What’s
the Difference Between a Logo and a Brand?
Branding is one of the most misused business terms of our time.
While most brands have logos and taglines associated with them,
not all logos are brands. Like a cowboy brands cattle with his “mark,”
you can brand almost anything with a logo. But the act of branding
something with a logo isn’t the same thing as creating a brand.
Branding Means Value
Brands are founded on messaging that differentiates and builds value.
While a logo might stand for a company or a service, a brand stands
for much more. It’s about the promise of a level of quality
or service. A logo is part of an identity that may also include
a tagline, corporate colors, and a family of fonts. As critical
as they are, logos and identities are branding elements, and just
one piece of the puzzle. The best identities are built on messaging
that reinforces the brand.
It’s All in Their
Heads
Few logos have the intrinsic value of a brand. That’s because
a brand exists largely in the mind of your audience (customers and
clients). A brand goes deeper because it influences perception and
evokes emotion (trustworthy, reliable, cost-effective, etc.).
Just as you can tell a lot about a person by their
clothes, you can tell a lot about an organization by its identity.
The right identity is important in building a brand, but it is only
part of the picture. Brands are the impressions people have formed
about an organization based on their experiences as well as what
they have seen and heard.
It’s the Brand Stupid
To take a line from the 1992 election (“it’s the economy
stupid”), everything should point to the brand, over, over
and over. That means the logo, like all of your messaging, should
be a reflection of the brand, its values and what it stands for.
So, Is Your Logo a Brand?
The real question is, do you have a brand at all? And does your
logo embody the traits of your brand? Here are some points to consider:
Uniqueness. Could
another organization successfully use your identity? If the answer
is yes, then maybe it’s time for a hard look in the mirror.
If you look like everyone else, it’s almost impossible to
make an impression (and build a brand).
Consistency. Does
everything you produce look like it came from the same place? When
it comes to branding, it’s better to have a weak logo used
consistently, than an award-winner used haphazardly.
Meaning. Does your
logo and identity stand for something beyond a superficial name
or face? If not, chances are the foundation for building your brand
is missing.
A story. Is there
a story you can tell about your logo that relates to your values,
your promise or some other unique attribute of your organization?
Successful brands must be built and managed carefully.
It’s a process that takes thought, effort, and time. Savvy
organizations understand that a logo (if they have one) is just
one important piece of a mix that makes them who they are in the
minds of others.
* * *
wet*ink is published by Bremmer & Goris
Communications. Each issue is packed with information and useful
insights into marketing design and communications issues that affect
your business life.
© 2004 Bremmer
& Goris Communications. All rights reserved.
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