Many people tend to confuse both concepts, believing that when we talk about “Brand”, we are referring to a logo or slogan that combines colors, words or graphics. It is true that logo design has a close relationship with brand design, but it goes much further.
A brand is the visual representation of a firm, company or business, which includes a set of memories, expectations and stories that influence the consumer’s decision to choose one product over another.
A logo design, on the other hand, is one of the visual elements that helps customers to identify a brand quickly and simply, either through the use of a symbol or combinations of symbols and typographies.
When we start incorporating colors, typographies, icons and complementary visual elements in our brand, that is when we start talking about brand identity or brand image.
WHAT IS A BRAND IDENTITY?
The brand identity or image is the set of all the elements created by the company to transmit a well-defined corporate image. Among them are the name, the logo, the use of color, the icons or symbols and the typographic fonts.
These elements serve to define the corporate identity of a company, so as to provide a professional image as well as to generate a good first impression to potential customers. Also, they help to add more value to the products or services offered by the brand.
A well-defined brand identity is one whose logo design, branding and other graphic elements provide a coherent corporate image in line with the company’s philosophy. All this should be perceived both in digital media (websites, infographics, online content) and in print media (cards, advertising posters, packaging).
HOW TO DEFINE A GOOD BRAND IDENTITY?
When designing the corporate identity of your brand, it is necessary to follow the following steps. So that, through brand design, you can become a benchmark in your industry and be recognized by consumers everywhere.
Market research and brand design
At this stage you should ask yourself: How do I want to be seen? How am I going to transmit it and where? That way, you will be able to discover how your brand is perceived (or you want it to be perceived) in the market in front of other competitors offering the same products and services. It is also necessary to know your audience in order to know if what you offer them meets their respective needs.
Getting all this information at hand, defining your values and knowing the origin and manufacturing process of your products will help you to elaborate a design brief. To list its content, it should include your target audience, level of supply/demand of your product to the market and brand philosophy.
Logo design, identity and style guidelines
Once the research is completed, you will be able to design the logo and define the guidelines to establish the corporate identity of your company.
In this second phase, it is normal that even having the information at hand, it is still complicated to define the logo of your brand. That is why you should make several designs and corporate image proposals. Therefore, you can choose the one that really delivers the desired message to your audience in all possible media, whether digital or printed.
Once the logo is defined, it is time to develop a visual language around it, which can complement its design and provide useful elements to guarantee its commercial effectiveness. You must not only attract your target public, but also encourage them to choose your products or services over others.
All this will be possible if you follow some style guidelines that transcribe the logo usage rules. These guidelines contemplate the correct use of the color palette, the typeface and the structure of the design in general. So, your corporate image provides an aesthetically coherent and harmonious aspect.
CONSTANT MONITORING
In the last phase of brand identity development, you must be in charge of constant monitoring, without ever losing sight of it. Remember that your brand interacts with your customers, so it must look alive and radiant at all times.
It is important to maintain the coherence of your brand by remembering your values. Although the market changes, it is important that you adapt to the times without losing coherence with your identity. As a result, your brand won’t confuse the public or the recognition it already has.
Developing your brand identity takes time. It is not something that is done overnight and ends with a single logo design. The brand must know how to evolve and adapt to the constant changes that arise in the market.