What Are Brand Assets? 15 Examples + Importance of Digital Brand Assets

A pivotal part of any company’s marketing strategy is the creation and exchange of brand assets used in the promotion of the business. To create a successful brand asset— one that provides value— it’s important to understand what they are and how to use them effectively.

In this AEC marketing guide, we explore the value of brand assets and provide examples of some of the top brands doing it right. We also discuss how to manage brand assets with a digital asset management (DAM) system and provide tips on creating brand assets of your own.

What Are Brand Assets?

Brand assets are elements that a company uses to create recognition and value for its brand. These assets include a variety of components that contribute to the overall perception and identity of the brand in the marketplace. Here are some key types of brand assets:

• Logo and Colors: The logo is often the most recognizable brand asset. Along with specific brand colors, it provides a visual identity that is instantly associated with the company.
• Taglines and Slogans: These are memorable phrases that communicate key aspects of the brand’s value proposition or identity in a succinct manner.
• Typography: The specific fonts used in a brand’s marketing and communications can become a significant part of its visual identity.
• Imagery and Photography: Consistent styles of imagery and photography not only enhance brand recognition but also help to convey the brand’s personality and values.
• Brand Voice: The tone and style of communication used in advertisements, social media, and customer interactions form an important part of your brand style.
• Website and Digital Presence: The design and functionality of a company’s website, along with its presence on social media and other digital platforms, are crucial for modern brand identity.
• Packaging: For product-based companies, the design of packaging can be a significant brand asset that affects how the products are perceived and experienced.
• Brand Name and Domain: The name of the company and its associated domain name are foundational assets that play a critical role in all branding efforts.

Digital brand assets help potential customers and existing clients recognize your brand. This recognition along with having a consistent brand message across all of your channels helps build trust with your audiences.

Brand Assets vs. Digital Assets: What’s the Difference?

Digital assets and brand assets are similar but not the same. Though they both exist as digital files that can be shared and used in several ways, digital and brand assets differ in the amount and type of value they provide to your business. Let’s take a look at each in more detail.

Brand Assets

Brand assets are the core elements that define and differentiate a brand in the marketplace. These assets include anything from logos and taglines to the overall visual style and voice of the brand. They are crucial for building brand identity, recognition, and loyalty across all customer touchpoints.

Digital Assets

Digital assets specifically refer to any content or resources in digital form that a company owns and uses. This includes images, videos, documents, and other multimedia content. They are vital for supporting a brand’s online presence and marketing efforts, particularly in digital advertising, website content, and social media.

Digital Brand Assets

Digital brand assets are where brand assets and digital assets overlap. These are the digital expressions of traditional brand assets, adapted for use across digital platforms. For instance, a digital brand asset could be an animated version of a logo, digital-friendly typography, or a social media template that incorporates the brand’s visual identity. Essentially, digital brand assets are about translating the core elements of a brand into formats that are optimized for digital consumption and interaction.

Why Are Brand Assets Important?

The primary reason a business would commit time and resources to the creation of digital brand assets is to extract the value they provide to your brand. This is why it’s important to have a digital asset management (DAM) solution to keep materials organized and accessible.

Here’s how doing branding correctly provides value to your business:

Building Trust in Your Brand

Trust is the cornerstone of any successful business relationship. As branded digital assets, things like your logo and social media accounts help to build trust with your audience, enabling your brand with a recognizable and consistent image.

When customers see a brand that presents itself professionally and cohesively across various online platforms, they’re more likely to consider it reliable and trustworthy. This perceived trustworthiness encourages customer loyalty and fosters a positive brand reputation.

In fact, 81% of consumers indicate that trust in a brand is a crucial element in their purchasing decisions, and 46% are willing to spend more on a brand they trust, an increase from 30% in 2021.

Creating a Consistent Brand Image

Consistency is key in the digital world. Whether it’s through the color scheme, typography, or style of imagery, consistent digital brand assets ensure that your business is easily recognizable across all online channels.

This consistency not only strengthens your brand’s identity but also reassures customers and prospects about the stability and reliability of your business. A unified brand image makes your business more memorable and increases the likelihood of repeat engagement.

Plus, 68% of businesses indicate that maintaining brand consistency has accounted for a 10% to 20% increase in their revenue growth.

Establishing Brand Identity

Your brand’s identity is its personality. Digital brand assets are the elements that express this personality to the world. 75% of consumers remember a brand by its logo.

However, from the logo that symbolizes your brand’s values to the tone of voice used in your content, every asset contributes to a unique brand identity. By leveraging the following digital brand assets, you can develop a recognizable image and build strong brand recognition:

• Color palette
• Typeface
• Company logo & slogan
• Packaging
• Illustrations
• Patterns
• Icons

As such, initiatives to create digital brand assets should be a top priority for any business looking to help customers recognize their brand image and what it stands for. This identity helps differentiate your business from competitors and allows customers to connect with your brand on a personal level, fostering a sense of loyalty and advocacy.

Driving Traffic to Your Website

Brand consistency is important, but so is driving traffic to your website. Fortunately, digital brand assets can help you do that too. Effective digital brand assets are not just visually appealing; they’re also strategically designed to drive traffic to your website.

A study by HubSpot found that direct traffic is the top source of website traffic. This implies that brand awareness is a significant factor in expanding a company’s audience reach. In fact, their study found that 50% of consumers are more likely to buy from a company whose logo they easily recognize and 39% of marketers say their primary goal for a social media strategy is to increase brand awareness and reach new audiences.

Therefore, you should include digital brand assets in engaging social media posts, informative blog articles, and SEO-optimized images and videos to attract more visitors to your site. The more compelling and relevant your digital assets are, the more likely they are to be shared and seen, increasing your website’s visibility and, ultimately, its traffic.

Moreover, by including links to your website in your digital assets, you can increase the number of visitors to your site. This is a great way to promote new products and services, or simply to get more people interested in your company.

Driving ROI

Brand assets like logos, consistent color schemes, and a distinctive brand voice enhance recognition and trust among consumers, making a brand easily identifiable and preferable over competitors. This heightened recognition leads to increased customer loyalty, with loyal customers not only making repeat purchases but also acting as brand advocates.

Effective brand assets streamline marketing efforts, ensuring that advertising resonates more strongly and achieves higher conversion rates.

By solidifying a brand’s identity and presence in the market, these assets drive higher sales and customer retention, which in turn boosts return on investment by maximizing revenue and reducing the costs associated with acquiring new customers. In fact, consistent brand presentation across all platforms increases revenue by up to 23%.

15 Examples Brand Assets

You don’t have to look far successful digital brand asset examples, as they are all around us. By their very nature, the best digital brand assets attract the eye of the consumer and make it nearly impossible to ignore the brand or walk away from the service. Here are some popular digital brand examples:

Coca-Cola: Strong Digital Presence

Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. The company has a strong digital presence, with a website that is updated regularly with new content. Their digital branding successfully utilizes bold colors and a signature typeface, which is incorporated into all of their digital marketing. Coca-Cola also has a strong social media presence, with accounts on all major platforms.

One of Coca-Cola’s most successful digital assets is its #ShareACoke marketing campaign. The trending campaign encourages people to share photos of themselves with Coca-Cola products, essentially creating online brand ambassadors. The campaign was successful in increasing brand awareness and generating positive sentiment toward the company.

Nike: Clear Brand Identity

Swoosh! Nike is another example of a company with a strong digital presence. Nike’s website is updated consistently with new content customers want, and the company maintains a competitive social media presence. Nike also has a mobile app, which allows users to track their fitness progress and purchase Nike products.

What makes Nike’s digital brand assets so strong? Nike has a clear brand identity that is reflected in all of its digital assets. Nike’s digital assets are branded, fully integrated, and work together to create a seamless user experience.

Dunkin Donuts: Active and Engaging

Another company with flourishing and relevant digital brand assets is Dunkin Donuts. With a cheery pop of color, a snappy catchphrase, and a handful of recognizable brand icons, Dunkin has a winning arsenal of brand assets.

Their website is clean and easy to navigate, with a focus on product images and call-to-actions. Clickable brand icons also make it responsive, so it looks and runs great on mobile devices. Dunkin Donuts’ social media accounts are active and engaging, featuring digital branding that encourages followers to play, repost, and tag themselves.

Apple: Distinct and Easy to Consume

This one is a no-brainer. The strategic use of digital brand assets is part of what makes Apple one of the most powerfully ubiquitous and recognizable companies in the world. A key part of their digital branding is their use of color. From the classic white and grey tones to the colorful product shots on their website and social media, everything about Apple’s digital branding pops.

They also make excellent use of whitespace, ensuring that their brand assets are uncluttered and easy to consume. But Apple doesn’t just rely on strong visuals – they also have amazing audio branding. Think about the sound you hear when you turn on an iPhone, or how distinct their commercials are from anyone else’s!

Oreo: Recognizable and Nostalgic

This cult-classic cookie stays relevant by sandwiching digital brand assets between classic advertising and modern digital marketing. Oreo’s digital brand assets are some of the most eye-catching on the internet. From recipe videos and Oreo art to printables and games, there’s something for everyone on their website – no matter how old you are.

And their social media presence is just as impressive, with over 27 million followers on Facebook alone. What’s more, Oreo isn’t afraid to experiment. They were one of the first brands to jump on the Snapchat bandwagon, and their “Dunk in the Dark” Super Bowl campaign was a huge success.

How to Create Your Own Digital Brand Assets

Creating memorable digital brand assets can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! Here are a few best practices to get you started:

1. Start with your logo: Your logo is one of the most important brand assets you have. It should be simple, recognizable, and reflect your brand’s values.
2. Then your website: Make sure it is well-designed, easy to navigate, and contains accurate and up-to-date information.
3. Wrap-up with social media: Your social accounts are digital brand assets too. Use these platforms to share your brand’s story, connect with customers, and create valuable content.

How to Manage Digital Assets for Your Brand

Having an effective way to manage your digital brand assets is essential for maintaining a strong and consistent brand identity. That’s why it’s important to have a digital asset management solution (DAM).

Digital Asset Management System

A Digital Asset Management (DAM) system is a software solution that stores, organizes, and distributes digital assets like images, videos, audio files, and documents. It serves as a central repository for all digital content, making it easily accessible to various stakeholders within an organization. By tagging and categorizing assets, a DAM system facilitates efficient searching and retrieval, ensuring that the latest versions of assets are used, and helps in maintaining brand consistency.

When implementing a DAM system, consider the following to maximize its benefits:

• Scalability: Choose a DAM system that can grow with your organization. As your brand evolves, so too will your digital asset needs. A scalable solution will accommodate increasing volumes of assets without compromising performance.
• Integration Capabilities: The DAM should integrate seamlessly with other tools used by your company, such as content management systems (CMS), customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and marketing platforms. Integration ensures that assets flow smoothly between different stages of marketing and sales processes.
• Security Features: Given the value and sensitivity of digital assets, the DAM system should include robust security measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
• Metadata and Tagging: Effective tagging and use of metadata are crucial for organizing assets. This not only facilitates easy retrieval but also helps in tracking asset usage and performance across different campaigns and platforms.

Brand-Based Digital Asset Management Systems

Brand-based digital asset management systems are designed to organize digital assets by product or brand. They are typically best for retail or eCommerce verticals.

Project-Based Digital Asset Management Systems

Project-based DAMs store and organize digital assets by project or property, and are best for architecture, engineering, construction (AEC), and real estate firms. They help AEC firms find their assets more quickly and help them create better proposals, faster.

OpenAsset: The Best Way to Manage Your Digital Brand Assets

OpenAsset makes it simple to find the digital assets you need when you need them. You can search for project and image files by keywords or file type, and tag files to make them easier to find later. The secure platform also helps you protect your digital assets by keeping them safe from unauthorized access and accidental deletion.

With OpenAsset, you can easily share files with team members, clients, and partners. You can also control who has access to your files and what they can do with them. As more and more businesses move away from traditional print media and towards digital channels, it’s important to invest in a winning strategy for managing your digital brand assets.

Ready to experience how OpenAsset can help you manage your digital assets?

The post What Are Brand Assets? 15 Examples + Importance of Digital Brand Assets appeared first on OpenAsset.