Many people equate brand identity with a logo. While a logo is the cornerstone of any branding program, it alone does not a brand make. Designing a world-class logo is a great start, but brand identity involves much more. A well-designed logo embodies a company’s essence, but only so much can be intuited from a symbol alone. What’s more, due to the glut of logos in the marketplace, it’s harder than ever to differentiate a brand based on a logo alone. Today, brand identity requires a much more holistic approach.
Seamless Customer Experience
A brand is defined by everything a company says and does. It’s the net impression of each individual with whom it engages. A brand isn’t just a symbol on a sign or a website—it’s a perception that exists in the mind of the customer. These perceptions are created when customers interact with the brand at various touch points. Often, it’s the company website or a product package. It could be a phone app or an advertisement. The experiences generated at each touch point impacts a company’s brand. Ideally, each encounter a customer has with a brand is like bumping into an old friend—it should provide a familiar and comfortable experience.
A Consistent Look and Feel
Therefore, brand identity has as much to do with the look and tone of a brand’s communications as the logo itself. At its best, a brand delivers a consistent experience no matter where an individual engages with it. So, brand communications should have a seamless look, attitude, and tone. Imagine removing the logo from all your brand communications. Would it still be obvious that they belong to your brand? Do they still clearly represent who you are? If not, you have some work to do.
Consider the literature we designed for Foglight Software in the photo below. It contains brochures, direct mail flyers and product sheets. The logo isn’t present anywhere but it’s clear that these are part of the same brand identity. They have a clear family resemblance.
