Why a logo is not a brand!

 

Reflecting on our expertise in this area, we will provided guidance on the why a brand is important and how its not just a logo.

 

 

A logo is not a brand

Many business owners plough vast amounts of money into logo design before launching. After all, it sets a brand apart from the competition. But it’s only the opening chapter of a branding story that craves consistency. Too many businesses neglect other aspects of branding, including colours, values, voice, strategy and feeling. These elements should all be reflected in every aspect of your business; emails, printed items and on your website. Let’s examine why a brand is important and why it’s not just a logo.

Why having a brand is important?

To understand its power, we first need to determine what exactly a brand is. The Design Council defines a brand as “a set of associations that a person (or group of people) makes with a company, product, service, individual or organisation”. But this is only half the story. The American Marketing Association argues that a brand will succeed when it differentiates itself from others offering similar services. Your USP is your company’s reason for being. You need to be a problem-solver who understands the “needs and wants” of your target market too. Achieve this and you’re more likely to grow into a ‘must have’ and thriving brand that connects with customers or clients. Otherwise, you’ll fail to build creditability and “influence” them to purchase your goods or services. These opinions show that a brand is much more than a visual logo.

Not just a logo

Figuring out the psychology of a brand and its consumers is key, but you still need a strong combination of elements ready and raring to go. Here are 5 major aspects that show a brand is more than a logo.

Colour

Cohesive brands produce a range of marketing materials that are all united colour wise. These usually mirror the logo’s different colours. Employing a consistent colour scheme breeds buyer confidence, as they start to recognise you on their social media feeds, in online ads and the world away from a computer. Stick to a few core colours in an ideal world. You’re aiming for simplicity here.

You’d be smart to incorporate colour associations into your branding at large. Unbelievably, up to 90% of snap judgments made about products are influenced solely by colour. So green can signal your eco credentials and blue can suggest reliability. Using colour theory will help you to convert viewers/readers into customers who are fully on board with your values. Also, the images you select for your website, social media and marketing materials, should align with the philosophy of your brand. A succinct tagline helps to set you apart and hammer home your values.

Voice

The best brands focus not just on what they say but rather how it’s said. Copy forms the backbone of your brand’s DNA and raises awareness. The popularity of social media as a driver of organic and paid website traffic has elevated the role of tone of voice within marketing. It comes as no surprise then that 33% of participants in a Social Spout survey cited a distinct personality as the main reason a company stood out from similar brands; adding that a brand’s voice “played a significant role” here. Top performing brands will have identified their unique direction from day one … and stuck to it. Forming a brand that relies on associations and values gives you more authenticity than a mere logo can.

Future strategy

It makes no sense in today’s competitive market to stop at a ‘pretty’ logo. Knowing how you will wield your overall branding is equally important. It’s similar to owning a top-of-the-line car without having the licence to drive anywhere. Also, failing to identify your niche/target audience is the new deadly sin of marketing. Don’t know who you will talk to? Following a pen portrait that details their demographic(s), occupation and interests is your new best friend.

Identifying your goals for the next 3, 6 or 12 months helps to achieve the objectives set out in your business plan. The people representing you online or in real life need to study and put it into practice if it’s going to be effective. They are your point of contact with your customers who will remember – and discuss – bad customer service more than a logo.

Feeling

Branding creates an experience with the customer. Once you have defined the ‘person’ you are talking to, you’ll need to know what you will say to convert them into an ever-loyal customer. It’s no good having that brand-appropriate logo complete with colour-coded imagery if the copy fails to match the above aspects. It should evoke a mood or emotion. Wielding your pen portrait, you can tie their pain points and values with your on-brand imagery. A dentist would enhance what they’ve said by including clean, light-coloured and doctor-patient images. In contrast, a millennial clothing line can pick upbeat, colourful and minimalist pictures to imply a lifestyle in line with their aspirations.

Web design

More than a logo, your brand extends to your website according to the Harvard Business Review:

“In the digital age, user interface is your brand. If your website’s functionality frustrates people, it says that you don’t care about them”.

You’re likely to have experienced similarly poor user experience along your own internet travels. As many potential customers discover you for the first time via your website, your virtual image needs to make a winning first impression. Few would hire an unprofessional or poorly dressed representative at a networking session. Your website is no different.

As a professional award winning creative agency, we’ll combine these aspects of your brand – and your logo – to deliver a distinctive digital product that’ll rank highly on search engines. We promise to achieve this in partnership; gaining a full understanding of your brand beforehand. Our expert SEO knowledge, innovative digital tools and content will appeal to your visitor, whether they view your site on a mobile or computer. We’re all about an excellent user experience.

Not quite at that stage yet? No problem. Our branding services will set you apart and equip your team to deliver continuity with an easy-to-digest brand guideline summary. Why not contact us to discuss your individual requirements.

Conclusion

Hopefully this will help explain better what a brand is, why its not just a logo and how creating a complete brand impacts how customers trust your business. To be successful you need to include all aspects of a brand when either starting a business, refreshing one or looking to grow your market share. Only working on one area can have negative impact on your customers. Make sure whenever someone is representing your company and brand, they follow the guidelines you set. All it takes is for one element to go wrong and it have a long lasting impact.

To find out how we can help your business get in touch or read more about our branding services.

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