Whenever you go online or step out the door, you’re overwhelmed by stores and ads depicting yet another stylish piece of clothing. Kudos to every single one of them doing their best to compete, but how on Earth does one enter this already oversaturated, competitive market, without losing their mind? It seems that the simple answer, brand identity, hides a much more complex story of innovation as well as presentation in order to flourish.

If you’re starting your own label and trying to establish yourself as a unique entity, the following tips serve to help you find and present that “edge” that your audience will remember and relate to.

Understand your buyers

The public image of your brand is where your brand identity and brand perception meet. If there are discrepancies between the two, your reputation will, in all likelihood, suffer in the long run, even if you manage to surface out of the initial confusion. You have the power to form your brand’s image, and its very foundation lies in understanding your target customers.

How will you be able to appeal to their emotions if you don’t understand their needs or preferences? If they have a tendency to shop online, learn from the brands like Reebok and be present at various online stores. Simply put: don’t neglect your market research results in the process of building and presenting your brand to the world.

Define your uniqueness

You need to see it before you can sell it – your fashion brand’s “edge” is that elusive quality that elevates your products from the masses of similar ones easily found out there, the feature that never fades. Just look at Desigual’s devotion to vivid patterns easily recognizable everywhere in the world even without the label, or the simplicity of Converse shoes. You’d pick them both out of thousands of other brands in a heartbeat.

Then again, you have the undeniable durability and quality of Levi’s, as well as Coco Chanel’s effortless LBD, her own invention as well as a timeless staple of women’s wardrobe. They may not be visible with the naked eye, but the brand is imbued with the quality it represents.

Design your identity

Once you have defined your audience as well as your edge, it’s time to find the best way to create an identity that will reflect that uniqueness and present it in a clear way for your buyers to remember. Knowing your edge is not enough, so turning it into something your audience will understand gives you the first piece of the brand image puzzle.

Put yourself in the mindset of a fashion student and learn from the brands like Timberland, who have managed to build their identity to suit the modern consumer without endangering the essence of their design. Find the voice and the image the reflects your values and your uniqueness in order to appeal to your specific customer.

Aim for consistency

Having all of your bases covered, it’s time to stick to your promise. Omnichannel has its perks, especially for gaining a global audience, but maintaining the same look, feel, and structure throughout all outlets is a much greater challenge. Just like you’d recognize the Coca-Cola font even if used by someone else, every single detail of your presentation, including your planners, matters in the process of building your image.

It’s these details that will make you memorable, and your potential buyers, as well as return customers, will easily recognize you by a single feature everywhere they interact with your brand. From social media profiles, email campaigns and your own website all the way to your office. brick and mortar store and ads, do your best to stay consistent through creativity.

Listen and learn

Even if you’re already saying: “I’ve done all that!”, fear not, there’s so much more you can do once your brand is on its feet. Fashion is a fickle creature, and its customers equally moody, but trends are neither the fashion Bible, nor is your consistency battle the excuse for monotony.

Keeping an eye on your customers’ fluctuating needs and wants can be a source of inspiration to find new ways of your brand’s self-expression. Building a good brand image is not a one-off effort, and as such, it comes with a learning curve that never truly comes to a conclusion, so use it to continuously build your reputation.