Brand -v- Identity -v- Logo
Your brand refers to the perceived visual communications message and subsequent emotional response to a company, its products and services. It sits at the very core of everything that you do, and what your business represents. It also represents the conversation that customers are having with each other about the company, and how that message spreads. Basically a brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer. Regardless of size, every business needs to be aware of four distinctive areas; people, your long term business strategy, your business solutions and market research.
An Identity describes the visual communications collateral used to represent the company. Identity systems are a visual components package that are paired with brand or style guidelines and used as a framework to ensure the corporate image is cohesive and consistent. Some of the visual devices that leverage the brand elements and style guidelines are as follows: stationery, marketing collateral, packaging, signage, messaging, and digital mediums or social media assets that are all used at different pivotal points via marketing strategies.
A Logo is the central, identifiable visual element that helps customers discover, share and remember a company’s brand. Usually it’s in the form of an icon, mark or symbol, a logotype, or combination of the two.