A brand isn’t just one thing. It’s the whole of several parts working together to produce a reputation.
An iceberg is a good comparing factor for understanding the complexity of a brand and of it’s parts. The tip of the iceberg is your brand name and brand mark. They are the most simple and visual expressions of the brand.
Countries have flags; Companies have logos. Too often a logo is seen as something that exists on it’s own, disconnected, like a piece of ice instead of the tip of the iceberg.
A true trademark is much more than an identification.
Overtime, It becomes synonymous with the company, it’s reputation and it’s culture.
Beneath the tip of the iceberg lies the greater visual identity system – the general look and feel. It determines components such as color, fonts, graphic styles, photography, key messages, voice and tone.
Below the water does the obscured yet the essential premise of it all: The Brand Strategy. This work is about describing the various aspects of the brand, including personality, core purpose, positioning, target audiences, and the central theme – the BIG IDEA.
All of the various aspects of a brand team up to create a firm and coordinated combination. Each segment is as vital as the next, and you can’t have one without the aid and brawn of the others.