What is a brand? Is it more than your logo?

For a lot of people, the concept of a brand starts and stops with their logo (and maybe their website). But it is much more than just that. So what is a brand? It is what you stand for in the hearts and minds of the people you’re trying to reach, influence, and move to action. It is the promise you are making to all of your audiences about what you will be.

When we talk about a brand, it can generally be divided into your identity (the part of the company you can see), and the strategy (the part of the company that you experience). It includes all your designs, your strategy, assets, research, and touchpoints.

So what is included in your brand?

Brand Strategy

This includes your brand promise. In short, your mission and vision. It includes your name and the way you position yourself in the market. It includes the company’s personality. Through its name and the promise it brings, it will naturally attract a specific client. Take for example Coca Cola. It attracts a younger client that is looking for energy, fun and to experience life. On the other hand, a product like Nespresso has a more sophisticated client in mind. Someone that is appreciating the finer qualities in life.

Brand Design

This includes all the obvious visible things that usually is deemed your brand. Things like your logo, tagline, colors you use, typography, and design style. The elements you will naturally find on your brand board, as well as on your mood board.

Assets

Your assets include things like your logo, tagline, mascot. The advertising and marketing styles you use. It can also include celebrities and ambassadors that becomes the “face” of your company. They are the consistent signals that make it easier for customers to identify and recognize your brand. It includes the manner in which the company communicates, the language it uses that resonates with the ideal customer.

Research

This forms part of the strategy and includes an analysis of the market, the stakeholders, competition, and all the business objectives. It is about the understanding of exactly what is creating a differentiation in the mind of the customer and driving their purchasing decisions. Once the company knows this, they can position and market themselves as a strong brand and demand premium prices.

Touchpoints

This is part of the identity and includes the things you can see such as interiors, cars, uniforms, stationary. It also includes your marketing, advertising, and social media presence.

So you can see that brand includes way more than just your logo. It also explains why it is important to make sure that when starting your brand design, you consider all the above, as it will influence the rest of your business in the long run. Getting it right from the get-go is super important and will save you a lot of money and headaches in the long run.

To learn more about your brand and how you can strengthen it on social media, check out my post on the 10 Essential need-to-know tips to build a successful Instagram brand. The importance of a strong brand can never be underestimated. If you want to find out more how it impacts your business, BrandingMag has and article on the topic you can read.