Brand and logo design. Are they the same thing or are they different?

A recent consultation with a potential client got me thinking about this when it comes to brand identity design. What is the difference between a logo and a brand and why should you, as a business owner, care?

The following is my answer. I hope it helped you as it helped my client! Because my chief role as a brand consultant is to educate my clients to think outside the box when it comes to designing logos.

A LOGO is a symbol that describes a company, product, organization, or idea. It usually is comprised of a name and an image. Sometimes the logo is only the lettering itself.

A BRAND is an emotional connection, a kinship, that a company, product, organization, or artist has with a target market. A brand encapsulates the essence of an entity’s reason for being and communicates to an audience what is unique about it. An effective brand builds trust and credibility over time with its intended target market. It is a living relationship.

A LOGO encapsulates a brand’s message through visual means. But not all logos reflect a brand.

So why should you care about this difference?

If you only put a logo up that does not represent your brand, you will be missing out on leads, conversions, sales, and profits.

Recently, I ran across one company that really had neither a logo or a brand. Their company name was just set in a nondescript font. The business owner revealed to me their struggle in marketing because they have no brand and no logo!

Don’t get caught in this scenario!

With a logo that does not communicate effectively your marketing message, your Unique Selling Proposition, you will confuse your prospects.

A logo that effectively reflects your BRAND will attract your prospects to you. Instead of pushing them in, you will be pulling them in.

We all know what it’s like to receive solicitation calls from pushy telemarketers. This kind of tactic does not build trust and credibility. A logo with no thought to branding is kind of like these pushy telemarketers that no one pays any attention to. A brand is a living relationship between you and your customer. Protect your brand because it is your most valuable asset.

Building a brand is an essential step in building your business. You will create effective name recognition for your brand with a professional logo that accurately reflects who you are as a business. You will be building trust, credibility, and a living, engaging relationship.

And that will truly make your brand sizzle and your future dazzle because you will see an increase in revenues!