There seems to be some general assumptions by the public about what a logo will provide for your organization or product. There is a sense that a logo will provide an identity for your organization, and this logo-based identity will be the solution to the problems you are encountering with the public's understanding of who you are and what you are about. The problem with this assumption is that a brand is not a logo, a logo is a representation of your identity.
Brand
The combined perception of your organization, product or service. This is not what you say it is, but what they think it is.
Identity
The characteristics and culture of your organization that make you unique
Visual Identity
All the visuals that effectively communicate your Identity. (logo, color, typography, website, advertising, etc)
Brand Identity
The sum of all the experiences that influence your Brand. (voice, design, visual identity, space, words, etc)
Let me start with a story that will help you understand this widespread assumption about the use of a logo. An organization approached us about doing a new logo for them. They were an older company who had been around for many decades. Their constituents were mostly older people, but they had a great desire to reach the younger demographic. This organization didn’t have a lot of money and so they decided the best way to reinvent themselves was by creating a new logo. As we began to create the framework for the logo, we realized that even though they wanted to appeal to the younger demographic, their stakeholders continued to think along the older ways of doing things. In the end, the logo ended up being a small step, but probably did not end up being what was really needed to reach the younger age groups. You can put that new logo on every touchpoint your audience will encounter, but when the experience they have does not match the feel of the logo, your efforts were pointless.
You think you want a logo
If you think about well known logos, you realize that there is something very recognizable about a well-designed logo. In fact, there is a new game by Spin Master Games called “The Logo Board Game.” Logos become the visual representation of products we know and love. It also represents products we have come to experience as poor products or services. The logo itself did not create these conclusions about whether the product or service is loved or hated though. The experience with the organization or product is what helped us conclude these thoughts. As stated in last month’s article, truth number 1 in branding is “Your brand is not what you say it is; it’s what they think it is.” Therefore, every experience you have had with the brand, every time you have heard it mentioned, every story you have heard from others, these things combine to make up the brand. A logo simply represents all of those experiences and emotions into a recognizable image. Not to be misunderstood, a logo is an important part of any organization or product’s messaging. A logo can become a great asset for recognition, story-telling, advertising. (See our other article for more details about the importance of design.) But the crucial thing to understand is that a logo is not the only answer to the problems you encounter as an organization.
What you need to begin with is your identity
There are many steps of discovery and strategy which must precede the creation of a logo and visual identity. Let’s look at just two of the questions that must be asked and answered before an organization should move forward to create visual identity for themselves or a product.
What is Your Unique Culture?
The best place to start is by looking honestly into who you are as a leader in your organization and what the culture of your organization is. There will always be others who offer the same products and services as your organization, and if that competition doesn’t exist yet, it will. The one thing that sets your organization apart from all the others is the culture your organization possesses. We encourage organizations to take the Gallup Strengths Finder Assessment.1 The results of this online assessment gives each individual their top 5 talent themes. This is a great way to begin to understand the gifts everyone in your organization naturally possesses and as a result the type of culture you have. Remember, your brand is in the mind of the people. Therefore, your culture will directly impact your brand whether you take the time to understand it or not. By understanding your culture, you can see patterns where you are truly unique from your competition and make sure that your identity matches those unique qualities.
What Can You Be the Best at in the World?
This second question is vital for having a proper focus. Jim Collins, in his best-selling business book, Good to Great, talks about organizations finding their “Hedgehog Concept.” 2 The idea is that it is much better for you to find the one thing that you can be better at than anyone else in the world, rather than try to do multiple mediocre things. The answer to this question is directly impacted by the answer to the first question: What is your unique culture. By understanding the gifts, strengths, personalities, and expertise you offer to the world, you can discover the one thing that you truly have the capacity to be the best at.
As you can begin to see by looking at these two initial questions, each answer builds on the other. A logo is a visual identity representing who you are and why you exist as an organization. To begin with a logo before discovering the truth about your organization will only send mixed messages to your audience. You may think that the answer to staying competitive is to get a hip new “look” but if your culture really does not represent that image, your efforts are in vain. People are smart, intelligent, and discerning. The best way to get customers who love who you are is to offer them the truth. People honor those willing to be honest about who they are.
In Chicago, Illinois, you can find a 50’s diner called Ed DeBevic’s. They have a reputation of being a restaurant where you won’t only get incredible food, you will also be treated with an honest, short tempered midwest attitude. The servers will yell at you from across the restaurant and you can yell back. It is a completely different experience than the traditional restaurant, but it is completely true to their culture. “If you like what your eatin’, order more. If you don’t, there’s the door.” Those are Ed’s words on their website.3 He embraced who is was and how he served. His honesty has become a phenomenon where people seek out that unique experience. That is a brand, and only when you understand your brand, can you begin to build the visual identity.
Resources
The easiest way to take the StrengthsFinder Assessment is to order one of their many books containing an online code. The book will help you understand the results. They have books for businesses, educators, churches, and children. You can find a list of their books here.
Collins, Jim. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… And Others Don’t. New York: HarperCollins Publishing. 2001.
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