Difference Between Branding, Identity & Logo Design

A lot of people don’t know the differences between branding, identity, and logo. Often, the three are confused, conflated, or misconstrued, usually rolled into one. Although there are many important distinctions among them, it can be quite simple to keep it in mind.

Branding

This is a personal connection, a relationship that your organization or product has with your target audience or market. A brand condenses the most important features of the existence of an entity and translates its uniqueness to consumers. Brands (and the act of helping curate a brand: branding) are for building credibility and trust in the fullness of time with its premeditated target audience. It is a relationship that lives on. In a few words, a brand is a your company’s “personality.” A brand, however, is earned, not made. It is the reward you get for building real and passionate relationships (which is the foundation for creating and delivering value in the marketplace today) with your target market over time.

Kask Creativity takes your brand very seriously. I strive to be the top brand champion your company might ever have, always making sure every decision used reflects the correct approach for how you want your target audience to perceive your organization.

Identity

Identity is a systematic package of illustrative devices that a business entity makes use of to convey information about its brand. These visual devices could be a logo, fonts or even a color system. Visual identity (or ‘visual identity system’ in full) sometimes include (though not at all times)

• Brochures
• Flyers or postcards
• Website
• Stationery (business card, envelopes, letterheads, etc.)
• Signage (exterior and interior design)
• Packaging
• Customized clothing (worn by employees), etc.

So identity has to do with how your brand looks to your target audience. Being consistent also allows your target market to create or form a memory structure about who you are as well as what value you offer to them to make their lives better or happier. This is all part of the visual identity that showcases your organization to your audience.

This is really the nuts and bolts of a company’s brand— the workhorse that “show and tell” a brand. Often the front line of a company, visually designed pieces are the “leave behinds” that people picture when they think of your brand. At Kask Creativity, no identity piece is too small to get great consideration. If it’s something that touches your audience, it needs to be meticulously designed!

Logo

A logo (or logotype, mark, icon) is the visible means by which your business captures your brand’s message and communicates it to your target market. It is usually a trademark that is created using customized lettered words which form a mark for identifying a business entity. More often than not, when people usually refer to a trademark any time they mention the word ‘logo.’ Trademarks used in identifying a business enterprise could be symbols, monograms, icons, signs or badges. Logotypes are used by companies to help prospective customers to identify them readily and to communicate their origin as well as the quality of their goods to an audience. Succinctly, a logo is a feature that identifies a brand.

Kask Creativity uses logos as the “face” of your organization— the thing most remembered by a member of your target audience. Where as identity pieces are the hands and legs and inner workings, the logo is what acts as the spearhead or springboard for your brand. The Nike swoosh, the Target target, the Apple apple. They are the literal icons of each of those companies. I make sure to consider your entire approach when custom designing a logo, and no stone is left unturned when creating concepts.

Each of these—brand, identity, logo—broadcasts your message to your audience. They work together to project an organization or business entity to the public, codifying your approach to how you do business. Consistency among them is key, as your message and visual promises need to match up to what you deliver. They are essential ingredients that any business entity, whether new or existing, should strive to incorporate into the big picture of the establishment if your plan is to remain relevant in your chosen niche or industry for a long time.

Interested in refreshing your brand’s approach with a new identity system or logo? I can help! Contact me today to create something together!