Making a mark on your customers’ minds is valuable. By creating a recognizable, trusted and consistent image of your company, you win your customer attention and loyalty. Without that differentiation, they could easily flock to your competitors. But before you can differentiate yourself, you need to understand brand vs. branding vs. brand identity.
When it comes to brand vs. branding vs. brand identity, knowing the difference is key to using them all effectively. These three concepts are closely linked, but they refer to three distinct aspects of crafting and maintaining your unique brand.
Key takeaways
- Brand, branding and brand identity are all connected—but are not the same thing.
- A logo is part of a brand identity.
- Your brand is how the world knows you.
- Brand identity is the designs that communicate your brand.
- Branding is how you use your brand identity.
Simply put, a key success factor for your company is your brand.
When most people think of a brand, the first thing that comes to mind is a logo. But there’s a key difference between brand identity vs. logo. While a logo is indeed a key brand element, and typically the most immediate visual association with a company, there’s much more to a brand than just a logo.
To build a great brand, there are three key terms you need to be aware of:
- Brand: how people perceive your company.
- Branding: the actions you take to build a certain image of your company.
- Brand identity: the collection of tangible brand elements that together create one brand image.
Let’s take a deeper dive into these concepts and the differences between brand, branding and brand identity.
What is a brand?
Everyone knows that for cheap-but-good furniture (and meatballs), IKEA is the place to be. Via IKEA
A brand is a set of distinctive perceptions, ideas and feelings that people have about your company, which set it apart from alternatives.
Basically, your brand is what your consumers think of you. As Scott Cook, co-founder of Intuit, puts it:
“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is—it is what consumers tell each other it is.”
For instance, there are many furniture stores and brands out there, but one that stands apart in most people’s minds is IKEA. When people think of stylish furniture at an affordable price point, the Swedish company is often the most immediate association. This is because IKEA has built a clearly defined brand: accessible, friendly, international and down-to-earth. Notice how the terms used to describe IKEA’s brand are terms that could easily describe a friend’s personality. That’s because essentially, your brand is your company’s personality.
Some companies, like IKEA, maintain the same brand for decades. Others rebrand. Companies rebrand to:
- Change their offerings
- Adapt to changing markets
- Target new customer demographics
- Sometimes, simply to refresh branding that feels outdated.
The steps involved in rebranding are similar to the steps involved in creating a brand from scratch, including understanding:
- Who you are
- Where you fit into the market
- Your values and those of your audience.
Then, determine how to visually reflect these qualities through branding design.
What is branding?
Although it’s really your customers who decide what your brand is, there are certainly actions you can take as a business owner to put yourself in the driver’s seat.
This is called branding: the active process of shaping the perceptions that consumers have about your company. All the steps that you take to build awareness and reputation around your company and its product or services live in the realm of branding. Your branding efforts may not always fully translate into your customers’ minds, but the more deliberate and cohesive they are, the higher the chance of success.
Before making any branding decisions, first consider these questions:
- What is the perception you want to impress on your customers?
- What’s your brand goal?
Be authentic and really dig into the core why of your company. This high-level strategy should help to guide your branding decisions.
Ready to learn more? Explore our guide to the fundamentals of branding for small business.
What is the difference between brand vs. branding?
Your brand and branding aren’t exactly the same thing, but they’re related.
If your brand is what the world thinks about your company, branding is how and why they think that.
Here’s an example: Apple’s brand is known for being forward-thinking, minimalist, user-friendly and high-end. Ask people to describe Apple’s brand and you’ll likely hear some variation of these words. But why do people describe Apple this way?
Because Apple’s branding is brightly lit, glass-paned stores where you can visit the Genius Bar to have your tech fixed. It’s packaging that features a lot of negative space and products that come in a limited, neutral color palette, each bearing the signature Apple logo. Through branding, you understand the niche a brand aims to fit.
Understanding brand identity vs. logo
It is through the process of branding that you can build a brand identity: a collection of tangible expressions of your company, such as your logo, colors, typography and voice. The more distinct, specific and cohesive these elements are, the higher the likelihood that they will shape a differentiated brand that is recognized and admired.
The gradual transformation of the IKEA logo. Via IKEA.
IKEA’s logo, for instance, was transformed quite a bit in the first couple of iterations but has remained fairly consistent since 1967, changing only colors and preserving shape and font. Today’s blue-and-yellow color combination signifies trust and reliability, yet friendliness and affordability. Coupled with the bold block lettering and the oval framing of the name, this builds the impression of a strong, established and inclusive brand.
“A brand is a living entity, and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.”— Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney
Yet, the logo is only one of many elements that serve to build this identity. IKEA’s simple, easy-to-navigate website greets visitors with a “Hej!” and speaks to the customers in a friendly voice that authentically embodies the company’s Swedish roots.
Moreover, the fact that their physical stores are self-service—requiring buyers to pick up the items themselves from the warehouse—is not simply a financial and operational decision; it also fits well with the DIY, economical ethos of the brand.
Similarly, the open floor plan maximizes the utility of the store space. The large, blue and yellow IKEA bags also represent the company’s identity: they’re simple, practical and highly durable. Of course, the ultimate embodiment of IKEA’s brand identity is the actual products they sell, which seamlessly combine efficiency, style and affordability.
Together, all of these elements of IKEA’s brand identity strengthen each other and compose the image of a friendly, user-centric and economical brand.
If you’re like us, seeing concepts applied in real life can help and inspire. Here are more brand identity examples to explore.
IKEA’s bags are an unmistakable physical element of the brand. Via New York Times.
So, as you build your company’s brand identity, be deliberate and check that each element is actually contributing to the overall perception you want to imprint on your customers. Even simply keeping in mind the difference between (and importance of) the oft-confused terms—brand, branding and brand identity—is already a step in the right direction of creating the next memorable brand.
Perhaps you already have some initial brand work done? Review these branding tips to hone the brand for your small business.
How to use brand vs. branding vs. brand identity for small business
Understanding brand vs. branding vs. brand identity can seem complex, but it’s actually quite simple:
- Your brand is how the world views your business.
- Your brand identity is the visual component you use in your marketing, advertising, and other designs.
- Branding is the actual application of your brand identity, like the color of your packaging and where you place your logo on merchandise.
Explore your branding vs. brand identity further by creating mockup designs with the ideas you’ve already got. VistaCreate DIY design editor is a helpful tool to play around with ideas. By putting them onto hypothetical products and marketing, you can see your branding in action and understand your brand from a customer’s perspective.
Helpful resources for branding a small business
- How to create a great brand identity
- How to create a powerful brand personality
- Branding 101 guide
- Elements of branding
- History of branding: Lessons for successful business
- Branding design ideas
- Brand Marketing 101: Guide to create a brand marketing strategy
- Print branded marketing materials easily with VistaPrint Brand Kit
Brand vs. branding vs. brand identity FAQs
What is the difference between brand identity and branding?
Branding is how your brand expresses itself. Brand identity is the collection of design elements it uses in branding. A brand identity includes elements like a color palette, logo, copy voice and typography. Branding is how these elements are used, like your packaging design and email template.
Is brand recognition the same as brand identity?
Not quite. Brand recognition is how well people recognize your brand, like being able to pick out your logo or immediately recognize your storefront based on its design elements. Brand identity is the collection of design elements you use in your branding, like shapes and fonts.
What is the importance of branding?
Branding is important because it determines how your brand is perceived. It communicates your values, goals, market position and personality to prospective buyers, competitors, partners and collaborators.
What is the difference between logo and branding?
A logo is a specific image that communicates your brand’s style, values and position within your market. A logo is part of branding. Branding is essentially how you reach a logo design — it’s how you communicate what your brand stands for and offers. Examples of branding include product designs, website designs and how your brand interacts with the public.
Brand identity vs. logo: which is more important?
Your logo is the “face” of your brand identity. As you design your ideal logo and other aspects of your brand identity, keep your brand’s core values, unique offers and target customer base in mind. This will help you determine which colors, shapes and fonts to use in your designs, and once you’ve got a few of these worked out, it will help you determine the strongest ways to employ your brand identity—in other words, the best kind of branding for your brand.
But it all starts with a clear, comprehensive brand. So before you start designing and branding, take the time to thoroughly understand what your brand stands for, what it has to offer and why you’re the best choice for your target audience.
Author: Anada Lakra
