What’s the difference between branding and visual identity? Surely they’re the same thing… logo, colour scheme, typography and so on. Right?
Well, no. Visual identity is part of branding. But it’s just one part. There’s much more to good branding than just that.
Let us give you an analogy…
When we meet someone for the first time, we size them up. We look at what they are wearing, at how they hold themselves. We look at their shoes, their hair, their car. Consciously or not, we make judgements about them based purely on what we see. We guess their profession, their level of affluence.
On some level, we can’t help but ask ourselves if they are my sort of person?
And then as soon as they open their mouth and start to speak, we make a whole new batch of judgments. How do they sound? What do they say? Are they serious? Are they funny? Do they know what they are talking about?
Can I trust them? Or are they making it up as they go?
And finally… does the visual match the verbal? Or do we have a situation where we have the looks of the young David Beckham, matched with the voice of the young David Beckham?
If you judge someone solely on how they look, you’re not even getting half of the picture. And if you only consider the visual side when thinking about your brand, you’re not even telling half of your story.
Is your brand fit for purpose?
Good branding considers and shapes everything. The visual and the verbal. On the one hand: look, style, feel. On the other: tone, values, principles.
All these elements are woven together to create one single narrative. A story that binds together every aspect of the business, making every touchpoint visually and tonally consistent and truthful.
So, how do you know if your brand needs work?
Well, consider this.
Every lazy article on branding always cites Apple as an example of a great brand. The reason for that is that it is a great brand. And the proof is this: If I told you that Apple was launching a car next week, you could probably tell me what it will be like. You would use words like sleek, minimal, innovative, premium. You could guess at its look, its shape, its feel.
Years and years of consistent branding and marketing has seeped into your consciousness and now you just know what an Apple product (or a piece of their marketing) looks like. Nike and McDonalds are examples of similarly strong brands and I bet you could have a decent stab at telling me what a Nike or MacDonalds car would be like too – okay, maybe let’s not think too much about the McDonalds car…
So here’s the big question. The one question that reveals if your brand is actually fit for purpose:
If your business was to bring out a new product or service – completely different from anything that you currently offer – would you be able to describe it? Could you picture it? Could you sell it?
If the answer is no, it’s time to revisit your brand.
Branding in the B2B world
In the B2B world, in most mature sectors the difference between one company’s offer and another’s is often vanishingly small and usually based on tiny variations in price or features. The real differences between companies – values, principles, attitudes – tend to go unsaid. Good branding is the key to unlocking that message and communicating what actually matters to customers.
And it’s becoming more and more important as the buying landscape changes. These days B2B buyers are much more brand conscious than they used to be. The change is generational with Millennials and Gen Z professionals now occupying many senior buying roles. They’ve grown up making brand conscious buying decisions on everything from their shoes to their cornflakes, and they don’t just switch this off when they’re making commercial decisions.
These buyers want the same level of brand experience in their business lives as they get in their personal lives. So they research extensively online, forming concrete impressions long before actually speaking to someone.
Ask yourself this – do I have a brand or just a visual identity?
If it’s just the latter, it may well be harming your business. That’s where a branding agency like CRUSH comes in to help you tell your brand’s full story.
Check out our portfolio of B2C and B2B brands that we’ve supported in design, copywriting, brand strategy and more.
Or get in touch with us for a touch of brand therapy today.