Brand, Brand Identity vs Branding?

Most people think the terms: Branding, Brand and Brand identity are the same, but they are not. They all play a different role in a brand strategy.

This article will explain the terms Brand, branding and brand identity and how they are used.

What is a Brand?

To start with, a brand is not your LOGO, it is what people think about your company.

According to Seth Godin, a brand is a set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.

If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.

To sum up, a brand is NOT what you say it is, it is what people say it is. It is the promise you made to your customers.

What is a Brand Identity?

Every brand must have an element that differentiates it from another brand. A brand identity is something you can see, hold, touch and watch it move.

Colors, typography, logo, composition, motion graphic, packaging, social media graphics are all brand identity.

Simply put, everything that is visual is called a brand identity. That means there is a need to ensure that every time your artifacts show up, they are consistent in size, shape, scope, feel, use, etc.

These are named typeface, logo, shape, tagline that can create an appeal.

Brand identity consists of elements like:

• Consistent style for images
• Key colors (color palette)
• Logo or wordmark
• Different logo lockups
• Corporate typefaces
• Standard typographic treatments
• Library of graphic elements

All these come together to form an identity guideline document.

Branding

This is a process involved in creating an image and name for a company, product or services in the consumer’s mind.

It is the communication of values, characteristics, and attributes that clarify what a particular brand is and is not.

There are different types of branding:

1. Personal branding: the way an individual builds their reputation.
2. Digital branding: this includes social media, website, SEO, etc.
3. Cause branding: this is simply aligning your brand with a charitable cause or a corporate social responsibility (CSR).
4. Country branding: all efforts to attract tourists and businesses.
5. Co-branding: to partner with another brand to achieve a certain goal.

Branding

This is the big plan. It describes the expected results of a product or individual.

According to the branding journal, Branding is the process of giving meaning to a specific organization, company, products or services by creating and shaping a brand in consumers’ minds.

It is a brand strategy designed by organizations to help people to quickly identify and experience their brand.

It gives them a reason to choose their products over the competition’s, by clarifying what this particular brand is and is not.

Would you like to create a brand?