Brand Identity isn’t just a logo!

If opportunity doesn’t come knocking at your door, build a Brand – Bernard Kelvin Clive

?The central and most critical element of any business is it’s brand.

And many a times the brand rests somewhere in the back room waiting to be visited, explored, probably revived. And custodians are usually busy chasing the bottom lines with understanding what implications it can have on the brand, the perception and how it eventually sits into the company or culture of the organization.

One can argue that brand is after all a logo, a corporate identity and many a times the logo design gets treated interchangeably with branding. Although they walk along with each other, they are essentially not the same. Businesses often overlook the potential of what a brand can accomplish, whilst just settling down over a logo.

So, what really sets a brand apart from a logo??

First things first, A logo is not your brand, nor is it your identity.

Branding, Brand Identity, Brand etc all have different roles, and together they form a perceived image for a business, a service or a product. Therefore, we need to put them all together into a box called Business Design, but they all have different meaning.

Products are made in the factory but brands are created in the mind – Walter Landor

?So, by definition: A Logo is a business’ identification in its simplest and purest form which is translated via a apparent mark or a symbol.

On the other hand, a Brand is the emotional hook which binds people to the visual form (Which is the Logo) in terms of feelings, visual interpretation when they interact with the organization at any level. Hence at the core, branding is an emotional experience.

?The central problem of brand building is getting a complex organization to execute a simple idea – Marty Newmeier

Why do we need to talk beyond logo?

At the end of the day, it is experiences that ultimately drive home an action. Experiences with positive attributes, ultimately lead to sales. If the post sales experiences are truly good, then customers generally tend to evangelize them further leading to brand loyalty where the brand now is integral to a person’s life. He/ she cannot do without the brand. So while all organizations start with a logo on their drawing board, it must ultimately lean more towards the brand and what value it adds to the lives of the consumer. Brand custodians must keep a watchful eye on trends, competition, consumer lifecycle while keeping internal checks like company vision, mission, culture and where it is heading. Based on these parameters chart a road map for the brand and integrate all the values that tie-in to the brand’s (Organization as well) DNA.

With so many new players coming into the market, young entrepreneurs, aggressive marketing spends, increased competition, access to markets outside your own geography, branding has much more importance now than ever!

And if followed, analysed and structured well:

• It helps you in creating a solid reputation
• Provides access to customers
• Will always support you during difficult times
• Helps in increasing your business value
• Helps in increasing your bottom lines
• Employee pride and productivity is greatly enhanced
• Gives you a true and solid identity
• Helps you position strongly in the face of competition

?Brand is just a perception, and perception will match reality over time – Elon Musk

? 苹果 is known simplistic approach to all things technology-related. Right from their products to their stores and to their keynote speeches, the idea of simplicity is well communicated and well received. At the same time the brand maintains its strong aura of affluence and authenticity unmatched by anyone in its category.

星巴克 on the other hand is recognized for its warm, inviting attitude both towards their products and services as well.

Businesses where the products are not visible or physically seen or touched, must focus their energies towards providing services which ultimately results in great brand experiences. Great experiences for Product or Service comes from understanding consumer journey, consumer touch points, consumer pain points and giving them the value, which is beyond the price that they have paid for you. Today organizations across the world invest millions of dollars to conduct research with their customers to seek alignment, see gaps and how they can be matched according to their needs.

?Here are some simple rules to follow in the quest towards building a great brand:

• A compelling story always works which will lead to consumer desire
• Your reputation will always be at stake. Protect it by any means
• Ensure brand values are well defined and distilled to the deepest levels of stakeholders (Both Inside and Outside)
• Always prioritize a good design. Be willing to pay for it. If not done now, you will never get it right!
• Most important: Its always about building a community. A tribe. Eventually this group will thrive together, interact together. Work towards it.

?And let’s not forget that a customer acquisition is a far more expensive affair than retention.

Stay tuned. Stay Qurious!?

#Brand #Logo #Branding #BrandIdenity #Perception #BrandIdentity #Apple #Starbucks #