Overview
Why Your Brand is More Than Just Your Logo
There is no doubt that when you say the name of a well known company like Starbucks or Apple, their logo is what immediately pops into mind. Smaller brands strive to have this kind of recognition. But, because of this basic association between a brand and its logo, many people think that they are the same. The truth is that your logo is only one portion of your brand. Your brand is about much more than just your logo and your colours, and if those are all you’re considering when you’re building your brand, you are missing some vital information.
A true brand is about feeling. How your readers or customers or clients feel when they interact with your brand. Think of it this way – even people have brands. If you think of your best friend, think about their brand. You know it best because you know them well, but it’s hard to put into words.
Think about their name. It describes them and lets you know what to call them, and once you’ve met them a number of times, you always remember it. A lot like a brand name.
Think about their favourite item of clothing. When you see them wearing it from afar you can recognize it, and it always reminds you of them. A lot like a brand’s logo.
Think about their favourite colour. Maybe they decorate their entire room in teal and white (like me), and seeing these colours makes you think of them. A lot like a brand’s colours.
Think about their characteristics. Maybe they are funny, quirky, smart, honest, or all of the above. A lot like a brand’s writing style.
Think about their presence. When they walk into a room maybe they give off a really positive energy, or maybe a shy one. A lot like a brand’s presence.
Think about how you interact with them. Are they the friend you turn to for advice, the shoulder you cry on, or the one you gossip with over drinks? A lot like a brand’s interaction.
Think about how available they are. If you text them will they answer right away, or do you formally email them and wait days for a reply? A lot like a brand’s customer service.
When you think of all these things together, it’s easy to see that they all have a hand in making up a brand. If you were trying to describe your friend to someone, you wouldn’t just say ‘she always wears a yellow sweater’ and expect them to understand. You’d say something like my best friend Sue is hilarious, she loves yellow and is so cheery, my cheeks always hurt when I’m with her from laughing, and she’s got such a great presence, I love being around her.
That’s her brand. Everything that makes her who she is. Her brand is unique, and it’s so much more than just her sweater. Just like the brand you’ve built for your business or blog. Your logo is important, but it takes so much more to really make up a brand.
This is why you need to consider more than just your logo or colours when you’re building your brand. Think about everything from how you want your customers to feel when they’re on your website, to how you want to come across in your written content. Give your brand an identity, and then write it down, so that every time you are doing something related to your brand you can look to it for direction. This will ensure that your brand is truly a complete brand, and that everything you create for it is consistent.