What is branding? How do organizations build a lasting brand that helps them stand out among the competition? For many, branding is a cool logo, a unique font, and using the same colors across marketing assets. While these are bits and pieces associated with branding, true branding is much more than that.

Not Just a Logo

Many people confuse logo and brand.

Iconic designer Sagi Haviv once said:

“The logo is not the sentence. The Logo is the period at the end of the sentence.”

Your logo is like a stamp on your brand. Its purpose is to identify you.

Your brand is the actual story of who you are, why you do what you do, and establishes the culture or voice of your business.

Influence Not Assertion

Your branding should help to guide your audience in a certain direction. It should suggest general moods and put the culture of the business on display…

But at the end of the day, your brand isn’t what you say it is—your brand is what your audience decides it is.

More Than Just a Product

There may be slight differences in their recipes, but at the end of the day, Coca-Cola and Pepsi both sell the same product.

So, what is the difference between them?

Brand loyalty has virtually nothing to do with the products themselves, but with the connection, a customer perceives with a brand. They want to support brands they connect with and can show off with pride!

Culture is EVERYTHING

People are notoriously competitive. We all want something to support and fight for. This is why culture is so essential to your brand.

How you present your brand online or in ads. The colors and themes you choose. The way your brand speaks about itself. The social causes your brand publicly acknowledges… All this speaks to your internal culture. People who feel similar will associate with and support your brand.

Consistency is Key

A brand that is inconsistent, is a brand that doesn’t know who they are.

Having a simple set of rules or themes that govern everything the public sees or hears from your brand, will not only show that you know who you are, but it will help to differentiate you from others.

Build Your Tribe

One of the best ways to make your brand grow and last is to build a tribe of loyal customers who will wear your brand on their sleeves (literally or metaphorically).

To grow a community, you first need to know who that community is and build your brand around that.

Be Unique but Relatable

As with most things, too much of something can work against you. It’s about striking a balance!

You want to stand out from others and the best way to do that is to just be who you are and own it. Embrace what makes you different, but don’t go out of your way to act differently just for the sake of being different.

Authenticity cannot be faked.

Let’s Recap

• A logo is not Brand
• Your audience decides your branding, not you
• Be more than just what you sell
• Build on culture, and show it to the world
• Be consistent in everything
• Know your audience and build your tribe
• Be you. Authenticity cannot be faked.

We Are MNGR

At MNGR, we love the process of working with individuals and organizations to find and develop their brands. We build brands from the ground up and help existing brands find their tribe. Through creative design and strategic outreach, we can help you identify your culture, build a tribe around your brand, and communicate your value to your audience so that together we can build a long-lasting and unique brand.

…And yes, we can even help you out with a sweet logo while we’re at it.

Reach out today to partner with us for your next branding or marketing project.