A logo is a representation of the brand, that may or may not include the name, and could be represented by a symbol, icon, design, or a combination of these.

A logotype is not something that is supposed to stay the same for the entirety of its existence, it can happen, but times change, and brands evolve. For example Coca-cola, Mercedes Benz, and even Mcdonald’s.

The common mistake of most business owners when it comes to branding is to stick with the idea that the only thing to take for good branding is a logo.

If you have a simple logo you should be settled for life right? Wrong.

The creation of a logo is a part of the process and is a percentage of what makes a great brand.

Let’s make it visually explained. When you think about a brand of furniture, you are thinking of IKEA, it’s highly unlikely that the first thing that came into your mind was the shelving you have at home, instead, you probably thought of the logo.

So yes, a logotype is also a part of the entire thing, but I can guarantee you that there is more than just picking the big bold font and choosing blue and yellow. Ok, yes, the colors are probably the easiest thing to explain since they are the colors on the national flag. But to get here a lot has passed, in fact, the logo of IKEA has changed a total of 13 times since the company first opened in 1951. If it got better that’s a different discussion, what matters here is that the company understood the importance of the brand and therefore, improved it, evolved it to make it accompany the times, and adjusted to their target market needs.

The brand’s personality is pretty simple to understand, but harder to define when it comes to our own things. Personality is the group of attributes that represent the brand. These are carefully selected in a strategic way, so the brand gets more appealing and authentic to the market, appealing to the user or consumer. For example, Netflix became the most used platform for streaming by simply advocating for the “chill” quality of their brand. Knowing that their user wants to relax after a long day of work and simply find a good movie or series to watch without having to search for hours on end or watching the same old tv series that plays on repeat on national television. Enhancing the easiness of their platform made their users addicted. Of course, a lot of other marketing strategies are implied, for example, the low cost and the monthly subscription, but again, this is thinking about the brand.

But there is always more to the story. Let’s keep thinking about IKEA…

You also think about the entrance, the way you enter a store and you know you are in IKEA. Even eating the famous meatballs is also a part of their brand. You remember the experience.

What makes this all make sense is a well-thought, 360º approach to the customer’s experience. And this is also design.

The catalog, the website, the packaging, and the social presence, all feel to fit the same in a very intuitive way, right? 

That’s a GOOD brand. That’s what is adding value to the brand, and making it more powerful and profitable. This is what we call brand equity (value), the dollar amount that is attributed to the brand’s value.

According to Young & Rubicam’s, the way to measure brand strength depends on four dimensions: differentiation (what makes the brand stand out), relevance (how consumers feel it meets their needs), knowledge (how much consumers know about the brand), and esteem (how highly consumers regard and respect the brand).

So consider all of this and try to see if it is present in your own business and brand. Is it or not? If not, stay in touch because we’ll talk further about this in our next newsletter. And feel free to e-mail us if you need an extra hand with all of this.