At a seminar I once asked a group of business owners:

“How many of you know what your logo is?” [all of them raised their hands, I've been scared if they didn't...]
“Great, now how many of you know the difference between your logo and your corporate identity?” [only 40% of hands remained in the air]
“Okay, now how many of you understand the difference between your corporate identity and your brand? [only about 10% of hands were left]

In planning for this seminar I had designed it with the majority in mind, those who didn’t know the difference. However,? I was actually shocked to see that only 10% knew; I figured it would be much higher. Although, once I thought about it there are interchangeable terms that could cause part of the confusion (I have attempted to cover most of them in this post).

Here is a coles notes version of that presentation, to help you understand not only the differences between these key elements of who your company is, but also how they work together to form the overall impression of who your company (or personal brand) is…

Logo: It is rare that a company doesn’t have a logo, even if it’s a simple word mark that someone internally has created themselves to serve as their identifier. A logo can be made up of a different parts, which may or may not always be used together; the word mark, a logo symbol, a tagline.

A word mark is a typeset version of your company name. A strong word mark is a name that has been typeset in a font which has been slight altered so that the word mark is unique and can’t be copied by simply typing in the company name and selecting the font that was used to create it.

3 DEGREES WEST is proud to serve these two fantastic clients

A logo symbol (or symbol) is a graphic that accompanies the word mark and in some way, shape or form, aids the user in understanding who the company is, or what they do, or even communicates their brand story. In some cases it may be an illustration of their mascot.

Logos designed by 3 DEGREES WEST

Now here is where things get a little bit complex, and the definitions above get a little blurred depending on opinion (and this is my opinion)…. when a symbol is used and integrated with the word mark, and the symbol is abstract, and neither ever appears without the other, it is still considered this to be a word mark.

Logos designed by 3 DEGREES WEST

A tagline (at least a good one) is a description added to clarify what the company does.

Logos designed by 3 DEGREES WEST

Corporate Identity: These are the elements of your company’s graphic/identity/visual language, and are usually, but not always, devised from the elements that make up your logo. If you have worked with an agency to develop your coporate i.d., one of the most valuable tools you can invest in is a corporate identity manual (also called a brand manual), which will guide you, your team and suppliers, as to how to correctly utilize your corp. i.d. It safegaurds your investment in your brand and prevents it from being dilluted…….but I digress……

Your corporate identity is made up of the elements of symbols, textures, colours, images, photography style and fonts.

The easiest way for me to express brand elements is to show you, and example. Below are some of the main brand elements for a corporate identity we just launched for The Spotted Frog Furniture Company, in Steveston, BC.

Spotted Frog Corporate Identity designed by 3 DEGREES WEST

And all of these elements come together visually in your marketing material (business cards, stationery, website, brochures, forms, eNewsletters, signage, advertisements, vehicles, etc) to express your corporate identity. To add to this a strong corporate identity is one that maintains a consistent use of the elements to achieve quick recognition by a potential client when they come in contact with a marketing piece.

Brand: A lot of people will tell you that your brand IS your corporate identity, however it’s more than that, so much more than that. A Brand is the sum of ALL parts that make up a company. It includes your logo, your corporate identity, and any an all of the follow elements:

• your company name
• your company culture
• what customers have come to expect from an interaction experience with your company
• team uniforms
• company policies
• tone of how your written content is delivered
• corporate identity
• logo
• tagline
• word of mouth advertising (how your current clients & suppliers talk about you when they refer you)
• team talk (how your staff talk about your company when not at work)
• partner relationships
• sponsorships
• the space you work in
• the celebrations you take part in or organize
• the incentive programs you have in place
• your employee benefits packages
  (etc, I think you get the picture)

In a nutshell, your brand is what people come to expect from your company, whether it be from seeing an ad in a magazine, to ordering a product online, to interacting with a team member over the phone or in person, and so on. And with any great brand these elements are always consistent and congruent.