Logo vs. Brand: Do you know the difference?

At Brandfolder, we’re all about building and supporting strong brands. To better understand a brand’s potential, it’s important to understand the fundamental differences between the logo and brand identity. It may seem simplistic, but many designers, agencies, and marketing firms claim to support and service branding, but actually offer logo design and brand identity support.

What is a Brand?

A brand is the emotional and experiential qualities that fuel perception and ideas that others share and experience about a company. It is a consistent tone or visual voice that represents its competitive advantages and the company’s position within the market.

What is a Logo?

A logo is a visual mark showcasing the character and essence of the brand. A memorable logo is an essential component of a powerful brand and serves as a visual shortcut to the company within a competitive market.

Which matters more?

The brand is the foundation of a company and the logo is the visual shortcut to the trademark of the brand. A logo identity system and a strong branding system are both crucial when marketing and promoting a consistent image and voice, but a brand speaks for itself. The opinions people have about a business and its product largely affects the business’ success at the end of the day. We’ve seen evidence of this throughout social media. Brands are often boycotted for their political stance, brand image, and reputation.

“Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room.”
- Jeff Bezos CEO/Founder Amazon

The strength of a strong logo identity comes from its union with clear-sighted definition, uniqueness, and articulation of the larger brand voice. The logo identity can be compared to the tip of the iceberg. The iceberg itself comprises the majority of the mass, while the visual portions above the waterline represent the logo within a marketing community.