Beyond the Logo

Understanding the Key Elements That Develop a Strong Brand Identity & the importance of Working to Build your Brand Fastidiously

People tend to throw around the word “brand” willy nilly. It seems that many may not really understand what a brand is, how you get there and even the distinction between a brand and a logo.

Developing a brand is a long road requiring commitment and a decent investment of time, money and consistency. It is however, wise to aspire to develop and realise a brand and all that is entailed as it keeps you and your business on the right path and your focus sharp.

The American Marketing Association define a brand thus:

“A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers”

This describes the end of the journey but what are the components to get to that point.

A brand is an entire identity, it is the comprehensive ethos, identity, behaviours and personality of a business or product.

Think of a brand as a person - you see how they look, how they dress, where they go, their hobbies and interests and you hear what they say. From all of these you are able to determine what they believe, whether you trust them, can rely on them and how they will act and react.

A brand journey encompasses building that comprehensive identity and personality of a business or product, of conveying its core values, mission, and promise to customers and delivering consistently so it becomes trusted and relied upon.

It's just a Logo! Another part of the brand journey.

It goes far beyond a logo, a name or your visual design for your properties. Designers will tell you it's all about the design and I for one would not argue that Design is very important. But it should be remembered that there are tangible and intangible attributes of a brand.

The consistent use of a particular wallpaper or the colour palate you have used are tangible while your communication and care are intangible. Each element aims to build an emotional connection with your target audience - people who “get” what you do and how you do it and are proud to be associated with you and your product. It should also be remembered that while design elements are tangible they also have an emotional effect and it is undoubtedly true that sales decisions are essentially emotional so the tangible plays a part but is not the whole.

Key components of a brand include it’s

• mission and vision, which outline the brand’s “reason for being” or purpose and long-term goals

• core values, which shape its culture and behaviours

• brand voice and tone, which define the style and manner of all communication.

Defining each of these, remaining true to them consistently and ensuring every decision is anchored to them will create the foundations for a cohesive, memorable experience that resonates with guests on a deeper level when delivered day in day out and through every engagement. One caveat to bear in mind - there needs to be a market for the the product and it needs to be of the right quality for the right price.

One ultimate brand test of whether you have reached “brand” status is if can you charge more than your competitors for a product that may appear similar. That is the real brand value.

Paint, Art, Lighting - all important in the visual identity but only a part of the book you are writing

Beyond the components above a brand also has a visual identity—such as the colours, fonts, and the imagery it uses—which ensures consistency across all touch or engagement points and reinforces recognition. At least of equal import is the customer experience, from the quality of the product itself to every single service interaction.

This is a critical area that influences how guests feel about the brand and can be the ultimate determinant of their loyalty and perception.

Mistakes are not a problem - how they are dealt with really matters and can actually become a ground breaking positive - offering the guest or customer the final assurance that it is safe to recommend the product.

The scope of a brand is much greater than a logo, which can only have impact if there is a brand. A logo - the Mc or Golden Arches, Cinderella’s Castle, the apple with a bite missing, the swoosh - is a specific visual mark that has come to represents the brand and all it stands for. It is a short hand - a quick identifier. A brand, is the multifaceted identity that includes the logo but also encompasses messaging, values, behaviours, imagery, attitude, guest or customer perceptions, and reputation. The brand is what people either affiliate with or don’t, it shapes the emotional and psychological attachment people have with the company or product.

It is this broader deeper association which cause people to queue for hours for the first releases or the limited addition, its what drives people to “borrow” a brand as part of their attire or personal brand; how they want people to see and think of them. A logo is simply a short hand for all the hard work that has cultivated the value of this short hand.

In simple terms, a brand is the complete unabridged story, and the logo is one small element that reminds people of the story.

So create your logo but please begin with your mission, vision, values and goals to anchor the myriad of decisions you will make everyday. The logo is your cover image if you like but you haven’t written the actual book yet.