Branding Basics

Brand, Branding, Brand Identity and Logo. What’s what?

Got a couple of minutes to learn your Branding dictionary? Grab your cuppa (or beer/ glass of wine) and carry on reading below! ☕

—————

Branding, Brand, Brand Identity and Logo are all terms within Design that can confuse those just starting their businesses. With most of us, Designers, getting asked for ‘Logos’ more often than ‘Branding’, it’s time to settle these Branding Basics once and for all.

Your business cycle

The best way to clear up what each term means is to approach this like a cycle, a path that helps you set a solid and long-lasting business- Your Brand Journey. This journey might vary slightly from case to case, but will look somewhat like this:

Let’s start by describing what we mean by Brand. The Brand is the relationship you will build with your clients. How people will perceive your company based on their experience with you (directly and indirectly).

Within your Brand, you have multiple components. At its core, you have your Branding. Your message to your clients- who you are, what you do, what makes you unique, and the benefits of using your services or products. Or, as best described by Donald Miller in his book Building a Story Brand:

‘The simple and relevant messages we can repeat over and over to brand ourselves into the public consciousness.’

Sitting within Branding, you find your Brand Identity. The characteristics rooted in your business ID that aim to attract your ideal clients and make the design for your brand unique. We’re talking fonts, colours, tone of voice, aesthetics and, obviously, your Logos (primary, secondary and brand marks)- graphic or typographic marks that identify your company.

How do these elements connect?

A) The first step in building a strong business will be to start with a Strategy. Going on full discovery mode and having a real understanding of the values and goals of your business. Your ideal audience, their needs or issues and the right tone of voice and personality to attract and convert them to customers. AKA, finding your message/ building your Branding.

B) The second step will be to turn these learnings into a Strategy Plan that will position your business in your audience’s journey. Almost like being the hero to their problems.
An important tip here: thinking about how you will be seen directly and indirectly by those you are targeting. Will it be through a website, social media, or face-to-face operations?

C) After that, you will translate these findings into a Brand Design that fits your strategy and is cohesive and appealing to attract your audience. This is where you will develop your Brand Identity, including your Logo.

D) Fourth, with your basics and design in place, you will define your Marketing plan to help you boost your business across different venues. Here, you’ll need to preview your client journey, from the moment they find you to how you deliver your service or product to them. And with this, your sales funnel strategies to reach them and ways to measure your KPIs.

E) And finally, you will reach the Delivery and Learning phase. Every client exchange will be an opportunity to grow your business and to get a series of clues that factor into your business insights. Questions like:

• How was your client’s journey?

• Was it a successful or unsuccessful exchange?

• What worked or didn’t work?

• What can you improve in your services?

Will inform you of your process and help you shape improvements for future deliveries.

Conclusion: Where do I start as a new business owner?

If you are just getting started, the best way to avoid feeling overwhelmed is to truly understand your message and why you’re setting up your business. Who are you to your clients, and why should they go with your services or products? What problem will you solve for them? Focus on identifying these concepts first, and then start your business journey.

If you’re not equipped to do it alone, invest your time (and money) in finding a good Brand Strategist and Designer. This person will guide you by doing in-depth Strategy Sessions that will be key to helping you build an image and marketing plan for your business.

A Strategist will help you set a solid foundation for your business by asking all the right questions. They will help you with market research and, above all, put your business concepts together in a clear way, for you and your customers. And potentially translate these concepts into a kick-ass design for your brand.

Having said this, the important thing is that you take the time to understand what’s right for you and your business goals. Don’t forget that you are not alone (I know, cheesy!). But in reality, building a business might feel alienating at times when help is usually just a network away. All you need to do is get started and ask for help where needed!