Brands Are More Than A Logo

Brands and logos; are they synonymous? A person that isn't business savvy might say that they are, but for your business to be successful, it's important that you understand the differences between these two words. A logo is a picture or special colors and fonts that you recognize companies by. They're the Target bulls-eye and the NBC peacock. If you were to show just the logo to someone from a foreign country, they wouldn't be able to say much about them but when you show it to your friend, they'll be able to communicate their feelings for the store and television network.

Brands leave a mark, they are not the mark. The logo is the mark. The brand is how the company interacts with its customers. It's the feelings that you associate with restaurants, electronics, and cars. It's certainly possible for people to not know the logo but know the brand quite well. If you have a successful brand, you can change your logo without many ill effects. Take time in choosing your logo and try to have it match the vibes of the brand you want to build.

Brands are made by clients while logos are made by companies. A logo alone, while pretty simple to obtain, isn't enough. You need a brand, which is what will be built as you have repeated positive interactions with customers. They'll return as repeat customers and drum up more business via word-of-mouth.

Logos illustrate, brands show a purposeful vision. You can't tell much about Apple from it's simplistic logo but if you know anything about the company, you know that their brand represents their vision for the future. They are hip, simple but sophisticated, innovative, and leaders in technology. But if you come from a third world country, you might mistake the logo as belonging to an orchard. A brand is built over time and with great purpose. You can always tweak your logo but you must be more strategic in planning how you want your brand to be recognized by future clients.

Brands protect, logos project. Logos give a visual representation of a company. Think of all the logos that you see in your favorite television shows. They are projecting their presence on the viewers. The brand is what protects the image of the company. Maybe someone views the logo unattractive, but if they know the brand behind it, and believe in it, they'll probably give the company their business.

As you begin to start your business, take time to plan out how you want your brand to look a year, two years, five years in the future and make sure that your actions support those goals. Choose your logo carefully so that it fits with your brand and is a positive reinforcement of your business.