A lot of terms like branding, visual identity, logos, brand strategy, graphic design, brand, corporate identity, etc are being used interchangeably nowadays. But it is important to understand the differences in what these terms mean to avoid any confusion in communication. Also, it is crucial to understand what can be achieved through brand identity design and what cannot. So, Designhill here has shown how a logo, brand, and brand identity are different and what you need to do to make perfect use of each one.
What is a Brand?
Building a brand is so much more important than just a logo. It refers to how others feel about your business and what expectations they have from you. It is outside the perception of your business. Jeff Bezos said, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you are not in the room.”
These days people might use the word ‘brand’ for the logo, but actually, a logo or identity is not a brand. The brand is a set of intangible assets of a company, business, or service. It can also be called the emotional relationship between customers and the business. A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a company.
Every day we come across new products or businesses in the market. Competition is increasing every day and it creates infinite choices. So, companies look for ways to connect emotionally with the target audience, become irreplaceable and create lifelong relationships. All in all, a brand is not what you say but actually, it is what they say it is.
People want an emotional connection, something new, and growth. So, you need to convince your potential customers to believe in your products or ideas. A strong brand must stand out from the competition. People believe in superiority and so they trust and engage with what looks the best. For example, Apple has loyal customers who will buy products even if it is not better or any cheaper than the competitors.
A brand is a promise to customers. The major steps of brand building, from listening to customers to meeting their needs, have been magnified and shown prominently in today’s world. Delivering on a promise keeps customers happy and builds one’s confidence in the brand.
A brand is the way that your customer perceives you.
What is a Logo?
Your brand logo is the face of your business. It is also the first impression people have of your brand, most of the time. A logo is a symbol, wordmark, icon, emblem, or a combination of all of these. It is used to identify a business, company, or service visually. A logo is not responsible for explaining what your business exactly does but instead is recognizable and creates an identity.
For example, the Nike swoosh does not directly sell sportswear and trainers. However, it just shows speed and motion. The simplicity and the shape of the symbol are unique and make the meaning quite clear.
Graphic design tools are quite helpful in creating amazing logo designs without wasting time and energy.
The goal of the logo is to act as a visual element used to identify a business. If it is well designed then it will appeal to your target market and create the desired impression on this market. Also, a logo should be unique enough to stand out among the competitors.
A logo design does not sell the company directly nor does it describe the company. The major task of a logo is to act as an identity and not to explain. What a logo means is much more important than what it looks like. It must be able to impress and build a connection with the target audience.
You can easily create a logo design for your company with the help of an online logo maker.
What is a Brand Identity Design?
Brand identity design is a combination of elements designed to represent a company, business, or service. It is also called corporate identity. Brand identity design is anything that your customer might see or use while engaging with your company- custom logos, website, brochures, packaging design, business cards, social media, mobile apps, shop fronts, even photography styles or fonts.
The design of these things should not only appeal to your target audience but should also reflect the values, and quality of your service or product. If these applications fail to do so, there will be a huge difference between what your customers feel and perceive about your business. It means that your brand does not align with how you see your business.
An initial brand identity design might not include a wide range of applications mentioned above. However, it must set the tone and create a visual system or brand palette for future reference. For instance, an identity design project that makes the foundation must include a logo, color palette, font style, brand pattern, and graphic elements with an example showing how it can be used for other brand collateral such as label design.
The information is then explained within the brand guidelines document. It makes sure that anyone using the brand in the future is on the same page and understands the correct fonts, color palette, logo, etc.
Why Do You Need to Invest in Brand Identity Design?
You need a recognizable and consistent brand identity to build trust and brand awareness. Also, it helps in differentiating you from your competitors, feels professional and relatable, enhances customer loyalty, and also gets you close to achieving your goals and moving the business in a forwarding direction.
You need to invest in brand identity design for your business if you fit in the following situations-
You are launching a new business and need a brand identity to impress customers, clients, and investors.
You want to stand out in the competition and regain the edge.
Your business just transformed or changed direction and your brand identity does not reflect who you are
Or your existing brand identity is attracting wrong customers, so you need to realign your brand with the target market.
You can either hire a designer or get graphic design tools like an online logo generator, flyer maker, etc to start building a new brand identity.
What is Included in Brand Identity Design?
The main purpose of the brand identity design is to set foundations for how your brand looks and feels on various touchpoints. There are a lot of possibilities that can be applied to your brand to various assets. However, to achieve the major goal you need the following things as a must-
Brand identity system
A logo design
Color palette
Typography
Brand patterns
Graphic design
Brand guidelines
What is the Difference between Brand, Brand Identity, and Logos?
The word brand is used too much by digital marketing gurus and other people who think they know what is best for your business. Your logo is not your brand or even your identity. In addition to this, there is a huge process of branding. It cannot be completed with just a logo design. It requires a good understanding of the emotional aspect and physical aspects of the business to build a brand that will succeed.
Every branding material can be created online if you have the right graphic design knowledge. You can take advantage of graphic design tools, a design size guide, and lots of other options to create the perfect logos, business cards, brochures, and much more. In the end, all of these combine to create a brand.
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Author bio: Jay Jangid has 2 years of experience in the news media industry with journalistic touch and knowledge of how to create and recreate information into news. Now serving ‘The Next Hint, Inc.’ and ‘Netflix Trends‘ to serve people with right and original content.
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