Brand vs Logo: Know The Difference
Whether you are working on your personal brand or a brand for a company it’s important to know the difference between building a brand and creating a logo.
First thing first:
A Logo Is Not A Brand.
End of Story.
While your logo will span across all marketing platforms, it’s not the brand
Real Question: What is a brand?
A brand is your strategy, call to action, customer service, your voice, communication tools, your people, facilities, logo, and visuals. A brand is every single detail of your company, from your mission statement to company culture to customer interaction. Your company and the way you chose it, is how your brand gets identified.
“A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or organization.” — Marty Neumeier
A brand consists of the emotions behind what someone sees when they interact with your company. As a result, your brand becomes your business’s personality, which is why a brand has more responsibility than just being a swanky logo.
- Name and visual identity (logo)
- Mission/vision
- Digital and print advertising
- Social media
- Building/premises/facilities
- Public relations and news about the organization
- Customer relations and service
- Community involvement
- Communications of any kind
- Actual and virtual word-of-mouth
- Any point at which any member of your audience comes in contact with your organization. (Laurel Black Design)
A brand is the cornerstone of your position in the market and your competitive advantage. Your brand should be everywhere, engaging, consistent and follow a strategy.
Photo by Brad Neathery on Unsplash
So A Logo Is?
A logo is a mark, brand mark, trademark, wordmark, logotype, symbol, or brand icon, that is a graphic and/or typographic mark that visually identifies your company.
It is an important element of your company’s brand identity. Your logo is what helps with recognition, differentiation, and recall. A logo is a way to express some of the essence and characteristics of your brand, but it does not represent or illustrate everything about your brand.
Take a Look at some Iconic Logos
According to Jacob Cass, a graphic designer, there are five characteristics that make an effective logo. A logo should be simple, memorable, versatile, appropriate and timeless.
A good logo helps differentiate you from your competition.
Which is more important?
Your Brand.
It’s important to have a compelling logo but a strong brand is more important if you are trying to position your company. Ultimately it’s what people think and feel about your company that impacts the success of your business.
For example: There are probably a few companies that have a very recognizable logo but you have no respect for because of your own personal experience or because of something you have seen in the media. However, there are probably some companies you do business with because you love their product or service but whose logos are Likewise, there are companies you do business with that you love for their product or service and will return to, but you can’t remember what their logo looks like. You remember the experience.
So really it isn’t Brand vs. Logo. The brand and logo really go hand-in-hand as long as you are understanding the difference between your brand and your logo.
A logo is the tip of the iceberg of branding, It’s the small percent that shows above the waterline. Logos are part of an overall branding program and often the most visible component, but a brand and branding encompass all the components listed above. — James M. McNamara (Quote from Laurel Black Design)
Thanks for reading!