Talking about branding can get really confusing, as there are many terms that sound similar, but mean slightly different things. So let’s talk about the terms brand, branding and brand identity to clear up the confusion.
Brand
A brand is the outside perception of you, your business and your products. It’s basically what everyone thinks about you. By using branding to your advantage, you can shape what people feel and think about you. It’s important to know, that you always communicate – even if you don’t intend to. Every email, quote or invoice you send, the way you talk to potential clients – all of this shapes their perception of you. You can never fully influence your brand’s perception, but by using strategic branding you can take as much charge as possible.
Example: You need a plumber to fix your sink and therefore look up two companies and contact them. One only has an email address on their website, but no phone number. Sadly, your issue is urgent and you keep looking for another one. The second one you find has a phone number, which you call right away. While you wait in line, some soft music is playing. Your call is being answered by a nice lady who sends you an available employee, who’s with you within two hours of your call. Who left a better lasting impression?
Personal Branding
A brand can even be a person! It’s personal branding, if the business focuses on highlighting the person behind the business. It’s all about their personality, the way they talk, how they act, how they dress and the opinions they share. Because people love to know who they’ll work with, personal branding works great for businesses who work closely with their clients, such as hairdressers, massage therapists or any service based business.
Example: You run a small family owned garden center with your wife and kids. Your daughter does all of the marketing and shoots a lot of video of herself talking about your services, your plants and gives handy tips. She also comes by regularly to interview you for your knowledge. Therefore people see your face regularly. Now a single woman living remotely is in need of a gardener, because a tree on her property fell over. She could call any company she found online, but it seems much safer calling you out to her house, because she feels like she already knows you and has seen you interact with your daughter on video.
Branding
Branding is the process of actively shaping your businesses outside perception. With all your choices, you try to push your brand perception in the right direction. It’s everything you do and put out in the world. Consistent brand strategy helps people recognize you and connect with your business. Within your branding process, you decide on your logo, colours and visual identity, your brand voice, customer experience, processes and employee structure and communication. Branding essentially helps you make a lasting first impression that builds trust and recognition.
Example: You own a specialty coffee shop that roasts its own beans and you want to establish yourself as the local experts. That’s why you choose warm wooden interiors, earthy green tones, and cozy lighting in your shop to create a welcoming atmosphere. Within your training guidelines, baristas are taught to greet every customer and share a little story about where your beans are from. You serve each guests a handcrafted ceramic mug with your subtly embossed logo. All coffee bags for sale show hand-drawn illustrations on its packaging. Customers get cheaper coffee in their local supermarket, but it wouldn’t be the same experience. But they choose you because they trust your brand, love your aesthetic and feel a connection to your values.
"Your visual identity has to be top notch! It's the first impression that makes someone decide, if they like your website, brand or products, before even reading a single word."
Visual Identity
Visual identity is part of the branding process, but focuses solely on visual aspects of your strategy, such as your logo. But a logo by itself doesn’t create a well-rounded visual identity. Therefore you need additional brand assets such as colours, typography, layout, choice of imagery, social media presence, flyers, posters and overall design aesthetic. Your visual identity directly communicates with your ideal clients in terms of transporting a desired feeling and your values. And because people can process images much faster than text (it only takes 0,05 seconds to form an opinion), your visual identity has to be top notch! It’s the first impression that makes someone decide, if they like your website, brand or products, before even reading a single word. As you see, a well thought out visual identity isn’t “nice to have”, but an absolute must!
Example: You walk down your local shopping street and do some window shopping. You pass several shoe shops. The first one showcases three pairs of boots using local sourced leather in earthy tones, the exhibit is decorated with a million living plants and some photos surrounding them show an active couple on a hiking trail. The second shop displays 25 pairs of shoes such as high heels, flats, boots and kids shoes. All their shoes are a mix of colours with a shiny finish. Decorations surrounding them are colourful boxes and balloons. They also display some photos of families at an amusement park. Depending on your needs, you’ll decide on one shop over the other.
Brand Strategy
Brand strategy is part of the branding process and should be the first ever step you take. It’s most important to define your long-term plan for your business and lay the foundation for success. You need to know who you are before you can think about where you want to be. Brand strategy focuses on many areas, such as defining your mission, values, positioning, services, your target audience, your prices, your brand voice and messaging – basically everything! If you do the work in the beginning, you won’t have to think twice later on – because every question will be answered by looking back at your brand strategy. You’ll have the right answer, because brand strategy helps you to align your business with your goals.
Example: Imagine you want to start creating your visual assets without having laid the groundwork and strategy for your business. How do you know which colours to choose? Premium customers expect something different than if you market towards parents of small kids. Do they appreciate if you speak casually or should you use tons of sophisticated words? Without proper strategy, reaching your goals will take a lot of trial and error, which means wasting time and money in the process. It’s better to focus on strategy in the beginning and work out your roadmap towards success.
Brand Experience
Brand experience is the feeling your clients, target audience or future employees get when interacting with you. May it be via looking at your website, collaborating on a project or talking to your customer service team. Even packaging, social media and your newsletter are part of this experience. The better people feel when interacting with you, the more successful you’ll be!
Example: My husband is a huge Lego nerd and often orders new sets. Sadly, sometimes they get damaged in transit or he broke a piece and needs a new one. Anytime he contacts them, they are always incredibly nice and forthcoming and help him to sort out his problems. He’s so happy about their service, he keeps mentioning it at the dinner table after reaching out.
As you can see, every little detail, from your website to your packaging and social media presence, plays a role in building trust, recognition, and emotional connection with your target audience. I know all of these terms can be confusing, but don’t worry. As long as you base your decisions on your strategy and focus on an amazing, memorable experience, you’re on the right track for your business!
Need help bringing your brand to life?
Whether all these terms feel overwhelming or you just want an expert by your side, I’m here to help. Let’s craft a brand that not only looks amazing but also connects with the right people.
Written by Nina Schindlinger
Hi, I am Nina - the founder and creative director of MilkyRosa Design Agency. I specialise in branding and product design for companies that are young-at-heart. My design style is bold, but professional, to make your company tangible for your customers and create an experience they will remember.
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