From very early on in my graphic design career, one of my sweet spots has been identity design, commonly referred to as logo design — often mistaken for brand design. So, what’s the difference? Hire a designer if you want a new logo. Hire a highly skilled multi-disciplined team if you are building a brand.
Your brand isn’t your logo.
Your logo is exactly that – a logo. It gets attached to your company’s name or other visually consumable collateral material. Your identity is an astute, multi-channeled summation of what your company stands for, telling an in-depth story with many intricate details and triangulations. Your identity and logo work together to form the foothold of your brand. This foothold grows to represent your promise to consumers, creating an expectation. But, this by no means is all there is to your brand.
Your brand isn’t what you think it is.
Your brand occupies the space where your promise of technology, simplicity, sustainability (or whatever you’re selling) and consumer expectation meet. Your brand is what your customers think it is. The ability to consistently deliver your promise to meet your consumers’ expectations is what will ensure the positive equity of your brand.
Brand Science: Our approach to building your brand
The first step in any branding project is to explore the territory beneath the surface. We don’t even start at ground level. We go deeper, to the very core. We call it “Brand Science.”
Hiring someone to “overhaul” or “create” your logo won’t fix a poorly managed company, or hide a weak product. It won’t cure poor customer reviews, or even step up your market positioning. It may make you look better, though — if that’s all you want. Keep in mind there are many really great looking identities out there that suffer monumentally from poor discipline and a lack of properly managing the brand behind the mark. Conversely, there are some really unappealing or unattractive identities out there that are somehow able to rise to the top.
How can this be? Newsflash – it’s not all about the design, which is precisely why a “design shop” can’t deliver what OffWhite can. We aren’t interested in the surface quality or short term benefits (ours or yours). We’re looking for clients with character, with good bones, with a promise that will deliver and a drive that will take them to the top. We thrive on this kind of motivation.
Our process isn’t so much about “what” you do, but “why” you do it. What’s your passion? What drives your company? Revealing the story that lies at the core of who you are takes trust. Discovering how to position that story takes talent. Growing your market share takes discipline. When you ask our clients why they like working with us, they’ll tell you they trust us; they’ll tell you we’re talented; and they’ll tell you we hold them accountable. They’ll tell you we’re a part of them.
We are the “what’s missing” in the “What are we missing here?” question you may be asking about your company’s image. Contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss Brand Science with you. Once we understand the problem, we’ll work with you to deliver a solution.
