Logos and brands are two different things.
Building a brand takes time. It isn’t something you just can create overnight. If you don’t know your brand, how can you expect to produce that perfect logo?
If you can’t first pin down the brand foundations, the logo will suffer.
One of the most famous marketers today, Seth Godin, defined branding the following way:
“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a customer’s decision to choose one product, or service, over another. If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn’t want to pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that customer.”
Did you get what he said about the consumer?
You have to determine your brand value for the customer.
When you are thinking about your brand base, you have to keep your customer first. It’s not just about keeping them contented — they need to feel like they are part of your brand.
When this customer sees your logo for the first time, they connect the visualization of your company to feelings and the memories attached to it.
It’s important you try to find those little pieces of time to connect with your customer base to show them that they are valued.
Your brand will thrive as a result.
Logos ≠ Brands
Your logo is the most important visual representation of your brand. Nothing more, nothing less.
Although logo design and branding tie together, you would be surprised at how many people think they are one in the same.
They do relate to one another, but logos are just a piece of the machine when it comes to branding.
Designing a Logo vs. Creating a Brand
While logos are visual representations of a company, a logo can’t visually communicate everything that you represent.
That’s where branding comes in. A logo is a huge part of your branding. It has a specific shape, font, and color scheme but this is just one aspect of your entire branding message.
When you start branding, you need to answer a few key questions:
- What message do you want to deliver?
- Who are you delivering that message to?
- What are the demographics of your audience?
- What is their age range, gender, and location?
- What media stream will you use to market your brand?
Once you answer these questions, both designer and consumer will not only be able to produce a more effective logo but will have the main building blocks of a more developed brand strategy 🙂
