Brand identity or logo: what does your business really need?

Many business owners ask for a logo when what they actually need is a brand identity. Others have a full brand identity developed when a good logo would have been enough for now. Both choices cost money: the first one later, the second one now. In this article we explain the difference, what a style guide contains and how to decide what your business needs today.

What a logo is

A logo is the mark by which people recognise your business. It consists of a wordmark (your name in a fixed typeface), a pictorial mark (a symbol) or a combination of both. A good logo works small and large, in colour and in black and white, on a screen and on a van.

A logo tells people who you are. How your quote looks, which colours your website uses and how a social media post is built are still open questions. If you only have a logo, you make those choices again every time. After a year you end up with five versions of your letterhead and three shades of your company colour.

What a brand identity is

A brand identity is the set of fixed choices that make your business look the same everywhere. The logo is one part of it. It also includes fixed agreements on:

• Colours: a main colour, one or two supporting colours and neutral tones, with the exact codes for screen and print.
• Typography: which typefaces you use for headings and body text in which sizes.
• Imagery: which kind of photos suit you and how you crop them. Also the choice between illustrations and icons.
• Layout: margins, grids and the structure of recurring documents.
• Tone: how you write, which form of address you use (informal or formal) and which words you avoid.

The result is recognisability. A customer who sees your van, visits your website and then opens your quote sees the same business three times. That builds trust.

What goes into a style guide

The brand identity is recorded in a style guide, sometimes called a brand manual. That document ensures that everyone who works for you makes the same choices: your staff, your printer, your web developer and a freelancer creating an ad.

A useful style guide for an SME contains at least:

• the versions of the logo (horizontal, stacked, pictorial mark only) with the minimum size and the clear space around it
• examples of what you must not do with the logo, such as stretching it or placing it on a busy background
• the colour codes in RGB and HEX for screen, CMYK and possibly Pantone for print
• the typefaces with their use and an alternative for programs where they are missing
• examples of applications: business card, letterhead, quote, email signature, social media post
• the files themselves in the right formats: vector files for print, PNG and SVG for digital use

A style guide does not have to be a thick book. For most SMEs a few well developed pages with the files attached are enough.

When a logo is enough

A logo is sufficient when you are just starting out, use few communication channels and are still working out your choices. Think of a self-employed professional who mainly works through word of mouth, with a business card and a simple website.

In that case, do have the logo made professionally with the right files. That way you can later expand into a full brand identity without a break.

When you need a brand identity

A brand identity becomes necessary as soon as several people or parties communicate on behalf of your business. That happens sooner than you think:

• you have staff who draw up quotes or emails themselves
• you work with a printer, a web developer and someone for social media
• you have vehicles, workwear or a shopfront
• you advertise, so your image appears in many places at once
• your positioning shifts, for example from consumers to businesses

In all those cases a brand identity prevents every party from starting from scratch. That saves time on every new assignment.

Protect your name and your logo

Having a logo designed is different from protecting it legally. In the Benelux you register a trademark with the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property. You can register a logo there as a figurative mark and your name as a word mark. According to Intellectueeleigendom.be, a Benelux trademark registration is valid for ten years from the filing date and the protection is renewable indefinitely.

Have it checked beforehand whether a similar trademark already exists in your sector. That is easier than having to change your name afterwards. Also ask your designer to transfer the copyright on the logo to you in writing.

What you can do now

1. Gather everything on which your business is visible today: website, quote, business card, vehicles, social media. Lay it all side by side and see whether it looks like one business.
2. Count how many people and parties communicate on your behalf. If there are more than two, a brand identity with a style guide pays off.
3. Check whether your name and logo are protected and whether you hold the rights and the original files.

We work from Ghent for SMEs across Flanders. You can read more about our approach on our brand identity page. Would you then like your brand identity to carry through into your CRM, quotes and automated emails? Our sister agency hetaibureau.be can help you further.