When you’re trying to build a brand that deeply resonates with your target audience, step one is choosing the right brand words.
Why? Because your brand words determine your design choices. If you asked me to build you a visual identity right now, I wouldn’t even TOUCH my canvas until we agreed on your brand words.
Words carry meaning. They are the emissaries of your brand’s soul. They embody its ethos and inform its aesthetic direction.
Curating a list of brand words is a foundational step in defining how your brand feels, communicates, and ultimately, connects with your audience.
If you think ~ brand words ~ are just fluffy adjectives you toss around during a brainstorming session—I get it. And for most people, they are. But the instant you apply your brand words to the greater branding process, they go from being fluffy adjectives to strategic tools to dial in your brand’s positioning.
3 Reasons Why You Must Curate Brand Words
👉 Reason #1: Your brand words help you create a consistent persona that resonates through all touchpoints of your brand—be it your website, social media, presentations, or marketing assets.
👉 Reason #2: Your brand words (and the energy they carry) will shape people’s first impression of you and evoke emotions that help them connect with you on a human level.
👉 Reason #3: Your brand words force you (gently, of course) to distill the essence of what your brand stands for so you can get out of brand identity limbo, plant a stake in the ground, and feel an unshakeable sense of conviction in who you are and what your brand stands for.
Most importantly, your brand words act as a litmus test for your brand aesthetic.
EXAMPLE ONE
If “innovative,” “sleek,” and “cutting-edge” are among your brand words, your design choices might lean towards modern typography, a futuristic color palette, and minimalist design.
EXAMPLE TWO
Words like “authentic,” “abundant,” and “earthy” suggest warm tones, flowy shapes, organic graphics, and perhaps a handcrafted logo design.
Knowing what your brand words are will help you turn difficult design decisions into effortless choices that are rooted in the essence of your brand. If a concept or design doesn’t align with your brand words, it likely doesn’t belong in your brand’s universe. Simple as that.
By anchoring your visual identity in your brand words, you create a more powerful brand image that effectively communicates your core values and attracts your dream clients and opportunities.
I really want you to experience the unshakeable sense of confidence in who you are and what your brand represents, the type of confidence that only comes from doing the inner work of getting clear on your brand words. And that’s why I made you a free tool: the Brand Word Bank!
The Brand Word Bank
Selecting your brand words is a powerful and insightful exercise you can complete in under an hour. And if you use our Brand Word Bank you may even get it done in a matter of minutes.
This is a tool I created to make it super easy for you to browse a variety of word ideas and curate the ones that resonate the most with the brand you want to create. It contains 100 brand words organized into 5 categories.
Want access to the Brand Word Bank? Just click here and enjoy!
