Brand Identity projects can either be about creating a completely new brand identity or refreshing and improving upon an existing identity for an established brand. It is helpful to know exactly what is meant by the terms ‘branding’, ‘brand identity’ and ‘logo design’ as they are not the same thing.

Branding, Brand Identity and Logo Design – what’s the difference?

Branding

A brand can be described as a company, service, product, or person, that has a voice and personality of their own.

Branding is not about having a logo, or even a logo, some stationery and a website. Those things are part of your ‘brand identity’, which is one of many elements that make up your brand. Branding is about how people view and perceive your company. It’s also how you as the owner, and your workforce view and perceive the company. It’s your what, your how, and your why.

Creating your brand begins with developing a ‘brand strategy’ for your company. A brand strategy looks at some of the following questions;

–What are our core values?
–What do we stand for?
–What makes our product unique?
–What is our unique selling point?
–Who are our target customers?

A designer will use this brand strategy as the basis of any identity work they do. It will inform every design decision that has to be made regarding your brand.

Brand Identity

The role of the designer is to create a brand identity that reflects a brand.

A designer take concepts and ideas from the brand strategy and uses them as the foundation for building the brand identity. Depending on what formats and applications are appropriate for that particular brand, a brand identity may consist of:

–Logo design (the main symbol behind the entire identity and brand)
–Digital and Print Marketing Collateral (website, apps, flyers, brochures, adverts etc)
–Stationery design (letterheads, business cards, compliment slips etc)
–Products & Packaging (products sold and the packaging in which they come in)
–Apparel Design (clothing items that are worn by employees or sold as part of the brand’s strategy)
–Retail Design (interior and exterior signage as well as interior design of outlet stores)
–and many other forms of brand communications

Whatever applications are required, the designer’s job is to ensure that the brand identity always works to highlight the core values of the brand.

Logo Design

Your logo design is the embodiment of the brand wrapped up into one easily identifiable mark, but a logo design alone is not a brand. As shown above, it is just one of many brand applications that make up a brand identity. It is often used as the starting point for creating a brand identity, as elements within the logo design such as the typography and colours can be used as the basis for developing the supporting design elements that make up a brand identity.