BRAND, BRANDING OR BRAND (VISUAL) IDENTITY :: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
In the business world, branding has become a big word in terms of marketing, but what exactly does that mean and what makes a brand a brand? What is the difference between the terms brand, branding and brand identity? What is brand identity and what is visual (graphic identity) and is there a difference? Forming a successful brand strategy is a complicated process in which there are many elements to consider.
We will briefly explain all this in this article.
WHAT IS A BRAND?
Although brand comes from the English word brand (to brand), in today’s business world it means something completely different.
A brand is a business concept that helps people identify a particular product or company. It’s an idea and it’s not something you can touch or see. It is a set of values, traits and emotions that form the basis of your business. The best way to understand a brand is to think of it as the “personality” of your business.
Although many will associate the brand with the visual tools used to present it to the public (name, logo, etc.), it is not that. These are its visual representatives, but they are not the brand itself.
If we take two companies that sell clothes to a different target audiences, their visual identity may be very similar, they will use a similar color palette, typography and photos. But the content they post on their Instagram account will be different as well as the feeling they evoke in their audience. Their feed will consist of different text and each company will develop its own identity regardless of the visual aspect of the brand.
In contrast, we can take the example of two companies that have different visual identities but attract the same target group because the content is similar and evokes similar emotions in their audience. We see that a brand is not just a visual identity, it is the overall experience of a company or product, or as the Merriam-Webster dictionary would define it as “a public image, reputation, or identity conceived as something to be marketed or promoted.”
How will you market your image? By branding.
BRANDING
Branding is a set of activities and processes for creating, communicating and delivering your marketing messages, with the intention of increasing your business and raising brand awareness and raising its appeal, reputation and loyalty. The problem with branding is – branding is difficult. It’s not just about making logos, slogans, add a little color to it and that’s it. Big brands are built with intent, strategy, storytelling and a little luck.
Branding is an essential part of any successful business and if done properly can really take your business to the next level and give you an edge over the competition.
VISUAL AND BRAND IDENTITY
Although visual and brand identity are used interchangeably, they are not the same. These are two different processes, but strongly connected to each other. As we discussed UI and UX design in our article on mobile applicationsand how UI design is part of UX design, we find a similar situation with visual and brand identity.
Visual identity is a part of brand identity, one of the steps in its creation, but it contains additional steps and they all separate these two concepts.
VISUAL IDENTITY
Visual identity is a term used by professionals in the fields of design, visual communication and marketing. Visual identity is a set of graphic elements that together create a cohesive and recognizable look of a company or product. A well-designed visual identity helps customers and clients identify with a brand or product, making it easier for them to remember and connect with certain qualities or characteristics.
There are many different elements that can make up a visual identity, including fonts, colors, logos, and patterns. When used properly, these elements can create a consistent look that allows customers to quickly identify the brand or product they are looking for. Poorly designed visual identities can be confusing or disruptive, which can lead to loss of sales or negative brand associations.
The goal of visual identity is to define graphic (visual) standards that enable consistent communication of your brand on all channels, from printed materials to websites and social media.
Visual identity is created by graphic designers.
The most famous representative of visual identity is the logo, about which we have written more in our two blogs, about the history and making of the logo, as well as its types.
BRAND IDENTITY
Brand identity is all the physical elements that create a brand. There are many elements, and they all work together, complementing and serving each other to create a strong identity and represent everything that is a brand. Brand identity is an essential part of marketing strategy and communication with customers. It is part of the business language and serves to promote the company’s products and services. Brand identity design is the development of unique brand characteristics that help customers recognize it. Working on brand identity design is a creative process in which you apply your skills to create something new, unique and innovative.
With it you can:
- identify market trends and what needs to be done to differentiate your company from others
- identify specific market segments that would be interested in your product or service
- define the concept, strategic goal and target audience for the visual identity (and as a first step, for creating the logo)
- develop a unique user experience
- create customer loyalty
- improve customer perception
- set up new strategies for successful communication
Effective brand identity design helps a company be a leader in its industry, focusing on its strengths. The goal of any effective brand identity system is to build consumer awareness in a cost-effective and visible way.
CONCLUSION
Both branding and visual identity need to be done by professionals in order to be effective in communicating with the target audience. Both terms mean different things and are run by different people. A graphic designer must know how to do all aspects of visual identity, but his job stops there. A marketing expert has a broader perspective of all aspects of a brand and how each element can positively reflect a brand identity. He/She is an expert in creating a complete identity, as well as the brand and branding itself.
