Brand, branding and brand identity: what’s the difference?

Do you feel bamboozled by the terms brand, branding and brand identity? They’re actually incredibly powerful for every business, however big or small. Let me shed some light on the matter so you can make the most of yours.

I’ll let you in on a secret. Even many designers and specialists in the branding industry find the terminology confusing. The words sound so similar, it’s no wonder people use them interchangeably.

Branding lingo is often used as part of marketing talk or design language, but it can sound like complete jargon to those not in the know. Result? The terms are widely used, but not widely understood.

However, your brand, branding and brand identity are all incredibly powerful for your small business. They have individual roles to play, yet they work together and interlink to form an overall perception of your company, service or product. This complicated relationship adds to the confusion.

My explanation will help you understand these terms and make it clear how they’re relevant to your small business.

What is a brand?

As Jeff says, “Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room”.

Whether or not you are a fan of Amazon and Jeff Bezos, I bet you’ve come across this quote before. It describes exactly what a brand is. Essentially, your brand is the impression people have of your company and how it is perceived by others.

If you have a business, you have a brand, whether you realise it or not. That applies to every organisation, from global corporations to charities to solopreneurs.

And we all want a good image and reputation – aka brand – right?

A combination of many factors influence the emotions people feel to form their perception of your brand. Some might be tangible – like your logo, your products, or your results if you are service based – while others might be non-tangible, such as the experience a customer has when they interact with you.

Every touchpoint during the customer journey impacts your brand – from when people first come across you, perhaps on social media, through to the purchase experience, then using your products or services and beyond. Over a period of time, this creates expectations and an emotional connection between you and your clients. People are far more likely to trust your brand when it meets or goes beyond their expectations.

Having a strong brand is hugely beneficial. Among other things, it allows you to have more flexibility in your pricing. It’s no coincidence that consumers who trust you are happy to pay more!

Although it’s really other people who decide what your brand is, there are certainly actions you can take as a small business owner to give yourself the upper hand and differentiate yourself from competitors.

That’s where branding comes in.

What is branding?

From the simple action of marking cattle with a hot iron to show ownership thousands of years ago, branding has become a whole lot more sophisticated!

Branding is the process of brand building. It involves taking steps to shape the perceptions that people have about your company, products or services. All the efforts taken to build awareness and reputation for a company come under the branding umbrella.

The devices used to market your brand and communicate on its behalf feature here. For example, your website and social channels are branding opportunities – they have bucketloads of potential to create a compelling impression.

While your branding activity may not always influence your clients or customers’ minds exactly as you intend, the more intentional and cohesive your efforts are, the higher the chance of it being successful.

Before starting any branding activity, first take the time to consider how you REALLY want people to perceive your business. To inform this, dig deep into the “why” of your company, as well as who you are, how you do things and what you do. This is called brand strategy and it’s key to making the right branding decisions!

Design plays a major role in strategically creating the image you would like your business to portray, which takes me nicely onto brand identity.

What is brand identity?

Your brand identity is a system used to identify your brand – the distinct look, voice and values associated with your business. When most people think about brand or branding, a logo is the first thing that springs to mind. But a logo is just one part of your brand identity.

To put it simply, think of your logo as a name badge for your business, whereas your brand identity is a complete uniform. And just like wearing the right outfit for a special occasion, how you dress your brand and present it to the world has a big impact on how it is perceived!

A comprehensive visual identity system includes typography, colour palette, photography style, and imagery like graphics, patterns, iconography, as well as that all-important logo of course.

At Beehive Green, this visual side is my speciality.

There is an art and a science (hello design psychology) to creating an identity that works hard for your business. All of your brand assets should feel like they are part of the same family. They need to work together to deliver a cohesive message about your brand – each visual element will contribute to the overall impression you want your customers to have.

A distinctive look creates brand recognition and, in the long term, brand loyalty.

Your visual brand identity also forms a practical toolkit for designing branding communications. It should be applied everywhere you interact to make sure people recognise your brand – from website and social media to packaging and signage. The works!

An intentional, expertly crafted and consistently applied brand identity talks to your target audience without words.

But don’t underestimate your strapline, tone of voice and vocabulary. They are all part of your identity too, and have a strong influence on how your brand is perceived. At Beehive Green studio I work collaboratively with some amazing copywriter partners who take care of the written brand elements on my clients branding projects. Together, we can look after your entire identity!

Great design is rooted in creativity and strategy. As a small business, you have complete control of your brand strategy – with the advantage of bringing your personality into the picture to develop the know-like-trust relationship.

Brand, branding and brand identity in a nutshell

The first step towards creating a brilliant brand is being aware of the importance of the often mind-boggling categories; brand, branding and brand identity.

Keep these definitions in mind to help you differentiate between them:

• Brand: how people perceive your company.

• Branding: the actions you take to build your preferred image of your company.

• Brand identity: the collection of distinct brand elements that together identify your company (yes, including that logo).

Professional design, combined with the right messaging, is a big factor in getting your business noticed and winning the trust of potential customers so they decide to spend their hard-earned cash with you rather than your competitors.

Show your business in its best light and you can build the next must-have brand!

Need some clarity on a design or brand issue?

Do you have a niggle about your brand identity? Need a fresh set of eyes on your branding materials? Drop into my creative clinic and book a mini-consultancy power hour! I’ll share my brand and design know-how to help you get clear on your ideas and direction.

Remember, nobody can create a brand for a business. Ultimately only its audience can do this, as it’s something that exists in their minds.

But a brand identity and branding communications can be created. And the good news is that they’re the foundation that your brand is built upon. Use them to your advantage, create the right perception and watch your business grow!