The Tribune

By Deidre Bastian

What is the difference between a business logo and brand? I find many people become a little muddled over this, which is not surprising given that some entrepreneurs do as well.

A logo design, identity design and branding all have different roles that together form a perceived image for a business or product. To explain this in further detail, let’s start at the top:

What is branding?

It is everything a company does, everything it owns and everything it produces, and should reflect the values and aims of the business as a whole. Branding is certainly not a light topic, but a ‘brand’ is an organisation’s service or product with a ‘personality, which’ is shaped by the perceptions of its audience.

With this in mind, a designer cannot ‘make’ a brand; only an audience can. A designer only forms the foundation of the brand.

It is not just colors, typefaces, logo and a slogan. Rather, a brand is the fundamental idea and core concept behind having a ‘corporate image’. It is the consistency of this core idea that makes up the company, driving it, showing what it stands for, what it believes in and why a company exists.

What is identity design?

In most cases, identity design is based around the visual devices used within a company, and is usually assembled within a set of guidelines namely:

• Logo (The symbol of the entire identity and brand)

• Stationery (Letterhead and business card and envelopes, etc.)

• Marketing Collateral (Flyers, brochures, books, websites, etc.)

• Products and Packaging (Products sold and the packaging in which they come)

• Apparel Design (Tangible clothing items that are worn by employees)

• Signage (Interior and exterior design)

• Messages and Actions (Messages conveyed via indirect or direct modes of communication)

• Other Communication (Audio, smell, touch, etc.)

• Anything visual that represents the business.

All these things make up an identity and should support the brand as a whole.

What is a logo?

The logo is nonetheless the company’s identity and brand wrapped up into one identifiable mark. To understand what a logo is, we must first understand what it is used for.

Specifically, a logo is for identification. It identifies a company or product via the use of a mark, flag, symbol or signature. But what a logo means is more important than what it actually looks like.

With this in mind, a logo does not sell the company directly, and only rarely does it describe it. Instead, it identifies the business in a way that is recognisable and memorable.

Logos derive their meaning from the quality of what they symbolise, not the other way around. To illustrate this concept, think of logos as people. We prefer to be called by our names James, Margaret or John, rather than by the confusing and forgettable description of ourselves such as “the guy who always wears white and has beautiful blue eyes”.

It is also important to note that only after a logo becomes familiar does it function the way it is intended, much like how we must learn people’s names to identify them.

Finally. given these points, the difference between a logo, brand and identity is simple:

• A brand is the perceived emotional corporate image as a whole.

• An identity is the visual aspect that forms part of the overall brand, while the logo identifies a business in its simplest form via the use of a mark or icon. So until we meet again, fill your life with good memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game!

NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com

• ABOUT COLUMNIST: Ms Bastian is a professionally trained graphic designer who has qualifications of M.Sc., B.Sc., A.Sc. She has trained at institutions such as: Miami Lakes Technical Centre, Success Training College, College of the Bahamas, Nova Southeastern University, Learning Tree International, Langevine International and Synergy Bahamas.