What’s the difference between a logo and a brand?
Show of hands: How many people have heard the words “brand” and “logo” used interchangeably and have been confused?
Well, same. With this week’s blog, I’m going to unpack the differences between a logo and a brand, then I’ll share how to know when you need each. I’ll also make a note of my process for logos and branding so you’ll know what you’re getting when you reach out.
First things first….
What is a logo?
Kali, I know what a logo is.
Humor me, alright?
I want you to think about lunch. You’re usually diligent about packing a lunch to take to work (or not, I’m not judging), but today you forgot it at home. You live in a suburban wasteland where there are no mom and pop restaurants or local establishments, just chains. You’re driving down the strip of road that runs through town, looking at the signs that will be your lunch options. You see:
Golden arches
A redhead with pigtails
A happy colonel
A purple bell
Without seeing any words, you know exactly what each restaurant is (and if you don’t, we’re talking McDonalds, Wendy’s, KFC, and Taco Bell, respectively).
That’s the power of a logo.
Logos communicate a visual message, with or without text, and are often the first aspect of your visual identity that a potential customer comes into contact with. It's also what they’re most likely to remember – until they actually get a hold of your product or service, that is.
Logos are important because they communicate organizational values, are easily understood, memorable, and are the first step toward building a relationship.
How do I know when I need a logo?
If you’re starting a business or organization, you’re probably already thinking about the logo.
Should it be simple? Complex? Artistic? Modern?
Let me stop you right there.
I’ve known many business owners who get bogged down in the details of a logo design when bigger picture items would help guide them. Once you hire a graphic designer, let them handle the design process. That’s not to say you shouldn’t have ideas! But don’t become so tied to your ideas that you let the logo direct the business instead of the business directing the logo.
Logos are, generally speaking, low investment. As your business grows, your logo will likely change over time. Not monthly, not even yearly, but eventually.
Paying for a logo by itself is a great option if you’re wanting something low risk: Maybe you’re not sure about the business or you’re not ready to commit to a full brand. That’s totally understandable, relatable, and – despite what a lot of brand designers will tell you – acceptable.
No one can ask you to make a huge investment in something you’re unsure of. But I’m here to help create the perfect logo to get your business off the ground.
What is Humble Onion’s logo process?
The first thing that happens when you fill out our contact form is that you’ll receive an email from me asking for a good time for us to hop on a Discovery Call. You’ll get to pick the date and time, just show up for the Zoom meeting!
We’ll talk through your business – what inspired you to create it; your mission, vision, and values; your strengths and weaknesses; your competition; and your market. Don’t know the answers? That’s what I’m here for.
Next, I’ll spend time researching your market, competition, and ideal customers. This helps direct the visual elements of the logo including wordmark versus logo, colors, typography, and other details.
Now I’m on to idea sketching. I essentially brain dump everything I can, then step back and look at similarities and see what I can tie together. I’m also researching fonts and typefaces to see what will fit your budget but also make you stand out.
After the sketches, I finalize 2-3 ideas. I simplify and vectorize the designs, and colorize them.
Once the designs are finalized, I’ll create a presentation that includes my research, the logo designs, and examples of each logo in use. You’ll have the opportunity to review the presentation and send me any revisions or thoughts you have.
The entire process can take anywhere from two to four weeks depending on budget and timeline.
Pricing
The part you’ve probably been waiting for is the price. There are a couple of things to point out, though, before we get there:
Every project is different and requires a different amount of time and resources.
I have been a logo designer for 10 years, and the quality shows.
You get what you pay for (harsh, but true).
That said, the $50 logo days are long behind me. Today, my logo prices start at $500 but, on average, sit around the $900 mark.
Logos are an investment, yes. They are less expensive than a fully researched brand, which is great for a business starting out.
However, I know from experience and years of research that my process yields better results than a logo generator, a two-day turnaround design, or anything you can get on Fiverr or Upwork.
With Humble Onion, you’re paying a quality price and getting quality results.
What is a brand?
Remember that grade school math lesson where we learned that all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares? It’s a similar idea with branding and logos.
Logos are one tiny portion of a brand – visual identity. But branding is more than just visual identity, it’s also about your customers, how they feel about you, and your business’ personality.
As a graphic designer with a background in journalism, I like to compare branding to a journalistic story structure where we know what questions we need to ask: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How?
Who are you trying to reach?
What product or service are you offering?
Where are you offering it?
Why are you offering it?
How are you different?
A brand is much more fleshed out than a logo, requires more research, more execution, and more deliverables. It expands over everything your business does, from initial communication to your website and marketing materials.
How do I know when I need a branding strategy?
If everything is feeling disorganized, nothing looks or feels cohesive, you’re not reaching your audience, or customers are frequently confused or frustrated, it’s likely time for a brand strategy.
Branding is a much more significant investment than logo design – in fact, logo design is one part of branding. But with greater investments come greater returns (didn’t Yoda say that?).
If you’re making a profit, but not a substantial one, it’s time for a brand strategy.
If your communication is inconsistent, it’s time for a brand strategy.
If you’re attracting random people and not the people you actually want to work with, it’s time for a brand strategy.
I would argue that everyone should start out with a full brand strategy instead of just the logo, but that’s not always financially feasible. If that’s the case for you, I encourage you to reach out anyway so that you can get an idea of what the investment would be and how to start saving.
What is Humble Onion’s branding process?
Similar to the logo design process, I’ll ask about your competition, audience, market, strengths and weaknesses, goals, and challenges.
The branding process, however, is a little more thorough.
The research will take longer, and there’s more writing to be done as we establish audience, positioning, mission, vision, values, tone, and story. You’ll get anywhere from a brief 1- to 2-page write-up to a full brand standard guide, depending on your investment.
I’ll flesh out your visual identity including the logo, stationery, and touchpoints like your website, brochures, flyers – anything your business needs immediately.
The process takes anywhere 4-12 weeks to complete, but afterwards you will notice a complete difference in your marketing direction.
My branding packages start at $2,700. Release your pearls!
I know this is a substantial investment, but it’s also a substantial amount of value for your business. More direct and cohesive communication, building customer loyalty and brand loyalty, and establishing a strategy and direction will allow you to earn back your investment quickly.
Don’t believe me?
Branded email marketing yields 3,600% return on investment (ROI)
60% of consumers expect consistent, concise, and clear communication from brands
72% of businesses experienced increased engagement after appropriate content marketing
Organizations who blog are 13 times more likely to have a positive ROI
All of this is tackled in the branding process. For what you’d pay one month of a marketer’s salary, you’re getting an entire brand that will reignite your business and your consumers’ perception of your business.
If you believe this is a worthwhile investment (I hope you do, because it is), reach out to me today to see how I can help you meet your goals, build your audience, and help your business thrive.
