Logo, Brand Identity, and Brand

WHAT IS A LOGO?

A logo is the graphic symbol that represents a person, company or organization. If the logo is well-known enough, such as the Nike swoosh, you may even see a logo used without the name of the business that it is associated with. Normally, most marks have a typographic part that more clearly spells out the name of the organization.

What is a wordmark or logotype?

A logo can also be purely typographic. It is called a logotype or wordmark when only the letters of the name make up to the logo (there is no additional symbol). A great example is Coca-Cola’s red scripty type. Some people also refer to the logomark as the word portion of a logo that also has a symbol.

WHAT IS A BRAND IDENTITY?

Once a logo has been designed it gets applied to many different applications. These can be as simple as the logo placed in the top center of a piece of paper and calling it letterhead. If all you do is essentially rubber-stamp your logo onto different things, you really have not developed a full brand identity.

WHAT IS A BRAND?

What is included under the term brand is much harder to define. It certainly encompasses the logo and the full visual position created by a strong brand identity. But it also includes many other areas that are not part of the strict design side of a business. These may include your content, messaging and story telling. Customer service and the client experience also a part of a brand. The idea of a reputation is a critical part of defining the word brand. Some people summarize this into the very abstract idea of a promise.