{"id":30,"date":"2019-12-19T09:45:24","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T09:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spritzsf.com\/spritzbits\/?p=30"},"modified":"2020-05-19T09:31:41","modified_gmt":"2020-05-19T09:31:41","slug":"ive-got-a-logo-so-why-do-i-need-a-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spritzsf.com\/spritzbits\/ive-got-a-logo-so-why-do-i-need-a-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019ve Got a Logo. So, Why Do I Need a Brand?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Laurie Jo Miller Farr<\/p>\n

Interestingly, it\u2019s a question that we\u2019re frequently asked at Spritz, and not only by small companies. Clients with a great product or service may ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s the difference between a brand and a logo?\u201d<\/p>\n

When you think about if, everything and every one of us is a brand. Whenever you hear someone say, \u201cOh, I love Tuscany,\u201d that\u2019s branding. Are you aware that Roger Federer earns more as a brand ambassador than as the world\u2019s top-ranked tennis player? More branding. Know any fans of The Beatles? Yes, branding again.<\/p>\n

Aside from the fact that Tuscany is lovely, Federer is talented and The Beatles were the defining musical group of the 20th century, a brand (whether good or bad, personal or business) is the essence of one\u2019s own unique story.<\/p>\n

Moptops and Ringo\u2019s Drums<\/h3>\n

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\nAs the curtain rose on the The Beatles in their first U.S. live television appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on Feb. 9, 1964, the four polite young men from Liverpool, England made history.<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s iconic \u201cdropped T\u201d logo featured prominently on Ringo Starr\u2019s drum kit. Along with the Fab Four\u2019s matching floppy haircuts and black Chesterfield suits worn with skinny knitted ties and stacked heel boots with a pointed toe, there was nothing about The Beatles\u2019 look or sound that was accidental.<\/p>\n

Ranging in age from only 20 to 23, these four lads already understood a thing or two about branding before they stepped off the Pan Am Yankee Clipper at New York\u2019s JFK International Airport and Beatlemania kicked in.<\/p>\n

How Much Are Those Sneakers?<\/h3>\n

Commonplace items can also demonstrate the point about branding being fundamental to the consumer\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n

Consider sneakers, for example. They\u2019re a standard item in every closet. Sneakers have a job to do and they\u2019ve been doing it in America since 1892 when the U.S. Rubber Company introduced the first rubber-soled shoes.<\/p>\n

Their purpose was to help sailors grip the deck or for tennis players to run on slippery grass. By the early 1900s, their purpose was also about moving around the basketball court or boxing ring and then the basketball court.<\/p>\n

Sneakers were about purpose, not about fashion. By the dawn of the 21st century, that was fundamentally changing. In 1970, there were only five models of sneakers available, growing to 285 models in 1998 and exploding to 3,371 sport shoe models by 2012. The branding diversification trend hasn\u2019t slowed.
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\nToday, sneakers intended as fashion can be purchased for a few dollars at discount outlets, for $15 at Walmart, like the ones on the left, or for more than $1,600 from a high fashion house like the ones below.<\/p>\n

What makes the huge price difference in a few pieces of rubber and canvas glued together? You guessed it: Branding. This involves the name, the box, the colors, the distribution outlets, the price and more.
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What\u2019s a Brand?<\/h2>\n

Branding involves a wide range of fundamental concepts. Most importantly, your brand is the cornerstone and foundation that your business is built upon. A definition from the \u201cFather of Advertising\u201d \u2014<\/p>\n

A brand<\/b> is \u201cThe intangible sum of a product\u2019s attributes: its name, packaging, and price, its history, its reputation, and the way it\u2019s advertised.\u201d David Ogilvy<\/b>, Author of \u201cOn Advertising\u201d<\/div>\n

Why a Logo Needs a Brand (and a Brand Needs a Logo)<\/h3>\n

Branding is the glue between your business and your customers.<\/p>\n

Once you transition from ideation to creation of a product or service, you must also create your branding and ensure that it\u2019s aligned to your business strategy. This is what provides direction for all communications and design, both internally and on the customer-facing front.<\/p>\n

However, just because something exists, this doesn\u2019t make it a brand. Enhance it with a logo and it still is not a brand. In fact, a product or service is merely a generic entity until it is given meaning in people\u2019s minds. Here\u2019s the difference:<\/p>\n