“Hey, I just need a logo designed, it shouldn't be too much work”

Does that sound familiar? Are you guilty of using those words yourself? Designers hear this all the time. And I'm going to be the designer who breaks it to you—a logo is barely the most important component of your brand. No, this is not a blasphemous statement in the world of branding. It is a truth universally acknowledged among many designers and brand strategists.

Most small business owners think their brand identity starts and ends with a logo. They have an idea that they’d like converted into a logo, they hire a designer to execute it and voila, they rub their hands in glee thinking the visual creative process is done! Many folks perceive the branding process to be placing prints of logos on every component of the business—business cards, a website, social media profile photos, stationery and anything surface or platform that can take on a logo. 

Stop! Not so fast. 

A logo is the visual address of your business. What’s important is the experience your target audiences get when they show up at that address. Your logo strikes the first impression with clients, but when it comes to marketing, it's the long-lasting impression that matters. So put thought into creating the heart and soul of what lives behind the brand image of your logo.

You don’t buy from a certain brand because of its logo, you buy from them because their brand values align with your personal values, or because something in their brand positioning sparks joy in you. (Any Marie Kondo fans in the house?) 

Speaking of houses, think of your brand as one. Now let’s get down to building it from foundation to the front door! 

The Foundation is your Brand Strategy

A branding strategy is the frame for your target audience to think of your brand in a certain way, be it fun or serious. Simplify and centre your brand values and purpose. Then, make sure all components of your business, from customer service to marketing and advertising lead back to that. This stage involves competitive research on the market, determining your target audience thoroughly amongst other things. With this knowledge, you should be able to create a strong brand that no other company or competitors in your industry can replicate.

Research helps the foundation of your brand stand stronger. Look at what your competitors are doing (right and wrong) and listen to what your prospective consumers are saying. Is there a gap? Will your company fill this gap or do something different that no other business can? Now it may be challenging to kickstart a creative process from hard data and numbers. Work backwards. What are your business goals? Take that answer, think of ways you can achieve them, and run every idea by the question, “How will my target audiences react to this?”. The research you have collected is a powerful tool to filter ideas. This way, you build a strong strategy that is centred around the customers so you leave them with a lasting impression. Your brand is not about pleasing everyone out there, it's meant to build an emotional connection that resonates with your ideal clients.

Just like how the foundation of a house is mostly below ground unseen yet holding up the entire house, this complex process of brand development can’t be seen, but it brings the entire brand together. 

The Decor is your Brand Identity

Once you’ve got the skeleton of the house complete, you move to decorating it—choosing the tiles, picking out the kitchen cabinets, designing the washroom—it’s all the stuff that you get to see and live in every day.  

In the branding world, this would be the phase of building the brand identity of your business. Brand identity is a collection of the brand's visual elements whereas strategy ties in with the market needs that your business fulfills. 

A strong brand identity comprises the brand's visual elements to arrive at a cohesive look. For example, the brand colour palette, typography (fonts), logo variations, style of images and more. Collectively, these brand elements act as the second coat of paint that makes your brand image pop and maintain consistency in the message your brand communicates. It isn’t a matter of picking out colours, typography, and photos that you think look great. This isn't as easy as painting your bedroom in your favourite colour. So we revisit brand strategy, the foundation of the branding process.

What is the purpose of the brand?

How can each visual element, such as typography, communicate the same feeling?
At this stage, you may need a professional designer with strategic design skills who knows colour psychology, can identify way more shades and tones than someone who isn't a designer. This may seem like a shameless plug for my services, but it isn't. I understand that branding is tied to a budget. If you absolutely have to DIY your brand identity, please read this blog post before you start. And also give yourself mental wiggle room for a thorough rebrand at a time when it’s essential!

Apart from helping you finalize from other visual elements, a strong brand identity also helps you determine the tone of the brand voice—will it sound cheeky or posh? What words should the copy use (and not use)?

This may be the ideal time to create a style guide, it comes in handy when you expand or rebrand your business. Make sure your style guide includes the smallest of details, for example, what logo format can and cannot be used on the website. This helps ensure brand recognition can be consistent, no matter the designer working on your creative assets.

What makes a house a home?

This is easy to answer when we’re talking about actual houses and homes. A home feels as such because of the love, laughter, quirks, and security that live under the roof of a house.

But when it comes to your brand, what makes it relatable to your target audience? What emotional connection does it spark that's different from the other many brands they come across? Does your brand feel like home to your ideal clients? Make sure your brand is always telling a story—yours. Those clients in your target market who get it will love your brand for being authentic. You, as the owner, will find it easier to conduct business by just being yourself.
To the people on the outside, they will see that the brand aligns with the person who created it. 

When creating the brand identity, you’ll start to understand that you’re also creating a brand personality with the chosen brand elements. If brand identity is the look, brand personality is the feel of the brand. 

The front door is your logo 

Once the entire process, from strategy to personality, is complete, you tie it all up with a logo. A strong logo design represents your brand, and what it stands for. A logo invites your customers to take the first step to check out what your brand offers. Once they’ve crossed the threshold of your logo, and find that your business can meet their needs, congratulations! Your road to success has just begun. The price is not always the magnet, it's the personality of your brand that gets consumers to come back. Other components of your company, like customer service that reflects your brand values, will help turn first-time customers into long-standing clients.

All the invisible and visible brand elements you researched and picked are helping your company name stand out from the many brands in your industry. Market positioning and brand recognition come over time. So be patient with it, and yourself. 

So there you have it, your logo sits atop a layered branding process. It’s the tip of the iceberg of everything your company does. 

Think of a brand logo as an address or a doorbell to a house.

It's the feeling behind that door that matters.