Design Creative LabMany companies ask me for "branding" when what they need is a logo, and others ask for "just a logo" when everything else is missing. The difference matters, because it changes what you get, what you invest and the results you see.
I have been designing brands since 1994, and this is how I explain it to my clients before quoting.
What is branding?
Branding is everything you do so people think, feel and remember something specific about your brand. It includes what they see (logo, colors, typography, photos), what you say (your message, your tone) and what they experience (how you serve, deliver and solve problems).
Put another way: your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room. Branding is the work of making them say what you want.
What is the difference between branding and a logo?
The logo is one piece of branding: your brand's visual signature. Branding is the whole system that gives that signature meaning.
- The logo answers: how do people recognize me?
- Branding answers: why do people choose me and remember me?
A beautiful logo with no branding behind it is just decoration. Strong branding with a simple logo can build a huge brand.
What does a company's branding include?
A complete branding project usually has these layers:
- Strategy: who you speak to, what makes you different and the place you want to hold in your clients' minds.
- Name and message: what you are called, your main line and the way you speak.
- Visual identity: logo and its versions, colors, typefaces, photo and icon style.
- Applications: stationery, website, social media, packaging, uniforms, signage.
- Brand manual: the rules that keep everything looking and sounding the same, no matter who makes it. I explain what goes in it in What should a brand identity manual include?
What is branding in graphic design?
In graphic design, branding is the part of the work that turns strategy into visual elements: choosing the palette, the typefaces, the type of logo (I cover the four types in What are the types of logos?) and how they combine in every piece.
The difference from "making a design" is that every decision has a reason. Orange is not chosen because it looks nice, but because it says something your brand needs to say.
Which famous brands are examples of great branding?
- Apple. Its logo is a simple apple, but the brand lives in its stores, its packaging, the way it presents products and even how it feels to open a box. Read the history of Apple.
- Starbucks. They sell coffee, but their branding is the experience: your name on the cup, the atmosphere and the "third place" between home and work. Read the history of Starbucks.
- Liverpool. Mexico's department store turned its line "Es parte de mi vida" (It's part of my life) into a place in many families' important moments. Read the history of Liverpool.
In all three cases, if you remove the logo, you still know which brand it is. That is branding.
When do you need branding and when just a logo?
- Just a logo: you are starting out, you know who you sell to and you need something professional to launch.
- Full branding: your company has grown and its image has not, you are entering a new market, you compete on price and want to compete on value, or everyone on your team uses the brand their own way.
If in doubt, start with strategy. A logo designed on a clear strategy will last you many years.