You’ve probably been beaten over the head by now with the saying “Your Brand is Not the Logo.” Which is the truth and needs to be drilled into anyone who thinks it is. 

There are times during a consultation where the prospective client only wants a logo feeling that’s all their brand needs. However, I operate through a process to help create a logo for the brand. For the logo to do its job, as a piece of the brand, there is work to be done before its created. I know the logo cannot do most of the work to make a brand a success. Which I find is not understood by the person behind the brand most of the time. The whole purpose of the logo is to be the face of the brand that people can recognize visually with it, along with other branding techniques and brand elements. 

What I feel is missing is understanding how to get to a great logo that creates a connection with the client to attract it to the brand. Every person behind a brand wants it to be a success, especially when they know their offering is unique and needed in the market. 

So if the logo is not how the brand is complete and makes people fall in love with it, what does? How do you create a killer brand with great brand identity and branding? It’s by understanding the 4 B’s.

Most people, and I’m guilty of this too in the past, skip the strategy and understanding what a brand is and go straight into design mode. Create a logo they like and start putting it out there. Hoping someone will think it’s so attractive enough to get people to buy from the business it represents. 

• Brand

• Brand strategy 

• Branding

• Brand identity

Think about why and how you buy the products and services you love or need! How do you go about it? Do you feel connected to it?

However, this is not how this game works. I know for myself when I buy into a brand it's because I have a connection to it. Pretty design only gets the brand so far in my pockets. Online I look into the brand that's caught my interest. Once I have a sense of it, like it, and trust it then I buy from it not only once but multiple times. There’s tons of research on how people buy from brands and shows we can no longer think people buy based on looks only and at first sight. 

I recently reflected on the brands I like and why, I wanted to see and understand how they got to the point of where they are with me. Also, for my business, how can I reach my clients as they reached me? I realized they go beyond just the logo of course, but they have an understanding of the 4 B’s and implement them well! 

Any person behind the brand should want to understand the 4 B’s if they want their brand to be successful, impactful, and lasting. 

• Brand - is the perception each person has about it.

• Brand strategy - a plan for the well-organized growth of a brand to meet it’s business goals

• Branding - the method of forming a unique, distinctive brand through various touchpoints

• Brand identity - all the elements of the brand's outward appearance: name, visual appearance (logo, website, print, digital), and messaging. 

Having an understanding of the 4 B’s help you understand what they are and how each is needed to create a whole brand. A successful one that will connect and impact how the brand performs. There’s no brand without branding and no branding without brand identity. There is no clear direction on how the brand should look, feel, and who it should target without a brand strategy. Without a brand strategy, it’s hard to shape brand perception the end-user. You see? 

All 4 B's play a part in how successful a brand is rather you know it or not. Now that you know the 4 B’s, do you think you have them all playing a role in your brand? Are they well developed or need improvement? What are your thoughts on this? 

Are you ready to invest in making your brand work, achieving you’re goals, and connect with your perfect client.

Then it's time to focus on smart strategy and branding.  The foundation for launching or growing your passion driven brand starts with a crystal clear strategy that focuses on your why. See if the Brand Clarity Workshop is the right fit for you!

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