People start a business and oftentimes assume the first thing they need is a logo. We’ve had people approach us for a logo before even having a name for their business!
Sounds crazy right!?
We’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news but a logo is nowhere near the first thing you need to tackle. Your logo is actually only one small piece of the puzzle we call your brand identity – which is informed by something called a brand strategy.
Creating a logo without having a brand strategy is like buying team jerseys before deciding what sport you’re going to play.
Make sense yet?
Let’s start by defining these 3 terms…
- Brand: How people and/or you perceive your business
- Brand Strategy: A plan that helps you determine what, when, where, how and who you are communicating your brand message to
- Brand Identity: The visual representation and elements of your brand informed by your brand strategy
Now that we know what the difference is, let’s dig into an overview of what you SHOULD be focusing on in the early stages of establishing your brand.
Step #1: Business Model
One of the first things you want to do is think of your business model. If you have a business plan, you should already have done this. If you don’t, have a go at answering the following questions:
- Who are my key partners?
- What are my key business activities?
- What are my key resources?
- What is my value proposition?
- What are my channels?
- What are my customer segments?
- What is my cost and revenue structure?
Step #2: Brand Strategy
The next thing you want to do is spend some time thinking about your brand strategy – your who, what, where, when and how. Spend some time asking yourself the following questions:
- What is my brand voice?
- What is my brand personality?
- What is my mission?
- What are my values?
- What is my vision?
- How am I positioning myself in the market?
Step #3: Brand Identity
And now the fun stuff! Now that you have answered the above questions you are ready to start crafting your brand identity. This is the step we specialize in, a brand identity typically includes the following items:
- Logo
- Colour Palette
- Font Pairings
- Supporting Graphics
- Photography Style
- Style Guide
These are the things that work together to create your brand identity. Any solid identity will be accompanied by a brand style guide. A brand style guide is a set of rules meant to provide guidance on how a company/organization publicly presents itself through the use of its logo, colours, fonts, photography, and other visual elements.
Long story short…
Your brand identity and branding is bigger than just a logo.
Don’t be the team that shows up to the basketball game in hockey gear.
