this voice? What types of social media are going to be the brand’s primary methods of communication? What should that communication look like? These are all questions that need to be considered.

Secondly, knowing a brand front to back can ensure the products in that brand land with their target audience. If everyone on the company side knows what a brand is and stands for, it’s more likely that the brand will be consistently represented: in marketing, in advertising, in casual or tradeshow conversation, you name it. That consistency will spread out to how consumers perceive the brand, as well.

Thirdly, knowing a brand’s identity will help a company know which opportunities to go after — and which ones to pass on. That’s right, no brand should try to be everything to everyone, and the strongest brand identities know exactly what will fit with their mold and what won’t. That makes decisions like “should we jump on this new trend?” much easier to make.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, a strong brand identity helps breed loyalty: from the internal team who makes the brand happen and from the consumers who want to connect to the brand. Figuring out a brand’s “voice” is a key way to ensure success from without and within.