Brand identity – more than just a logo
If you were asked if your company had a logo, the answer would undoubtedly be ‘yes’. If you were asked if your company had a brand would that answer also be ‘yes’? Or would it be met with a long pause?
It’s a common misconception by many people that their company’s ‘brand’ is their ‘logo’. They are very different things. So what’s the difference? A brand captures the whole spirit and character of your company, your service and your product. It’s the collective sum of many different parts. The logo is just one small part of that brand, it’s a visual symbol, an icon that represents you company and creates association in order to help build recognition. You might have a logo, but that doesn’t mean that you have a brand.
Imagine your business as a cake. It’s made up of many different ingredients, and the amount and proportions of those ingredients go together to create a very unique and individual finished cake. Your logo is the decoration, like the icing, the cherry, or the bow. It’s a brief statement that sums up the contents, flavour or occasion of the cake.
Ultimately you want to sell something – be it a service, an idea, a lifestyle or a product. And to do that successfully you have to appeal to someone who wants to buy in to or be associated with what it is that you’re selling. In order to do that you have to make your offering desirable. You have to create a connection between buyer and seller. Without being able to physically explain what your company does to every potential customer you have to summarise. This is what your brand does. It sells for you. It communicates. It’s all about creating an understanding and establishing an emotional connection. You would probably want your business to be portrayed as professional, informed, trustworthy, experienced, or knowledgeable. Your brand should reflect that. A good brand identity will open doors. A poorly executed one will keep them closed. Your sales force wouldn’t go out in an old t-shirt and shorts would they? Would you want your receptionist to answer the phone with a simple ‘Yes? What?...’. Getting your brand right is of paramount importance. It reflects your business. A poorly thought-out, or inconsistent brand portrays your business as being unprofessional or disorganised.
Your brand can consist of a mixture of different mediums, which could include such elements as a logo, colour, photography, font (typestyle), strapline, tone of voice (your style of communication), sound, smell, or even taste. Where would Nokia be without their infamous default melodic ringtone? Would Dyno-rod be as recognisable if their vans weren’t painted fluorescent orange-red? Would Mars be as popular without the ‘work, rest and play’ tagline? How about Innocent smoothies without the fun, friendly copy on their drinks? We are surrounded by great brands: Apple, BMW, Nike, Waitrose and Starbucks for example. We know exactly what they are offering. We know what they do, how they do it and why. Yet their names give no clue to their business. It is because they have established solid core foundations for their brand that has helped with their continued success. By adding character, value and worth they are perceived as market leaders, portraying excellence and quality which create a desire for association with the product. They go beyond mere functionality and are transformed into something emotive, something with character. They form a connection, an emotional attachment. By being consistent with their messaging and in their marketing and advertising they have created something desirable, and that in turn generates even wider appeal, recognition and growth over time.
In order to create or define your brand firstly look at what your offering is, whether it’s a service or a product. Ask yourself a few simple questions:
What is it that we do?
How do we do it?
How do we want to be perceived?
What do we want to achieve?
Where do we sit within the market?
Think about your target audience, your clients and consumers:
What do they want?
What appeals to them?
What are they expecting?
How are we perceived at present?
Thirdly, take a look at your competitors:
Who is the most successful? Why?
What do they do?
What makes your offering different?
Looking at what the needs of your customers, clients or market are will define the parameters of your business and enable you to create a solid platform for future brand development. Be careful not to assume that your audience has the same views and needs as you though. Do a little groundwork. Put yourself in their shoes. How do they see you? Once you have an outline brief and a plan you can move forward with a design professional.
Be careful not to be too controlled with your brand. Be flexible, or you could run the risk of every piece of marketing and advertising material looking almost identical. You will find you have no room for manoeuvre and your brand will not be able to evolve and develop. Don’t try and save money by creating and implementing your own brand. Creating a logo and an advert at home does not make you a brand specialist. As with any industry, getting professional help is important. Working with a good designer who is experienced in branding and corporate identity will prove invaluable and pay for itself in no time.
In the current economic climate it’s never been more important to have a good solid brand identity for your company. Good branding will get you noticed. Consistent branding will keep getting you noticed. Do you want to stand out from the competition? Do you want to shrug off those old fashioned associations? A refresh of your brand identity could help to revitalise your business and your staff, help redefine your image and focus your target market. Promoting your updated brand will generate renewed interest and help gain vital market share in these uncertain times.
It’s a common misconception by many people that their company’s ‘brand’ is their ‘logo’. They are very different things. So what’s the difference? A brand captures the whole spirit and character of your company, your service and your product. It’s the collective sum of many different parts. The logo is just one small part of that brand, it’s a visual symbol, an icon that represents you company and creates association in order to help build recognition. You might have a logo, but that doesn’t mean that you have a brand.
Imagine your business as a cake. It’s made up of many different ingredients, and the amount and proportions of those ingredients go together to create a very unique and individual finished cake. Your logo is the decoration, like the icing, the cherry, or the bow. It’s a brief statement that sums up the contents, flavour or occasion of the cake.
Ultimately you want to sell something – be it a service, an idea, a lifestyle or a product. And to do that successfully you have to appeal to someone who wants to buy in to or be associated with what it is that you’re selling. In order to do that you have to make your offering desirable. You have to create a connection between buyer and seller. Without being able to physically explain what your company does to every potential customer you have to summarise. This is what your brand does. It sells for you. It communicates. It’s all about creating an understanding and establishing an emotional connection. You would probably want your business to be portrayed as professional, informed, trustworthy, experienced, or knowledgeable. Your brand should reflect that. A good brand identity will open doors. A poorly executed one will keep them closed. Your sales force wouldn’t go out in an old t-shirt and shorts would they? Would you want your receptionist to answer the phone with a simple ‘Yes? What?...’. Getting your brand right is of paramount importance. It reflects your business. A poorly thought-out, or inconsistent brand portrays your business as being unprofessional or disorganised.
Your brand can consist of a mixture of different mediums, which could include such elements as a logo, colour, photography, font (typestyle), strapline, tone of voice (your style of communication), sound, smell, or even taste. Where would Nokia be without their infamous default melodic ringtone? Would Dyno-rod be as recognisable if their vans weren’t painted fluorescent orange-red? Would Mars be as popular without the ‘work, rest and play’ tagline? How about Innocent smoothies without the fun, friendly copy on their drinks? We are surrounded by great brands: Apple, BMW, Nike, Waitrose and Starbucks for example. We know exactly what they are offering. We know what they do, how they do it and why. Yet their names give no clue to their business. It is because they have established solid core foundations for their brand that has helped with their continued success. By adding character, value and worth they are perceived as market leaders, portraying excellence and quality which create a desire for association with the product. They go beyond mere functionality and are transformed into something emotive, something with character. They form a connection, an emotional attachment. By being consistent with their messaging and in their marketing and advertising they have created something desirable, and that in turn generates even wider appeal, recognition and growth over time.
In order to create or define your brand firstly look at what your offering is, whether it’s a service or a product. Ask yourself a few simple questions:
What is it that we do?
How do we do it?
How do we want to be perceived?
What do we want to achieve?
Where do we sit within the market?
Think about your target audience, your clients and consumers:
What do they want?
What appeals to them?
What are they expecting?
How are we perceived at present?
Thirdly, take a look at your competitors:
Who is the most successful? Why?
What do they do?
What makes your offering different?
Looking at what the needs of your customers, clients or market are will define the parameters of your business and enable you to create a solid platform for future brand development. Be careful not to assume that your audience has the same views and needs as you though. Do a little groundwork. Put yourself in their shoes. How do they see you? Once you have an outline brief and a plan you can move forward with a design professional.
Be careful not to be too controlled with your brand. Be flexible, or you could run the risk of every piece of marketing and advertising material looking almost identical. You will find you have no room for manoeuvre and your brand will not be able to evolve and develop. Don’t try and save money by creating and implementing your own brand. Creating a logo and an advert at home does not make you a brand specialist. As with any industry, getting professional help is important. Working with a good designer who is experienced in branding and corporate identity will prove invaluable and pay for itself in no time.
In the current economic climate it’s never been more important to have a good solid brand identity for your company. Good branding will get you noticed. Consistent branding will keep getting you noticed. Do you want to stand out from the competition? Do you want to shrug off those old fashioned associations? A refresh of your brand identity could help to revitalise your business and your staff, help redefine your image and focus your target market. Promoting your updated brand will generate renewed interest and help gain vital market share in these uncertain times.
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