Branding, Identity and Logos for the average person

What is a brand?

A BRAND is perceived emotional corporate image as a whole.

You could describe a brand as an organisation, product or service with a personality that is shaped by the perceptions of the audience.

Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com defined it best:

"A brand is literally what people say about your business when you are not in the room."

Basically everything they *think* and *feel*, which is why branding is so important.

What is identity?

These are the visual aspects that form the overall brand.

The IDENTITY or image of a company is made up of many visual devices like:

* A logo (The symbol of the entire identity or brand)

* Stationary(Letterhead + Business Cards + Envelopes etc)

* Marketing collateral (Websites, Flyers, Brochures, Books)

* Products and packaging

* Other communication(Audio, Touch, Taste, Smell etc)

* Anything visual that represents the business.

All of the above represent a brand's identity and should support the brand as a whole.

What is a logo?

A LOGO identifies a business in its simplest form through the use of a mark or an icon.

A LOGO should not literally describe what the business does, but rather, identify the business in a way that is recognizable and memorable. Yes am talking to you people with logos of a butchery having pigs, cows and fish plus grass on it, with the Zambian flag in the corner.

An example of a great logo is the apple logo, no apple.Inc does not sale half eaten apples.

What makes a good brand?

A good brand has clear focus, knows their target audience, has a defined mission, knows their competition, can identify their key values, tell their story and have a brand identity reflective of these goals, and does all this consistently.