UPDATED: Is a brand a logo?

Branding can be a bit difficult for clients when they first start. With all of our clients, we ask pretty basic questions regarding their company, and when we ask this famous question it gets a bit quiet, “What is the voice of your brand?”

This is because most companies oftentimes do not think about this. The voice? Does that matter? Yup, it sure does! The same thing goes for logos, brand guidelines, style guides, colors and so much more. All of its matters. A brand strategy Omaha expert wants all companies to understand that a brand is not a logo. 

A brand is who your company is. The voice, the people, its “style” all of this is the brand. A brand needs to be figured out, fine-tuned and consistently worked out through-out the company’s life! 

Here’s why your brand is not your logo and how digital marketing affects your brand in a positive or negative way! 

Why is digital marketing important?

Around the globe, there are over four billion Internet users who are using search engines to find the latest recipes, news updates and so much more. It is estimated that over four billion consumers around the globe will be using social media in 2025. What does this mean? It means that consumers are using social media and the Internet at an increasingly fast rate and companies need to be up to date with the latest trends! 

In other words, your target audience and potential customers are on the Internet finding products and/or services from your competition, so it is time to go out and find where on the Internet they are.

Why does digital marketing even matter? Digital marketing is important because a company can leverage its marketing budget in an extremely targeted way all while measuring the success of those dollars.

 While traditional marketing tactics like print ads, billboards and television commercials are all effective in their own way, their ROI simply cannot always be effectively measured the same as digital marketing tactics.

A digital marketing agency has the resources to justify a myriad of budgets all while building an evolving strategy that not only promotes your business, but focuses on brand awareness.

Speaking of brand awareness…

Your brand is your logo, right?

Far from it. Here is a great way our brand strategy Omaha experts explain this!  Think of it this way; the brand of a company is the personality it would have if it were made up of one person. What would their name be? What’s their style like? What are their values and what do they stand for? Who do they hang out with?

A company should think of their brand as its own person with a personality. What is this personality type? A bit sassy or very button-up and professional. It does not matter if it is one or the other, but what matters is that a company’s brand is figured out first and worked on through digital marketing experts. 

While many companies have direct competition offering similar products and services, it is their brand that sets them apart.

For example, Bath and Body Works versus Lush Cosmetics. Ultimately, they both produce similar products; however, their brand makes them vastly different.

Bath and Body Works could be described as mainstream and functional whereas Lush could be described as indie and environmentally conscientious. Both sell great bath products, yet they are simply different in how they operate.

Brands are defined in many ways, including how they present themselves on social media, the verbiage of their website, and simply how their customers feel about them.

Now, this is a common question our brand strategy Omaha experts get often. What about logos? 

What comes first? Brand or logo?

It is imperative for a company to have their brand defined long before their logo is created. Sure, a logo is a visual representation, but is it modern, sleek or elaborate? The definitions of a brand need to be identified long before logo design goes underway.

Additionally, it is easier to design a logo around a brand, and careless to design a brand around a logo.

How does a digital marketing agency help a brand?

A digital marketing agency can help a company with their logos and branding efforts that are originally set in place, and from there, start a brand awareness campaign that brand strategy Omaha experts help work on. 

When an agency has a full grasp of not just what a company provides, but who they are selling to and why, they can utilize the best platforms and content.

Does your company have a clearly defined brand? Have you found ways to keep your brand consistent across all platforms? For help with branding and digital marketing strategies, give our experts a call today!