A lot of people think that the words ‘logo design’ equate to the same thing as ‘branding’.

In fact though, these are two different things entirely and it’s very important to ensure you understand the difference if you’re going to make the best impression online.

Read on and we’ll address what you need to know and why this difference is so important!

Branding vs Logo Design – But… Isn’t My Logo My Brand?

While logos and brands are not the same, they certainly are related. The best way to describe this relationship is by saying that a logo design is one part of your brand, which also includes a number of other things.

As well as a logo, a brand incorporates many other things such as:

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It may be that only some of these things apply to your business but either way, your brand is the ‘sum of the parts’ that make up the whole.

This is everything that consumers will associate with your business and it can be thought of as the ‘essence’ that sets you apart from the competition.

This is what makes your business unique and any one aspect of your brand should be recognizable as ‘yours’.

For example, Apple’s logo is the apple with a bite taken out of it – but you can also identify the company by certain aspects of the product design, by the shade of white they employ liberally and by the iconic headphones.

Likewise, SEGA’s branding extends to the logo, the famous SEGA ‘chant’, Sonic the Hedgehog and a ‘hip’ attitude in its marketing.

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You create your brand through consistent use of certain imagery and through your marketing.

Most important of all though, you create a brand through your interactions with clients and through your products.

Even if you are a sold trader with no logo or website, you have a ‘brand’ in as much as people will come to expect a certain level of service when they work with you.

Your job is to make sure that people trust your brand – whatever that may be – and that they remember it when they next want whatever it is that you’re selling!

What is Logos ?

A logo meanwhile is a single image that should be representative of all those things and that you can place anywhere to remind people about your brand.

This is actually one of the most important aspects of your brand as it can be used to tie everything together and create associations. When you sell a product, your logo can go on the packaging and the product itself.

When you provide a service, why not use headed-letter paper with your logo on it? Your website can use your logo too, while your logo might bookend adverts along with a jingle.

The logo is what’s consistent throughout all these things and what binds them together helping you to create your brand.

But at the same time, it’s also very important that your brand informs the logo design.

What does that mean?

It means that you need to design your logo in a way that expresses what your business is all about. If your brand is playful, then your logo should be playful too – perhaps you can demonstrate this by using bright colors and rounded shapes.

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Likewise, if your business is all about saving the planet, then you might choose to use green colors to indicate your goal.

This is why the ‘mission statement’ is often such a good place to start. Once you know what your goal is and how you intend to get there, then you can go about creating a logo that will encapsulate that in a meaningful way.

Of course your logo also has certain practical requirements too. It needs to be versatile for example so that it can fit onto lots of different types of product and material and it should be eye catching and memorable too so that it works as a piece of marketing.

It’s also crucial to remember that your logo can influence further decisions down the line. For instance, the colors you pick for your logo will probably find their way into your web design and your flyers!

Getting Started with Branding And Logo Design

For all these reasons, it’s very important to know the Difference between branding vs logo design  synergistically. These are two parts of a whole but you also need to think about your business plan and web design too.

When discussing a logo, it should always be in the context of your broader company goals, products and services. Think about what you want your logo to say and how it can help you to steer the direction of your brand for the better!

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Author: Anusha

Anusha Sankar, the head of LogoWhistle, is a passionate web designer at heart. A computer science graduate, she has associated herself with sketching and designing quite early in her life. As a self-learner, she began experimenting with logo designs from her home and made her way into the industry with sheer passion and talent. As a professional logo and web designer she has worked in hundreds of projects and have received accolades for her unique style and creativity. Through LogoWhistle, Anusha and her team are working on identifying, emphasizing and transforming logo design as a professional service in the industry. When she is not seen experimenting with colors and patterns, this working mom can be seen running her household and experimenting cuisines in her kitchen.
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