“Look at that logo, it's so simple. I could do that.”
Have you ever thought this looking at some of the more iconic brand images out there? Nike, McDonald’s, Pepsi. They’re pretty simple, right? How hard could it be to create a mark like these? It’s the elegant simplicity of these brands that contributes to the common misconception that creating a strong brand is easy. But a brand goes far beyond just a logo. It is so much more than a symbol to use on business cards or on a sign outside of a company’s building. A logo is just a small part of the larger, more complex branding process. Your brand is more than a mark, a symbol, a caricature – your brand is what separates you from your competitors; it’s what makes your company, well, YOUR company; it’s what rockets some companies into the limelight while leaving others to languish in the shadows.
A logo is the visual representation of your business. It vividly projects the message of the company’s existence in the industry. A brand takes this concept beyond the mark. A brand is a company’s story, its personality, its impression on society. A logo is just one element of this bigger, multi-dimensional picture.
Assume for a moment that you have never heard of McDonald’s. That you are unaware of who they are, what they have to offer and who they serve. Now imagine that you pass by a ‘Golden Arches’ logo on a sign or a billboard, would you be amazed by it?…Certainly… not I presume? Now coming back to reality, it is because famous brands like McDonald's has actively attached their logos to meaningful stories and established a connection with the company, which is why you have a strong awareness about it. That strong perception created in the minds of customers is the brand that has been established.
A brand is not a mark, it LEAVES a mark. Companies make logos, CUSTOMERS make brands. Logos illustrates what a company stands for, what it has to offer and what is its purpose of existence. In contrast, a brand has strategic focus. It depicts a vision of the firm as to what the brand will be and what it promises to its customers in the future.
Here at MESH we take the time to learn about you, your company, and your customers. Sure, you could go online to the get your "personalized logo in less than 24 hours!" for cheap, but do you really want someone you've never met who knows nothing about your company designing your image? You’ve invested countless hours and dollars building your business, your brand identity deserves the same quality of investment in time and talent.
