Your Logo Is Not Your Brand—Here’s Why

When starting a new business, many entrepreneurs make the mistake of getting by with just a logo instead of making the investment in a more robust brand suite. While it’s possible to start a business this way, as total branding geeks and major believers in the power of a memorable brand, we highly recommend against it. Here’s why.  

It’s a common misconception that a logo is the same thing as a brand, and while a logo is definitely important for many reasons, it’s only just a small piece of what defines a brand.

So if a logo design on its own isn’t considered a “brand”, then what is?

The components that make up a complete brand include but are not limited to:

  • Brand Positioning

    • Where you want to live in a consumer’s mind 

  • Brand Story

    • From the very beginning to present day—how and why was your brand created and what do you want people to know about it? Why does it matter to you? What goals did you have in mind when you started? What problem are you solving for people? What value are you adding to people’s lives? What matters to these people—your people? These questions answered can be endless and full of promise. A brand story is full of depth, meaning and is key to defining your brand’s core purpose. 

  • Brand Identity/Aesthetics

    • This is the aesthetic world of your brand, which is based on creating and curating a distinct point of view. From the instant your audience sees something visual that’s associated with your brand, they make an assumption about who the brand is, what they stand for, and what kind of people they want in their tribe. It lives in the areas described below, but also in content, curation, product and packaging design, and even sales staff (think Apple) and merchandising. 

      • Logo

        • The main, distinctive design that represents your brand in the world

      • Secondary Logo/Mark

        • Usually a smaller, less prominent but still memorable design piece of your brand. Often, the mark becomes more iconic than the brand name design itself, such as Nike’s swoosh or Target’s bullseye. 

      • Color Palette

        • The colors that represent your brand that you strictly adhere to

      • Typography

        • The particular fonts you plan to use consistently throughout all pieces of your brand—in your logo, website, print materials and more.

  • Brand Mission & Vision

    • The why behind what you're doing and the ultimate good you want to achieve through your business. Clear knowledge of these two powerful things and the ability to translate them into something tactile is perhaps the key tenet of a powerful brand.

  • Brand Voice

    • The kind of voice your brand uses to connect and communicate with your audience

  • Brand Personality

    • The qualities and characteristics that make up who your brand is

While it’s fair to say that a lot can be interpreted about a business by a well-designed logo, there clearly is so much more to a brand—really, the backbone, the beating heart—that your audience is missing out on when your logo is the only leg you have for your company to stand on. 

Hear us when we say it—starting on the right foot with a full branding package will never be a bad investment and will make a world of difference in the overall effectiveness of your business. Not only does it offer more to your audience in terms of clear and memorable communication to really understand and connect with your brand, it also helps you gain a better grasp on your brand, the how and why behind achieving your goals, and what your strategy should look like moving forward.


Questions? Comments? Drop us a line below or email us a bridget@meghanmarshking.com and let’s dive in.

Meghan King