Is branding really a creative function?

There’s already a lot of confusion surrounding branding, and what a brand really is. And I get it. It’s a pretty intangible concept and honestly, as an industry, we don’t always do a great job of explaining it. It’s often viewed as a creative function - but in reality, just how creative is it? And by calling branding “creative”, are we making it harder to be understood?

What’s creativity?

I think most of us associate creativity with being artistic. That’s no surprise, considering the definition according to the Oxford dictionary is, “the use of skill and imagination to produce something new or to produce art”. We don’t refer to engineers and software developers as “creatives” even though they fit the definition of using skill and imagination to produce something new - because we don’t see these inventive people as artistic.

We can draw more parallels between creativity and graphic design, but since we know that brand is is not a logo, I’m on the fence if we can really call brand creative. After all, it’s not really about creating something new; it’s about finding and communicating a truth that connects a business to an audience. In many ways, we’re less creatives, and more investigators, strategists and explorers.

How can branding not be creative if it’s a function of marketing?

Much like branding, marketing is widely viewed as creative. I agree with that to some extent - but again, there’s a real science behind marketing. An artist doesn’t need to analyse how their art work is performing, but an engineer needs to test and measure efficiency of their designs.

But I guess the real point here is that branding is not a function of marketing. That misconception is part of the reason that branding is so widely misunderstood. Everything in your business is a function of branding. I’m just going to repeat that, because when this occurred to me, it needed a moment to sink in.

Everything in your business is a function of branding.

From your business strategy and goals, to employee behaviours, internal and external communications and everything else in between, anything and everything from your business should support your brand. Everyone should know what to expect from you once they’re familiar with your brand. It’s not new and creative - it's a clear, repeatable, resounding message.

Can you create a brand?

In my opinion, you can’t create a brand. Why? Because your brand is like the soul of your business. It’s the meaning behind it. Your brand is what it is - but this is where branding and brand identity come in. 

These help you communicate the truth of your brand accurately to your audience - and that’s the creative part of brand as an industry. Once you uncover what your brand really, truly is, you create effective ways to communicate that brand message.

So there’s the secret. Brand isn’t creative, it’s understanding and telling the truth. And if you have to get creative with the truth, well, it’s not really the truth any more.