Do you know the difference between having a brand and having a logo? If not, read on.
Can you have a brand without a logo? Yes, you most certainly can.
Would I suggest it? Nope, and I’ll tell you why.
If we base the definition of what a brand is from BL102 What The Heck Is A Brand?, then you’ll see why this is the case. Your brand is the experience that your customers, stakeholders, and employees have with your business. Remember, a brand is the overall experience that your customers or potential customers have with your business in messaging, sound, and visual form. It’s what they think, say and feel about your product, service, and your business as a whole. It encompasses all touch points of your business from the inside out (from operations to the brand culture to delivering the products and services that your company offers its customers). A touchpoint is the interaction that people have with your company. It’s that app you may have developed, the way that your business relates to your customers on social media, the way that your customer service department handles problems that a person may have with your product or service, the way that your business speaks in your advertising campaigns or in writing (brand voice), the type of paper that you use for your business’s print collateral, the colors and typeface(s) that your business uses consistently in marketing materials, or even the way that the your employees relate to each other, etc. This is why it’s possible to have a brand without a logo.
Well if the foundation is so important, then is a logo important too?
Oh it most certainly is.
The logo assists in the differentiation of your product or service from other businesses that may offer the same or similar products and services that you offer. It’s what everyone sees and it needs to match with your brand’s internal system. In a nutshell, the logo is the icing on the cake. It’s the outward expression of what goes on on the inside of your business—your mission, your business philosophies, your vision, your brand promise, your value proposition, etc. so it’s pretty important in differentiating your business from others. It starts with who you are—not with what you look like—because having an understanding and knowing of who you are affects what you look like. This is why we suggest that a brand’s foundation be developed first and then utilized when developing strategic plans (especially marketing strategies and tactics) that will serve your business for the present and the future.
Do you want to see if you have the correct “undergarment” foundation in place for leveraging your brand? Check out our free brand assessment, “Nude, How’s My Brand?” This assessment will give you the foundational guidance you need in establishing a firm, sustainable brand. You can download it here or click the image above.
If you need help with your brand, we’re here to help. Just click the button below.
