When it comes to rebranding, terminology can be very confusing and leave you feeling frustrated. Where do you start? Should you make a new logo first? We think that understanding these terms will shed light on the value and process of rebranding.
Let’s break it down, from the outside in.
Brand
The brand is an emotional response from consumers towards a company. It’s also the way consumers converse about a company. It’s that gut feeling you get when you interact with a service. Good or Bad. (Like how you feel about Apple, Starbucks, or the DMV…) Your brand is established by clear and consistent interactions with customers, the public, other businesses, etc. Outside of visuals, this includes your brand’s name, voice, and messaging among others. At the end of the day, your brand isn’t what you think it is—it’s about what others say it is when you’re not in the room.
Brand Identity
Brand Identity is tangible elements put together by a designer or business that are meant to influence the perception of a brand. It can include the logo, fonts, colors, photography style, icons, and any other supporting assets to help communicate the brand message. Everything from business cards to signage should all be ultra consistent using these guidelines.
Logo
And within both the brand, and its identity, is the cornerstone of the visual design elements: the logo. It’s usually the first point of interaction with your brand. A lot of weight and significance is placed upon the logo, and not without reason. It’s simplest thing for general public to point to as a distillation of the brand, and we absolutely love designing them, but it’s still just one of many elements.
So, you just want a logo huh?
Focusing on just the logo, although important, can be very limiting when you want to build something that lasts. People rarely remember a company by its logo alone. What they will remember is the experience or collections of experiences they had over time. That’s why you have to build consistent awareness of a brand that will have a much broader impact.
The entire process of building awareness and thinking about the bigger picture is what we, as designers and creatives are here to help with. We are strategic problem solvers that are experienced in determining and developing the logo, typefaces, image styles, graphic elements, messaging, and anything else that can shape the experience your consumers have with your brand. This ensures consistency across various platforms, which is key to building a memory of a brand and the culture that surrounds it.
