Branding identity and logotype

A logo is not your brand, nor is it your identity. Logo design, identity design and branding all have different roles, that together, form a perceived image for a business or product.

BRAND: perceived emotional corporate image as a whole.

IDENTITY: visual aspects that form part of the overall brand

LOGO: identifies a business in its simplest form via the use of a mark or icon.

Brand identity is the collection of all elements that a company creates to portray the right image to its consumer. The term branding refers to the marketing practice of actively shaping a distinctive brand. Your corporate design assets are the tangible elements that will determine how your brand is perceived. Things like your logo, your packaging, your web design, your social media graphics, your business cards and the uniforms your employees wear.. Once you’ve figured out the building blocks of your design, it’s time to work with a designer to bring your brand identity to life and translate who you are as a brand into tangible design assets you can use in your marketing. Your brand identity can be expressed in any number of elements. Depending on the nature of your business, one asset or another may be more or less important. Common elements of brand identity include:

Logo

Your logo design is the cornerstone in your brand identity. When working with your designer, you want to aim for your logo to tick off the following boxes:

• Clearly communicates who you are and what you value as a brand;
• Is visually appealing: simple, clean and uncluttered goes a long way;
• Is classic, not trendy: the last thing you want is for your logo to go out of style in 6 months;
• Plays along with your industry’s standards—and if you veer off, do so deliberately;
• Makes a lasting impression on your audience.