THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRANDING + BRAND IDENTITY AND WHY YOU NEED BOTH IN YOUR SERVICE BASED BUSINESS
I have found that most people think that branding and brand identity are one and the same, when really that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
In order to properly grow your business you need to have one prior to the other, but before you can use them both you need to understand what each is and how to use them in your business.
What is branding?
When you first hear the term branding like most people I am sure that you automatically think of the visual aspect of a brand such as their colors and logo, but that actually isn’t what branding is at all.
BRANDING IS THE FOUNDATION, THE DEEPER ROOT OF YOUR BUSINESS AND WHAT IT STANDS FOR.
The brand development process requires, research, discovery, strategy, and intentional design.
The elements of branding include:
brand voice + personality
brand values
brand mission
strategic messaging + positioning
target audience
unique value proposition - what sets you apart?
All of that creates connection with your audience and tells a story about your brand.
It is crucial to take the time to dig deep and discover these parts of your business BEFORE you develop the visual aspects of you brand. Developing your brands foundation is setting the tone for your whole entire business and letting your clients know what they can expect from you and the type of experience they will receive.
Branding allows you to establish credibility, stand out from the competition, and build an emotional connection with your audience.
The elements of brand identity
When you are creating your brand identity it is important to take the information that you uncovered when building your brand foundation into consideration, what solutions are you providing and what does your business stands for. It’s important to remember that our business is not about us it is about our ideal client, where they want to go, and how we are going to help them get there.
The elements of a brand identity include:
logo
branded elements + patterns
color palette
mood board
Your brand identity should be something that can grow with your business and the services that you offer.
YOUR BRAND IDENTITY SHOULD BE WELL THOUGHT OUT AND BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH YOUR BRANDS FOUNDATIONS.
The difference between branding and brand identity
Although your business needs both branding + brand identity one simply cannot exist without the other. Start by building your brand foundations as this is going to allow you to easily create a visual brand that will speak to your dream clients.
Branding is the way that you want to make people feel and the experience you are going to give them. Your brand identity is you visuals and how you can easily build brand recognition.