Logo - A logo is not your brand it is a simple visual mark or icon to identify your business. A logo should be simple, memorable, appropiate and reproducible. Will it work on a business card, a billboard or embroidered on a shirt. A photo of your dog will not work as a logo for your pet grooming business. Starbucks does not have a steaming paper cup as their logo but we all know how to spot their green cirlcle logo when we need our caffeine fix. Logos get their meaning and value from the quality of the company, product or service it symbolizes.

 

Identity - The visual elements that form part of the all-embracing brand. The identity is made up by the visual devices used within a company. This is often assembled in a set of guidelines that comprises of color palettes, fonts, layouts and so on. These guidelines ensure cohesive application of the identity across different media.

 

Many visual devices contribute to the identity:

▪ logo

▪ stationery

▪ marketing collateral

▪ packaging

▪ signage

▪ interior and exterior design

▪ vehicle livery

▪ apparel

 

Brand - The perceived emotional corporate experience as a whole. Lots of books have been written about branding and it’s certainly not a light topic but in  a nutshell it is how the organization, product or service is perceived by it’s audience. The gut-feeling people have about it. What people say about your company, service or product and not what you say about it.

Everything a company does, makes or owns should reflect the values and goals of the business as a whole.

 

Take Apple computer for example. Their business values are evident throughout everything they do, from innovative products and creative advertising, right down to customer service. Apple really connects with people on an emotional level– when people buy or use their products or services; they feel part of the brand, very much like being part of a tribe. This emotional connection creates their brand – not purely their products and logo.