A brand is not a logo, an identity, or a product. A brand is much more than a logo, a logo is just a symbol. People often get confused by what a logo, identity, and brand are. They are vital to your product, service, or organization because they form a perceived image of what your product or business is all about.
A brand is the feeling painted in people’s hearts about your product, service, or organization. It only exists in the minds of individuals. It is owned by who and what the customers draw meaning from. It is like a personality, only shaped by the perceptions of your customers. Customers buy products to build and grow their identities, they crave meaning and a sense of belonging.
“Brand is not your logo, or colors, or product, or even your face. It is the emotional and mental feeling the public has when they interact with you and your business” – Marty Neumeier
If a brand is not a logo or a product, then does that mean a designer cannot make a brand? The answer is yes. A designer can only form the foundation of the brand, but only the customers and audience will make your brand.
What is identity?
Identity is anything visual that represents a business. The logo which is the symbol that represents your business, a business card, website, product, packaging, flyer, letterhead, signage, etc are the visual representation of your business, they identify and represent your business hence refer to as identity.
A logo falls into the identity category, it is the corporate identity of a business, all wrapped in an identifiable symbol. A logo is basically for identification through the use of a mark, symbol, flag, or signature. It’s not an obligation for the logo to describe what exactly the business is all about. The top 50 brands in the world, 94% of their logo did not describe their business.
Let’s look at Nike, for example. According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
“Nike, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, in the Portland metropolitan area”
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Its logo is a swoosh, like a mark, while the slogan is “Just do it”. The swoosh logo and slogan don’t describe what Nike is all about, but they have played a major in getting the company to where it is today. When you come across a swoosh sign or the “Just do it” slogan, Nike will be the first thing to register in your head and mind.
A logo and slogan don’t need to completely describe a product or business, the brand will do that in the hearts of your customers.
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