CRACKING THE BRAND CODE: PART 1
What is a BRAND?
Is it different from a LOGO?
What is a business IDENTITY?
Most people would say a logo, identity, and brand are all the same. While a logo and identity are part of the brand, they only play limited roles in telling of the story.
Consider an egg to help illustrate this relationship. While not especially glamorous, in its most simple, 3-part form, it is a perfect visual of the brand.
- Shell - the covering as a whole maintains the egg’s integrity
- White - holds the yolk intact
- Yolk - at the core of the egg
It would be challenging to carry an egg without a shell or with a broken one. And an egg without its yolk or egg white would be unstable and missing key ingredients for life and many recipes! But as a whole, the egg is strong and complete.
Likewise, a BRAND has three main components and all are critical to its structure:
- Brand System - the perceived emotional corporate image as a whole
- Identity System - the visual aspects that form part of the overall brand.
- Logo - the identification of a business through the use of a mark or icon.
Without a LOGO, it's difficult to quickly recognize a business. However, it cannot effectively stand alone.
An IDENTITY system is a means to communicate the brand through graphics, imagery, colors, fonts, and usually incorporates the logo. This system reinforces the brand’s character.
Where do characters typically appear? In the telling of the story!
The BRAND system weaves the logo and identity into an experience that invites the viewer to react.
"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.”
In the next three articles, I will share some important factors for growing your business through consistent LOGO usage, IDENTITY creation, and BRAND development.
The first article will be all about the LOGO as it’s often the consumer’s first interaction with a brand.
Something to Consider
According to research, the average consumer sees somewhere between 500 to 5,000 brands EACH DAY.
This makes one thing clear; it is critical to cut through the noise that comes between your business and the consumer.
This could mean, instead of placing more ads with a confusing, busy, or outdated logo, it’s time to focus on clarity and consistency.
So, until next time, keep looking at the sunny-side-up and have a great week!
Research credit:
500 ads a day back in the 1970's
Most Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements each day (2015)
Logo Photo: bloomicon - stock.adobe.com