So… what is branding?
There’s often confusion about what graphic design and branding are and how they differ. I trained as a graphic designer and I create brands so I can understand why it gets confusing. The questions I get asked are usually things like: do you design printed stationery / Logos / brochures? etc. Graphic design’s purpose is to communicate a message: visual communication. So… what's branding then?
'Brand' is a business or organisations identity.
As human beings, our identity is incredibly important, from the way we dress to the way we behave, it’s a huge part of us, the very essence of us. It affects who we connect with emotionally. Branding is the same. It's why a business exists, how it communicates (visually, verbally and through actions) and what it believes.
A business needs to resonate with its customer. To do so, the customer has to see shared values with the business and emotionally connect with it. In the same way that who I am and what I believe and give to people has drawn a particular group of friends to me, what Nike believes and makes me feel, means I buy their workout gear over Adidas'.
“If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.”
We all want to work with people who have shared values.
I've spent a lot of time meeting other people who have specialist businesses that compliment what Honest Folk does. Copywriters, web developers, marketers to enable me to implement various elements of my client’s brands. The ones I work with have shared values with me, not only because we work well together as a result but also because I feed off these folk and grow just by being around them. It’s about the trust that brings. I believe in what they do and have connected with them.
Just like the brands we buy from, the businesses we choose to work with also fit with who we are, our beliefs and our values and we believe they will improve our lives.
This Ted Talk by Simon Sinek is great at explaining the importance of understanding your business’s ‘why’ to drive emotional connection.
A logo alone can't communicate your beliefs.
Take your logo away and you should still have a brand because the essence of the identity is still there (if you don’t we can help!)
Having your brand beliefs cemented and understood is more important than having a logo. Graphic design is one element of branding but to create an effective brand it's necessary to understand your business's reason for being and know the people who will understand it, in order for your audience to connect with and trust you.
Branding is how you communicate your purpose in a way that’s relevant to your audience.
If you took your logo away, would people still understand what you do and stand for through the way you communicate? A good business has marketing, a website, content, a tone of voice and visuals and brand joins together all of these to work in harmony to talk about the same thing.
Understanding your customers and having your brand mission, vision and values is a great place to start, then weaving this through into the way you look, act and communicate builds a solid brand identity.