3 Reasons Why Your Branding is More Important Than Your Logo
A logo, by definition, is a symbol made up of images, shapes, and text that come together to identify a business. A good logo does more than identify a business, though. If it’s designed well, a logo should tell the business’s story effectively in just one look.
How in the world can one symbol do that, you ask? It’s all about the branding behind the logo.
You can hire a graphic designer to create a logo for you, sure. But if you don’t put enough thought into the ideas behind it, it’s just a design without a whole lot of impact. Here’s why I think branding matters more than logo design when you’re creating a new business or re-naming your current one.
Credit: Morgan Potter Photography
Your logo needs to represent something
I’m not saying you shouldn’t give your logo some thought and attention, because it’s definitely an important piece of the puzzle! A well-designed logo represents what you stand for, what your company aims to do, and connects you with your audience. It’ll feel authentic to you.
But that’s why it’s crucial to think about your “why” behind your logo’s design first. What exactly will your logo represent? What’s the story behind the image? You can also think of your “why” as your brand message, which is the core of your branding.
Let’s dig deep to define your brand message. Ask yourself questions like:
Why did I start my business?
What problem do I solve or what solution do I offer?
What motivates me?
What does success look like for my business?
What makes me different?
What experience do I offer others?
Trust me, these may sound like generic interview questions, but they’re actually really helpful in figuring out your branding. Once you have answers to these questions, you’ll start to form a picture of your branding…and then you can design your logo with clarity and purpose.
Other things better define your brand
Simply slapping a logo onto your product packaging does not a brand make. Give your logo design the energy and resources it deserves, but don’t forget that there are other aspects of your branding that are just as essential in telling your story, if not more so.
The images, colors, and fonts you use can set the tone of your branding, for example. These elements of your brand guide tell people if your business is fun and quirky or serious and determined. Retro cool or super futuristic. All about innovation or focused on serving others. See what I mean? You can say so much about your branding without saying anything at all!
Speaking of saying things, copywriting is another piece of your branding that can do the heavy lifting. It’s easy to think of branding as totally visual, but the words you choose to use matter, too. Just look at the descriptive words I used in the previous paragraph to describe hypothetical brands. All of them “feel” different and probably conjured up different images in your head.
If you’re not sure which words describe your brand best, go back to the answers you came up with when defining your brand message. That’s an excellent place to start.
How you show up for your biz is what matters
Brand message nailed down? Check. A vision for your logo, fonts, colors, and images? Check. Copywriting that sets the tone of your brand? Check. What else can you do to make your branding feel genuine?
The most important thing for your branding, I think, is how you show up for your business. Let me explain.
Imagine that you spend a ton of time branding (or rebranding) before launching (or relaunching) your company. After launching, I’m betting you focus most of your energy on selling products or attracting new clients. Basically, trying your damnedest to make your business a success.
That makes total sense. But remember that you, as a small biz owner, represent your brand. Whenever someone meets you in person, follows your Instagram account online, or finds you through a mutual friend, they’re also discovering your business. So, are you embodying your brand? Does your brand represent you accurately, and vice versa?
Never forget that a business is really all about people: the people who run it and the people it serves. People bring brands to life. As the founder of your brand, it’s your job to define your brand through your actions, words, and beliefs. That’s how you’ll reel in your dream customers and make your biz a success.
Let a branding expert bring your brand vision to life
Is your head spinning from all this serious talk about creating the right branding for your biz? I get it! Figuring out what your brand should look and feel like is a huge task. You may not know where to start or whether you’ve covered everything you need for your brand.
We at Blades Creative can help. Let us handle the heavy lifting! We’ll work with you to create branding that feels empowering, authentic, and just right. Contact us today and let’s chat.