Ever been in a conversation whare you though you were discussing the same thing, only to realize that you’re actually thinking about different things? I often get that sense when I’m discussing brand and brand identity with clients. For myself, I have very simple definitions for both that help me to think clearly about what I’m doing.
Brand = Reputation
Your brand is your reputation in the hearts and minds of your audience: customers, employees – everyone who interacts with your business. When we look at brand this way, we realize that everything we do impacts our brand. Defining your desired reputation and aligning your business activities toward building that reputation is often called branding or brand building.
Brand Identity = Visual Representation
Human beings are visual creatures – of the 5 senses we rely primarily on our sight for perceiving the world, forming opinions and making decisions. Brand identity is such an important aspect building brands, that it is often confused with the brand itself.
Brand Identity is the visual representation of a company’s desired reputation. Translating what your company provides, represents, and values in a way that is quickly and accurately perceived by your target audience is what effective brand identity is all about.
Simple, huh?
These are my working definitions that help me to quickly get to the essence of the work I do. Brand specialists have thoroughly analyzed the dynamics of branding and if you need a more thorough explanation, just google ‘brand’ and read on.
