Brand Wheel: How to define the essence of a brand?

Professionals who work in this field know it well, as do those who train to become them through programs such as the Master’s in Branding, Creativity and Brand Communication at ESDESIGN. To identify the strengths, or essential elements, of a brand, a technique known as the Brand Wheel is used. It is highly useful not only for brand designers, but also for communicators, as well as graphic designers and advertising creatives. What appears in a Brand Wheel is among the key aspects to consider when designing a brand’s advertising. But what is a Brand Wheel? Find out below.

What is a Brand Wheel?

A Brand Wheel, or brand wheel, is a brand design and development tool used to identify the essence and foundation of a brand in a concise format, helping to understand its importance. In other words, a Brand Wheel specifies the characteristics that make a particular brand work.

A Brand Wheel is divided into several parts, although it usually consists of three concentric circles. The outermost circle includes the general characteristics, that is, what defines the brand and ensures it is recognized by consumers. The middle circle contains certain advantages of the brand, along with more detailed aspects and some characteristics of its products.

Various symbols associated with the brand often appear here. In the central circle, located at the core, the most important aspects of the brand are gathered: its key traits and intrinsic value. In other words, what makes it stand out and be relevant. These are the foundations on which the brand will be developed and built, through a process that ensures both its visual and verbal identity are properly managed.

If, in addition to a proper process, a Brand Wheel is used as support, brand management and development can be further improved to achieve its maximum potential.

To create a Brand Wheel, the first step is to identify the characteristics that distinguish the brand from others. Next, the target audience must be defined, since many of the actions to be taken depend on it.

The following step is to identify the advantages the brand offers compared to competitors, and to consider how these will impact the intended audience. Then, based on all the gathered information, the wheel is completed with the brand’s characteristics, benefits, values, and personality. Finally, the essence is defined by identifying its core elements and values.

What is the Brand Wheel used for?

The Brand Wheel identifies how consumers perceive a brand, and how the brand behaves and presents itself to them. Essentially, as we have seen, it is used to define its essence. It also provides design, marketing, and brand communication professionals with the elements they need to carry out their work, especially when creating promotional materials and brand identifiers.

In addition, it has other functions. One of them is helping a brand remain competitive over time. Since it summarizes its main characteristics, behavior, and what it aims to convey, it provides clear guidance for those responsible for managing and evolving the brand.

It also supports marketing actions related to the brand, as the wheel clearly shows its strengths and defining traits. Furthermore, it helps communicate the brand internally within teams, making it easier to align efforts, from external promotion to identifying ways to attract more people to it.

Benefits of defining brand essence

Defining a brand’s essence offers many advantages to the company responsible for developing, presenting, and commercializing it. To begin with, creating or updating a brand with its essence clearly defined strengthens its long-term positioning.

It also allows the brand’s value to be focused and presented in an attractive way. Additionally, it provides inspiration for its launch and facilitates business growth around it. This is because its key strengths are clearly identified, which also supports the development of products and services.

Moreover, it enables the association of specific words and concepts with the brand, helping to identify it uniquely. And, of course, having a clear understanding of a brand’s core elements makes it easier to grow it in a solid and consistent way.

Examples of Brand Wheel

Among the most notable Brand Wheel examples are those used by sports brands. For instance, Nike’s Brand Wheel highlights superior performance as a benefit. Its attributes include endorsement by famous figures, while its values include boldness, ambition, and having no limits. Its personality is innovative, and its essence is that anyone can achieve maximum performance.