Tie it all together
Logos & Branding
As the old adage goes, “you never have a second chance to make a first impression.” When starting a business, one of the most critical steps you can take to set yourself up for success is to create an eye-catching logo (or, even better, a full-fledged brand identity system). A strong brand can boost buyer and shareholder confidence, inspire loyalty in your customers, and give you the power to charge premium prices.
60-SECOND EDUCATION
logo vs. brand identity
Sometimes it feels like the words “logo” and “brand identity” are interchangeable. However, they’re quite different. A logo is a smaller, singularly focused project, while a brand is a much bigger project covering more ground and with a much more holistic approach. Read on to learn more about the difference.
A Brand New Brand
make a strong first impression
When you’re out shopping for shoes and see the iconic ‘swoosh’, you know it’s Nike. But how did a simple logo like Nike’s become so iconic that you recognize it in an instant? The names of the game are uniqueness, consistency and repetition: the more the public notices and interacts with your logo in their daily lives, the more credence they give it, and the more likely they are to remember it.
A logo is a specific graphical element that serves as a visual representation of a company or organization, consisting of a single recognizable visual mark, and sometimes includes the company’s name. (Think Apple or FedEx.)
A brand identity, on the other hand, is a broader system that encompasses all the visual and verbal elements that make up a company’s image and reputation, such as the logo, color palette, design patterns, typography, iconography, messaging, photography, and tone of voice (to name just a few).
Logos are typically a smaller project (and work fine for smaller companies, organizations, and events), but the bigger a company or organization gets, the more important it is to establish your brand identity as the cornerstone of your customer experience.
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Gimme' a five(r)
So why shouldn’t I just use Fiverr and get a logo done for cheap? Well, as the adage goes: “you get what you pay for.” Fiverr and other “design-on-a-dime” services certainly have their place, but when you need something that’s unique and stands out from the competition — designed by someone who’s taking into account all the places it might be used and giving you options and alternates — there’s nothing quite like working with a professional designer.
