When I first started working as a brand designer nearly 16 years ago, I learned one thing very quickly: people are CONFUSED about what a brand actually is.

This honestly didn't come as a shock to me though because as a business owner myself I can clearly see why this confusion happens. 

When you’re starting out in business, you tend to hear similar advice of what you need to do first. 

• Create your logo.
• Build your website.
• Choose your colors.
• Have a brand photoshoot… so you can post cute pics on Instagram for “marketing.”

No wonder people think that a brand is simply a logo and a color palette! That’s what people are teaching them. 

As a brand designer, this makes me cringe because your brand is SO. MUCH. MORE. 

And it’s really freaking important!

If you can relate to thinking that your brand is:

✔️ simply about the logo in the corner of your website

✔️ the colors that you use on your Instagram highlight covers and CTA buttons

✔️ or the fonts that you use on your website and social media posts

Keep reading because we’ve got some work to do! ⬇️

What is a Brand?

First things first, let’s start simple and define what a brand really is.

There’s a few definitions of the word “brand” including:

• Merriam-Webster: Brand (noun) - a public image, reputation or identity conceived of as something to be marketed or promoted
• Oxford Dictionary: Brand (noun) - a type of product, service, etc. made or offered by a particular company under a particular name
• Random Google Result: Brand (noun) - an intangible marketing or business concept that helps people identify a company, product, or individual

From all of these definitions combined, a few words stick out to me the most that I want you to hone in on: public image, reputation, identify, intangible.

Your brand as a whole is the overarching entity that people recognize and identify you with – and it’s not a tangible product or service. 

Instead, it’s a mixture of visuals and feelings working together to create an experience with every touchpoint of your business to impact the perception that people have of you and your business.

This means that your brand is NOT just your logo, color palette and fonts. 

Your brand IS a an all-encompassing combination of:

• what you stand for and why
• the words, phrases and tone of voice you use
• how people feel when they interact with you, your team, your website and even your social presence 
• all design elements (and the strategy / deeper meaning behind them)

Since your brand as a whole is an all-encompassing entity, you can’t possibly skip straight to creating your logo and choosing your color palette without first digging into your brand strategy. 

What is a Brand Strategy?

Now that you’re more familiar with what a brand actually is, let’s touch on the strategy piece – because this is truly the most important part for your long-term success in business!

Your brand strategy is truly like the heartbeat of your business and includes 5 main components, including:

• Brand Purpose - aka why your business/brand exists and what it stands for
• Brand Values - aka your core beliefs and principles that guide your decision-making
• Brand Positioning - aka how you are perceived by your audience and customers in comparison to others in your industry (your positioning is your differentiator) 
• Brand Messaging - aka your tone, core message and visual identity 
• Target Audience - aka the specific group of people that your business/brand is trying to reach or influence

When you have clarity around each of these and you’ve clearly defined them, EVERYTHING you do flows from this. 

For example, if you’re faced with a decision in your business, such as launching a new product, and you aren’t sure if you should do it or not, your brand strategy can help you answer that question.

Does it align with who you are and your brand values?

Is it something that will truly serve your target audience?

Does it match your messaging?

Does it even make sense?

Your brand strategy essentially acts as a filter for everything you do in your business – from using certain colors and fonts in social media graphics to launching new products and services to working with certain clients and even partnering with other business owners for affiliate opportunities.

Your strategy should guide every single decision to make sure that everything aligns and makes sense for your audience!

Without a brand strategy, you just have a business built on aesthetics.

There’s a lot that goes into defining your brand strategy, which is why I have a completely separate blog post just for that!

As mentioned earlier, your brand as a whole is a combination of visuals and feelings – and your brand strategy is what digs into the feelings side of things. 

And while the visuals aren’t everything, they are something which is where your brand identity comes in!

What is a Brand Identity?

Brand identity is what a lot of business owners skip to first. 

Remember earlier how I said that you’re often taught to create your logo, build your website, choose your colors and have a brand photoshoot?

I want to be clear that I’m not against those things and I’ll be the first to say that YES you need all of those!

But focusing on those things without first focusing on your strategy isn’t helpful. 

Your brand identity is all of those fun things that people love to obsess over and it's what creatively aligns your strategy into visuals.

Your brand identity includes:

• Logo
• Color palette
• Typography
• Fonts
• Graphic elements
• Imagery

The reason your brand strategy MUST come before all of these is because your brand identity should reflect your brand strategy, so that the correct feelings and perceptions are created by your audience!

To connect this further, think about all three of these (brand, brand strategy and brand identity) like an outfit:

• Brand strategy = a shirt and pair of pants that make up the foundation of your outfit
• Brand identity = your accessories that give a little pizazz and extra “umph” to your outfit
• Brand = the way someone perceives you because of your outfit (Ex. “She’s so trendy!” or “Her style is super eclectic!”)

Just like you wouldn’t get dressed for the day by starting with your accessories first, you shouldn’t jump straight to the visuals of your brand before digging into the deeper meaning first!

When you start with the foundation (aka your strategy) first, you’re able to intentionally create your identity so that you can successfully evoke the exact feelings that you want people to have about you and your brand as a whole.

Need a Hand with your Brand?

If you’re reading this, there’s a chance you fall into one of two groups:

1. A brand new business owner that’s super new to the whole brand thing
2. Someone who has been in business for awhile but has been approaching your brand all wrong

If you’re in group one, this is exciting because you get to start off on the right foot. Now you know what should really come first – ahem, it’s not your logo!

If you need more help defining your brand strategy, this blog post is a great starting point, but I'm always here if or when you need extra help!

If you’re in group two and have realized that you’ve been approaching your brand all wrong, I want you to know that IT’S OKAY! It’s all fixable, my friend, and you don’t have to do it alone.

With my brand design service, you’ll receive:

• Personalized direct service with a project roadmap for the clearest project communication
• A confidence building brand consultation to pinpoint your messaging, voice and visuals with clarity
• Target audience strategy to attract the actual customers you are trying to reach
• A visual identity (including a guidelines document) to help you nail that first visual impression with your customers
• Aesthetically user-focused design elements to build brand equity and communicate the credibility you deserve
• Brand elevations with your new brand applied to jumpstart your brand launch
  

Here’s to building your brand strategically and intentionally!

Your designer friend always,