You might already have one, but to get the best out of your logo you need an effective brand and strategy to support it – something to give it meaning.
A logo is usually made up of some (or all) of the following:
- A name
- A graphic/symbol or unique mark
- One or more colours
- Possibly a strapline
Together they create a visual representation of what your company does.
A brand takes this and aims to embody your company’s goals; it’s vision, what it stands for, it’s personality, it’s tone of voice and wraps all of that around the logo.
It’s the brand surrounding your logo that allows people to connect with it. Sure, some people may like the look of your logo, but it’s the key values, it’s vision and what it stands for, that creates a brand people can relate to.
Think of a car manufacturer with a non-descript logo, they build cars from steel, using robots… Think of Aston Martin and their classic winged logo, they make luxury cars, built with pride and soul. They’re powerful, prestigious and iconic; they’re a car to dream about.
This is the difference a brand can make, it allows people to believe and trust in a company. If it’s a product in question, the brand will more often than not, be aspirational, so people can dream about owning it.
Your brand needs to shine through every piece of communication you produce, from emails to blogs and leaflets to websites. It can only do this if it’s understood by your team, practised across all communications and most importantly, is used consistently.
Most companies have an idea of who they are, what their message is and how it should be delivered, but sometimes this isn’t totally consistent. That’s why we run workshops with our clients to fully understand who they are and what they do and what makes them tick. It’s key that we know the personality, history and heritage of a company as much as possible before we start to design anything.
Once it’s created we produce brand guidelines, which act as a set of rules for the brand. They can be sent to anyone who uses your brand to make sure that everyone is consistently communicating the right message.
Want to know more? Get in touch :)