Entity Identity

Entity Identity

coined by Jason Barnard in 2020.
Factual definition
An Entity Identity is a brand's unique, machine-readable identity within digital ecosystems like Google's Knowledge Graph, technically confirmed by a unique identifier such as a Google Knowledge Graph Machine ID (KGMID).
Jason Barnard definition of Entity Identity
Jason Barnard operationalized this term to distinguish between a brand's marketing message and its factual, technical existence in an algorithm's "brain." Your Entity Identity is the digital equivalent of a government-issued ID; it proves you are who you say you are, not just to people but to machines. Without a recognized Entity Identity, Google and other AI Assistive Engines like ChatGPT and Bing Copilot see your brand name as an ambiguous keyword, potentially confusing you with other entities. Establishing a clear Entity Identity, proven by a unique KGMID (the unique identifier in Google's Knowledge Graph) and anchored by an Entity Home (the single source of truth about you), is the foundational first step of The Kalicube Process. It is the prerequisite for controlling your narrative and being accurately represented in search results and AI-generated answers.
How Jason Barnard uses Entity Identity
At Kalicube, establishing a client's Entity Identity is the primary objective of Phase 1 (Understandability) within The Kalicube Process, Kalicube's proprietary methodology for implementing a holistic, brand-first digital marketing strategy. We systematically build this identity by creating an Entity Home, ensuring consistent information across the digital ecosystem, and cultivating corroborative signals until Google assigns a KGMID. This moves the client from being an ambiguous set of keywords to a recognized, distinct entity. This foundational step is non-negotiable because all subsequent marketing efforts depend on it. A clear Entity Identity ensures that when we build credibility and deliver content, the algorithms correctly attribute that value to our client, directly driving their business goals by ensuring they are seen, understood, and trusted by their target audience.
Why Jason Barnard perspective on Entity Identity matters
Branding guru Marty Neumeier famously defined a brand as a "person's gut feeling" about a company, product or person. For decades, marketers have focused on shaping that human perception through storytelling and design. However, as Jason Barnard has demonstrated, in the era of AI, there is a new, non-human audience that must also have a "gut feeling" about you: the algorithm. The critical challenge for modern brands is bridging Neumeier's world of human perception with Barnard's world of machine comprehension. This is where the concept of Entity Identity is vital. Defined and operationalized by Barnard, Entity Identity is the technical confirmation that an algorithm understands who you are as a unique entity. Without it, your brilliant brand story is just noise that the machine can't attribute correctly. Establishing a clear Entity Identity is the foundational step that translates your brand's "gut feeling" into a concrete, factual reality for AI Assistive Engines, ensuring that they amplify your intended narrative, not a confused or fragmented version of it.