What is the Difference Between Branding and Brand Design?
What is the Difference Between Branding and Brand Design?
Hello and welcome to another post on the topic of 'brand design'.
In this post we are going to dive in and get to the bottom of two terms that are often used interchangeably: 'Branding' and 'Brand Design'.
Are they the same thing? Are they different? Does it matter? Why should I care?
These questions may be firing in your mind. Let's answer the last one first.
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Why should I care?
The answer to this is simple.
The how and why of branding and brand design is the foundation of all marketing success. All things start with a why.
Why?
Why is branding and brand design important?
We all want growth. To build your business, you need to build your brand in a diversity of ways.
You need to understand what your brand is, what it represents, who it is for and why it matters.
So yes, it does matter.
Branding & Brand Design Overview
Let's get specific about what these terms refer to.
Now let's tackle the first two questions.
'Branding' vs 'brand design': are they the same thing? Are they different?
A simple answer is a good starting point.
Consider branding to be your landscape, and brand design your map.
Saul Edmonds
What is Branding?
Branding is a set of marketing initiatives - across a range of touch-points (such as print and digital communications) - to grow your sales and build your reputation in the marketplace.
Branding is the shorthand form of the longer term 'brand development'.
When you see 'branding' think 'brand development'.
'Brand development' always has its eyes on the big picture.
It's the view from above. The landscape.
Consider brand development as an holistic and creative process, building, nurturing and growing your business long term.
This extends to your business culture, your product and service offerings, your values, perspectives and priorities - in short, the big story you communicate to the world.
The key goal here is to stand apart in the marketplace, be true to your vision and connect better with the people who matter most: your customers.
What is Brand Design?
Brand design tells your story in visual terms.
Brand design refers to the visual elements of your logo and brand styling.
Brand Design - A Working Definition
Brand design determines the visual identity of your brand.
A key element of your brand design is, of course, your logo. Brand design begins with your logo and encompasses your brand styling across all media, from company colours to image selections, fonts, tone and more.
A 'brand style guide' is a comprehensive document that puts all this together for you.
This is your map - on how to make your brand design work for you.
Why is your brand logo so important?
Your logo is important because it will appear across all stakeholder and customer touch-points.
Your brand logo is the design centrepiece of key marketing elements such as your website, business cards, stationary, packaging, signage, brochures and more.
Your logo is the main graphical element of your brand design.
A memorable logo :
ensures that your clients can easily identify and recall your business
builds clarity of message
fosters an emotional connection with your audience
promotes consistency longterm across the gamut of communication channels
helps your brand name to be known and remembered for years to come
First impressions matter
Quality brand and logo design drives success.
Stand out from your competitors and cut through the noise. Get your message heard and build trust with brilliant brand design.
Beyond a professional representation of your business, your logo represents you.
Branding and Brand Design: Conclusion
Build your brand to grow your business
In concluding, let's return to our introductory quote:
In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.
(Alfred Stieglitz)
As the well know American photographer Alfred Stieglitz observes, photography captures a subtle reality that is hyperreal, or more real that 'real'.
In the same way, branding and brand design are subtle points that feed into the whole - of what drives you and fuels your business.
It is worth investing time in getting your branding and brand design right for you.
Remember, your brand should tell your story.
Let your brand design reflect the real, special and unique qualities that make you YOU.
Saul Edmonds.
Founder and Creative Director of Roundhouse
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As Creative Director & Roundhouse Founder Saul Edmonds has over 20 years professional brand, design and digital experience.
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