A brand is so much more than "just" the visual elements like colors, logos, and fonts. Your "brand" is like an umbrella, and all of the things under the umbrella make up the completed brand. Things under this umbrella include:
Tone of voice. When you communicate to your audience, how is your tone? Are you polished and professional? Are you angry and aggressive? Silly and a little quirky? Are you calming and serene? Tone can be conveyed through more than just copywriting & the words you use.
Your color palette, the symbols and shapes that make up your visual marks, and typography all play a part in commuicating the tone you want your brand to have.
Messaging. What message are you sending to the world? Are you a positive, energy booster? Are you an educator who has a goofy twist to your teaching style? Are your ads and posts spreading awareness on a serious topic?
Value. It's hard to "see" value. How do you "show" someone the value your business brings? Consistent branding and consistent, high quality products & services. Showing your audience that you can solve their problems with what you offer is showing your value.
Connection. This is the biggest thing about branding. If all of these pieces are not assisting with the task of helping your audience feel connected to your business, then why would they interact with you? What type of connections are you making?
Logos, Colors, and Type enter the chat.
I just listed a few things that are apart of your whole brand. Those things are hard to "show" and audience, which is why a brand strategist is a valuable partner to your business. The "regular" visual elements that everyone is familiar with are still important, and here's why:
Logo: Your logo and logomarks should compliment all the following items, but it should be a meaningful visual for your audience to connect with.
Your logo does not have to show what you sell or what service you provide. If you run a coffee shop, you don't need to have a mug or coffee bean as your logo. In fact, don't do this. It's cliche, and I hate cliche.
Your logo just needs to be meaningful, and it's a great idea to tell your audience why it's meaningful so they can share the sentiment.
Colors should mean something as well. We don't want to just pick your favorite color and run with it. What colors communicate who your business is, and why? Do these colors work with the logo they will be on? Does it appeal to your target audience?
Typography: Your fonts. We don't want to download Comic Sans from the interent and call it a day. Purposefully choose type that will help communicate who your brand is. If you were to see a construction company, for example, and all of their type on their website is in a cute, curly font, it would feel jarring. We don't want to be jarring.
So... kind of, but no.
"Brand" is used as a buzz-word on social media, but I really wish it wasn't. Branding is a real thing, obviously. The problem I see, is some people don't understand the depth of what a true brand identity consists of, and why it takes so much work to make it just right.
There is a strategic approach to branding that helps your visual identity do so many things, including communicating to your target audience effectively.
If you're ready to partner with a brand strategist, I'm here to help!
Let's challenge the conventional and color outside the lines together.
