Building and Shaping Brand Image with Visual Content: Why We All Need to Do It

Brand Image: Why it Matters

Consumers don’t make decisions based on product alone. The brand’s image and promise play a tremendous part in the consumer’s purchase decision and establishing loyalty.

Take the personal product brand Dove for example. What attributes come to mind when you think of the brand?

Honest? Optimistic? Empowering women?

The images may differ from person to person, but it’s impressive how most of us come up with descriptors very quickly.

The truth is, Dove worked to establish this image over the course of many years. In 2006, Dove introduced the iconic

Real Beauty Campaign, one of the most innovative and successful campaigns in modern marketing. Through advertisements, videos, workshops, and events the brand aimed to challenge the narrow definition of beauty and inspire women to be confident about their own personal physique.

Consumers responded to the campaign. Not only did Dove’s videos go viral, but their sales also skyrocketed. Consumer brand sentiment was extremely positive.  

In short, Dove redefined itself: it was no longer associated solely as a plain bar of white soap. By sharing an innovative yet relevant message across its channels, Dove reached consumers worldwide at a deeply personal and emotional level.

At this point, you may wonder: Isn’t brand building only important for brands with high recognition? Does my local business need to develop a brand image, promise, and personality?

Yes! Establishing a brand identity and communicating this to consumers is crucial if you are seeking long-term success. By building a brand image, you create a promise about quality and experience, which may be more effective than only marketing the benefits of your product. A relatable, eye-catching brand image is key in growing business.

Visual Content as a Branding Tool

Visual content, especially video, is an excellent tool for building brand image and personality.

90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and not surprisingly, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text. Studies also show that 40% of people will respond better to visual information compared to text.

Logos, taglines, typeface, mission statements— these elements all shape a brand’s image, but more complex visual content, such as video, may be most effective for communicating and connecting with consumers. By utilizing evocative imagery and sound shaped by storytelling principles, a brand can share its values and create a visceral emotional connection with the viewer.

For Dove, this meant creating a series of powerful short films portraying the reality behind women’s self-perception. The Real Beauty Sketches did not necessarily market Dove products, but rather established its unique brand identity, promise and traits. Since then, the Dove brand image has endured by engaging with the consumer on a deeply personal and meaningful level.

All in all, the key to using visual content as a tool for building and shaping your brand’s image is rather simple: have a clear and unified message that creates an emotional connection with your audience.