Difference Between Branding, Brand and Brand Identity + 3 Things To Implement Now
Literally anyone can have a logo made in just a few clicks, but if you’re in it for the long haul, you’ll have to think deeper than just an image.
You’re not just starting a business for the sake of it.
You want it to last.
Your brand needs to match that enthusiasm.
Your brand (/branding/brand identity) is a key component of the longevity of your business – so why not set it up right from the start?
That’s where understanding certain branding terms and implementing strategy can be pretty useful, even if that’s not your area of expertise…
And, let me reassure you, you’re definitely not the only one wondering, “What is the difference between these terms – aren’t they all the same? And why do they matter?”
I’ve been in the game long enough to know that these 3 terms are all very important building blocks to your overall strategy, and when done correctly, they can catapult your brand recognition from all-over-the-place to sleek and streamlined.
>>>Building a brand that lasts takes work, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Grab your Brand Habits Stack to learn the foundational steps in growing a brand that sticks in the minds of your audience. Click here to get it!
The Brand Trio
We’re going to dive deep into what I’ll call The Brand Trio. We are going to talk all about:
- WHAT the difference is between brand, branding, and brand identity (aka, The Trio)
- WHY each matters… Hint: there’s a reason why I don’t ‘just make a logo” for someone.
- SO THAT YOU CAN confidently implement the 3 main things I always recommend to get your own brand in order, STAT.
- AND ULTIMATELY HAVE your assets in an organized manner that it can be quickly and easily accessed and communicated – setting you and your team up for SUCCESS.
The Differences
What Is Branding?
What do people actually think about your company? What do you want them to think? This is branding: Shaping the perception of your company in the minds of consumers.
Branding refers to how you’re viewed by your clients or audience. It includes the feelings, impressions and thoughts that people have surrounding your brand.
Why this matters:
Everyone wants to make a good, lasting impression, and you want your clients or customers to have the desired perception of you. You don’t want them to think something that’s not intended, or untrue – whether good or bad. Working on your “branding” matters. We’ll talk more about ways this can be done below.
What Is A Brand?
Lululemon. LaCroix.. Hu Chocolate. These are all brands. The legal term is a “trademark”, and it can include what you do, or one or all of the products or services you sell.
A brand is not the physical image of your company, but it is your business itself. This can even be a person: ever heard of the term “personal brand”?
Why this matters:
Establishing your brand is important, so people know who you are, what you do, and how you can solve their problems. Within your brand, consistency is everything. I’ve put some of my best tips below on how to accomplish this.
“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is—it is what consumers tell each other it is.”
Scott Cook
What Is A Brand Identity?
Your brand identity is the physical image of your brand that you use to identify your company across different mediums, namely, your logo and other visual items.
It includes everything from your logo, typography, and color choices, to your photography, brand voice, and messaging. It’s essentially how you present your brand to the world.
“A brand identity is essentially how you present your brand to the world”
Why this matters:
If you don’t use even one image consistently to let your audience visually see that it’s your company doing the work or selling the thing, how will they know it’s you? Your identity gives your ideal audience something tangible to recognize and remember you by.
The Brand Trio In A Nutshell
- Branding = Non-physical image, perceptions
- Brand = Your company (or you/a person) as whole, what you do, products & services you sell
- Brand Identity = Physical image & messaging, how you present your brand to the world
Why Does The Whole Package Matter?
Remember how I said I don’t just create a logo for someone? It’s because I know how important these 3 “brand things” are to each other.
If there isn’t a brand (product/service/person), then there’s no brand identity (logo, physical image, messaging).
If you haven’t taken the time to solidify these things, people are going to be confused by your branding, and perceptions might be off.
See how all of these come together? They each have an important part to play in building a solid foundation AND cultivating longevity for your brand.
3 Things To Implement Now
Whether you already have something going or you’re just starting out, here are 3 things you can start doing today to start and/or build a better one (and no, you do not need to be a designer to do most of these things!):
1. Create Your Brand Identity (I.E.: Logo, etc.)
Your identity is not just your logo – there’s so much more that goes into it.
In order to create a well-rounded and established brand, you’re going to need typography choices and a color palette, at the very least. You’re also going to want to think about supporting graphics (icons, patterns, etc.), tone and language, and photography style.
I don’t create a logo without a style guide and a lot of file options for this very reason. Without the whole package, a logo is just an image.
So I’ll say it again: Your identity is definitely not just a logo, your identity includes everything that communicates your brand to the world – visually and audibly (messaging).
To help you create your identity, here are a few steps you can take:
Brand Identity Checklist*
✔ Know your audience + put a big circle around who they are – this will fuel everything you do from here on out
✔ Brand Messaging (tagline, values, mission statement, brand story, etc.)
✔ Logo Package (including typography and brand colors)
✔ Photography & Photo Style Guidelines
✔ Brand Voice & Tone Guidelines
✔ Other Supporting Elements: graphics, patterns, icons, social media templates, etc.
✔ All packaged up in a Style/Brand Guide (more about this here!) with a central place to access all of your files
*Don’t have these things in place yet? That’s a great place to be! Your designer can help you out with these things. I also have a Style Guide Cheat Sheet download to help you out!
2. Build Consistency Within Your Brand (I.E.: Products & Services, Internally & Externally)
Once you have your identity lined out, you’ll want to start implementing these items and guidelines across your company.
Remember that the term brand means your company, what you do, the products and services that you sell.
And the whole point of creating an identity and corresponding guidelines is so that when someone creates something with your name on it, it actually looks like it came from you and is instantly recognizable.
This is the power of a brand identity working within your brand.
Whether items are produced and shared by you alone, or someone else on your team (if you have one), or an outside vendor, you’ll want to make sure your brand is consistent in look and feel across the board – from digital things like ads and your website to physical things like brochures and packaging and t-shirts. No thing left untouched.
This means, at the very least, in everything that you do:
- Your logo is always used correctly
- Your color codes and fonts are available to those that need them, and they’re used correctly
- And your Style/Brand Guide is available for everyone to go over when they have questions about how to represent your brand well
From internal emails to external social media posts, everything that has your name on it, goes through the process of being vetted for consistency. To help you implement this quickly, here are a few things you can start doing today:
Brand Consistency Checklist
✔ Know your messaging and identity by heart (this goes for your team, too!)*
✔ Create an easy-access filing system that includes all of your assets and elements (logo files, graphic templates, style/brand guide, etc.).**
✔ Share, share, and share it again with your team + anyone that handles your brand
✔ Repeat
*You don’t have to memorize your HEX color codes, but you should know proper use of your logo, colors and typography, along with your brand voice guidelines, etc.
**This might mean you have a folder on Google Drive that you can easily share with all of the things in it. Just make sure it can be accessed at any time, so you’re not having to email your color codes or a png of your logo every time someone needs it.
Now we’re going to move on to the last term in The Trio, Branding. Remember that this term refers to the perceptions of your company…
3. Manage Your Branding (I.E., Perceptions)
Speaking from my corporate career experience, perceptions can be a very hard thing to manage, both internally with your team and externally with your audience, no matter how large or small.
It’s only after you have your identity and brand sorted out, that you can move on to try to shift how people think and feel about your branding and what you offer.
While the two previous checklists can be implemented fairly quickly with a bit of time and knowledge, this one is going to be the one that slows things down.
This is the ‘in it for the long haul’ type of work.
There are no shortcuts.
This is not an easy task.
But it can be done.
With persistence, you and your team can improve how your company is viewed by your ideal audience, and internally within your team and culture. Here is how I recommend you go about it:
Branding Perceptions Checklist
✔ Make sure you practice what you preach (mission, values, etc.). Leadership starts at the top.
✔ Make sure your team practices what your brand preaches + are a great culture fit when hired.
✔ Follow your brand identity guidelines.
✔ Don’t be afraid to make changes – if something doesn’t align that you’ve already established, it’s okay to have a do-over.
Is this sounding kind of simple, yet very complicated at the same time? I get it. This step is going to take time, but it will be so worth it as time passess and you see fruit from your efforts.
“You don’t build business, you build people and then people build the business.”
Zig Ziglar
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! I’m excited to get to share my knowledge and serve you in this way, this is what I absolutely love to do.
You can do this!
Be persistent and in it for the long haul. Here’s a recap on those steps:
- Create Your Brand Identity (I.E.: Logo, etc.)
- Build Consistency Within Your Brand (I.E.: Products and Services)
- Manage Your Branding (I.E., Perceptions)
All. The. Resources.
- Get more tips about style guides
- Learn how to choose your brand colors
- Learn how to pick your brand fonts
- Grab your Style Guide Cheat Sheet
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