Thoughts on Branding: Part 1: I Don’t Mean Cattle

Posted by Daniel St. Clair

For a couple years, I have kept the Logo Design Workbook (from the designers at AdamsMorioka) at my desk. I can't say I've read much of it straight through, but that's not why I bought it. I occasionally pick it up and flip through it when I want to see good design, see a well-developed visual identity carried through multiple pieces - product packaging, posters, mailers, business cards, web site, whatever. But every time I pick up that book, the large black text on page 19 jumps off its yellow background and makes me both nod and shake my head.

"A logo is not a brand, unless it is on a cow."

Why I nod:
I nod because it's true. Unless you're burning your mark into an animal's hide, your "brand" is made up of so much more than your company initials and a cool wavy line. An EPS file cannot contain your brand. But why not? What is a brand?

A brand is an identity. It's who your company is in the mind of consumers. That brand, that idea of who your company is, is formed based on your products, your services, your customer service, your advertisements, your brochures, your copy, your photos, your colors, your fonts... and yes, even your logo. A brand is what floods into your mind when you see an Apple sticker on a windshield or a white "swoosh" on an orange shoebox. A brand is the sum total of what makes you say "I love Company ABC" or "Man, Company XYZ sucks."

Why I shake my head:
I shake my head because so often companies seek shortcuts in defining their brand. They perceive that developing a strong brand is important, yet because of more obvious, more apparently pressing business matters, smaller companies often choose to go for a logo and one or two printed items with a similar design, and call that good. However, with such an approach, they may lose sight of the fact that a company's brand or identity is constantly being shaped and molded with each impression, each communication with the consumer. And unless all of those impressions communicate the same message, the waters get murky.

Who are you? Who do you say you are?
You're at home, watching TV and a commercial comes on for a European car manufacturer. A shiny black sedan hugs a curvy wet road at 70 mph, with the words "Professional driver on closed course" at the bottom of the screen. Gorgeous classical music plays in the background and the picture fades to black with a simple, sleek, shiny logo. Quality. Luxury. The brand is starting to form in your mind - I can see it from here. So far, this is a phenomenal brand.

Now let's step into the dealership. You pull open the door and are greeted by the sounds of telephone chatter and synth-saturated muzak. You take two steps in and notice your shoes are sticking to the floor ever so slightly. A salesman slowly approaches with his hands in his pockets and his head slightly cocked to the side, looking you up and down and quite visibly deciding that you cannot afford one of these fine automobiles. Needless to say, you don't buy one. You leave.

Fast forward two weeks. You're back at home, and you see the same commercial again. What comes to mind? You see the logo - what does it represent? Who is the company? What is the brand?

If a logo isn't a brand, is a logo really that important?
Your logo is not your brand in and of itself, but it is a part of it. It’s an important part. Your logo, along with the rest of your design standards such as colors, typefaces, selection of photo imagery, etc., come together to form your company's visual identity. Your company's visual identity can be thought of as what your company "looks like." And that, though only one element of your brand, is definitely important.

If you didn't look like you, how would people recognize you?
If you looked different, would that change the first impression you make?

Are you confused yet?
So your brand is much more than your logo. But your logo is part of your visual identity, and that is a vital part of your brand. If you want to develop a strong brand, where do you begin? We'll look at that issue next time.

Posted October 08, 2008 5:11 PM