What is brand identity, and what does it include?

Brand vs brand identity vs logo: what is the difference?

People mix these three words up all the time. They are not the same thing.

A logo alone cannot carry a brand. Customers meet you on Instagram, on a shop sign, in a WhatsApp reply and on an invoice. The identity is what makes all of those feel like one company.

What does a brand identity include?

Here are the elements we build in a complete identity. Each one has a job.

Tone of voice is the personality in your words. Nielsen Norman Group describes it along four scales: funny vs serious, formal vs casual, respectful vs irreverent, and enthusiastic vs matter of fact.

Why does a consistent identity matter?

Consistency is what turns design into recognition. In a 2019 Lucidpress study of more than 200 organisations, companies said consistent branding could raise revenue by up to 33%. The same study found 81% of companies still deal with off brand content.

Recognition also takes time. A 2023 Ipsos and JKR study of over 5,000 brand assets found only 15% were truly distinctive. Their conclusion: what matters is less the design itself and more the sustained use of it.

Trust matters in words too. Nielsen Norman Group found trustworthiness explained 52% of how much users wanted to recommend a brand, far more than friendliness did.

Arabic and English: how should a bilingual identity work in Egypt and the Gulf?

Most brands we work with need two scripts from day one. Treat Arabic as an equal design partner, not a translation added at the end.

• Pick an Arabic typeface designed to pair with your Latin one, matched in weight and feel. Never stretch or slant a Latin font to fake Arabic.
• Design Arabic and English logo lockups together: side by side, stacked, and each language alone.
• Match visual size. Arabic letters often look smaller at the same point size, so test and adjust.
• Write the Arabic copy in Arabic. Egyptian colloquial suits most social content in Egypt; Gulf audiences often expect a Gulf dialect or Modern Standard Arabic.
• Decide numerals. W3C notes that Egypt and Saudi Arabia commonly use Arabic Indic digits (٠١٢٣), while many apps and price tags use 0 to 9. Pick one rule per channel.

Market differences to plan for

Examples from our work

Battireo: an identity with a character

Battireo delivers and installs car batteries. OneKind built the brand and created a brand character that led personalised offers campaigns. The work reached over 1 million engagements. Their Head of Marketing says sales grew steadily and Battireo became the market leader.

Blue Bus: a new voice for an old category

For Blue Bus, an intercity bus operator in Egypt, we wrote a new tone of voice and slogan built around selling the journey, not the bus. The identity carried across buses, stations and TikTok. Ticket sales rose more than 30% in 12 months.

Read the Blue Bus case study

How we approach brand identity at OneKind

1. Start with strategy: audience, positioning and personality. Design comes after.
2. Audit what you already have. Some assets have earned recognition and should stay.
3. Explore two or three creative routes, each tested in both Arabic and English.
4. Test on real touchpoints: an Instagram grid, a TikTok intro, a shop sign, an app icon.
5. Build the system: logo files, colour codes, fonts, voice rules, templates.
6. Write brand guidelines so your team and suppliers can apply it without us.
7. Roll out in priority order, starting with the places customers see most.

Related guides

What is brand positioning?

What should brand guidelines include?

How much does branding cost in Egypt?

Sources

Lucidpress brand consistency study, 2019 (via PR Newswire)

Ipsos and JKR distinctive assets study, 2023 (Marketing Week)

Nielsen Norman Group: The Impact of Tone of Voice on Users' Brand Perception

Nielsen Norman Group: The Four Dimensions of Tone of Voice

W3C: Arabic and Persian Layout Requirements

Saudipedia: National Policy for the Arabic Language in Saudi Arabia (2026)

Khaleej Times: Shop owners in Dubai asked to abide by signage rules (2026)

FAQ

What are the main elements of brand identity?

A common list is logo, colour palette, typography, imagery, tone of voice, motion and templates. Some brands add a character or mascot, a sound or a signature shape.

Is a logo the same as brand identity?

No. The logo is one part of the identity. The identity is the full system of colours, fonts, imagery, voice and rules that makes every touchpoint feel like the same brand.

What is the difference between brand identity and brand image?

Brand identity is what you design and control. Brand image is what customers actually think of you. A good identity, used consistently, moves the image toward what you want.

What does تصميم هوية بصرية include?

Visual identity design (تصميم هوية بصرية) usually covers the logo system, colours, fonts, imagery style and templates. A full brand identity also adds tone of voice and brand guidelines.

Do I need both Arabic and English versions of my logo?

If you sell in Egypt, Saudi Arabia or the UAE, almost always yes. Saudi and Dubai rules require Arabic on commercial signage, and many customers search and read in Arabic first.