We recently talked about what brand identity means. Many times though, people confuse brand identity and logo design and think that they are the same thing.

A logo is a very simplified visual element that identifies the business. A designer creates a logo, which then identifies the business or product to consumers. Some of the most iconic images for companies have been simplified to a basic icon.

That logo is then used to form the brand’s identity, which includes items such as business cards, letterhead, marketing collateral, packaging, apparel, signage, etc.  All of these items make up the company’s identity and help support the brand as a whole.

As we mentioned in our last post about brand identity, your company’s brand is the way the public perceives your company. A designer creates the foundation of the brand­– the logo­– and then it is up to the company as a whole to create a good image and brand identity for itself through its actions and involvement.

A lot of times when people hear the word “brand” they think of a company’s logo. Truthfully, though, a brand is so much more than that. A brand is what others are saying about you. Brand identity encompasses not only your logo, company colors and style; it also includes how valuable others portray you as being and what your message means to them.

A great example of brand identity is Target and Walmart. Both stores sell similar products but their brands are completely different. Target focuses on the style of their products and teams up with a lot of different designers to ensure that they have the most stylish and unique products. Their displays, advertisements and stores all showcase their stylish brand. Walmart’s brand, on the other hand, focuses on being a low-cost provider.

If you went to both stores you would have completely different experiences. Walmart cuts costs to provide the lowest prices so their customers are coming there specifically based on price. Target’s customers choose them based on their style and are willing to pay more for it.

A good exercise to measure your company’s brand identity is making a list of how you think your company is viewed. Then compare your list with your customers’ feedback and opinions.

When you hear the word brand you normally think of a logo plus the typefaces and colors. But for many brands, the choice of artwork like photography is just as important.

Your marketing elements may include catalogs, print ads, packaging, web design, online marketing, social media and more. One common part of all of these pieces is the photography. Your target market should be considered when creating photography for your brand, and not all photography styles will work for every audience.

For Blue Collar Brands that focus on marketing to the American worker, photography needs to include real people, look believable and reflect the customer’s lifestyle.

To see more examples click here.

For Consumer Goods brands, the focus should be not only on the feature and benefits of the products but also customers interacting with them. For a Skeeter Boats catalog we did, it was important to show all the close-ups of the boat that their customer is looking for while still showing the lifestyle shots of people enjoying their boats.

Professional Services like Bass, Berry & Sims try and focus on establishing a personal connection with their audience to make them more trustworthy and friendly. We decided to integrate photography with their brand by showcasing lots of pictures of their attorneys in all of their branding materials.

Just as you do with your other branding elements make sure your photographic style remains consistent and is the right fit for your demographic.

This country was founded on tons of hardworking individuals who built the transcontinental railway, worked in industrial mills and did thousands of jobs that involved sweat and determination. These folks are often classified as blue-collar workers.

Reaching this important audience requires an honest, straightforward approach and a deep understanding of the blue-collar way of life. We help brands connect to this American worker on our blog Blue Collar Branding. Come join the conversation and learn helpful strategies, observations and trends.

We have been talking a lot recently about branding and the trend of brand minimalism. Branding is so important for your business because it quickly expresses to your customers what your company is all about. We have been hard at work lately and I wanted to show you some of the branding elements that we have been working on. You can also find more branding work that we have done here.