So often I meet a potential client and our initial chat about their brand leads to this question; “We just have spent a lot on creating our logo and our brand usage manual and also designed our marketing collaterals. Why do we need to do more branding?
A lot of business owners and founders think that if they have a good logo, then their business brand is set. A logo is only the identity for your company, it doesn't define what you stand for or what customers should think about when they see it. What does this mean? It means that to have a strong brand, you need more than just a well-designed logo!
Behind that good looking logo design there needs a compelling brand story that effectively communicates what you stand for, what you care about and believe in, why you created this business and how it’s different from everyone else.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t come with your branding design package.
The most famous brand logos we recognize today have taken years and even decades to build what they stand for, and given meaning to their logos. It's not something that just happens overnight. It takes a sound brand strategy and good execution to build your brand and to create the right perception of your brand in your customer’s minds.
The Nike swoosh is one logo in particular with an incredible story behind it, that has given great meaning to their logo. What started as a simple design, now stands for something powerful in their customer’s mind.
For years, Nike has consistently shown through its storytelling what it believes in and cares about. The brand stands for perseverance, determination and pushing yourself to unleash your greatness. Teaming up with the worlds top athletes and the iconic tagline "Just do it' exemplifies what the brand stands for.
We generally never see products in most of Nike's brand executions, they have transcended this. Products change but what you stand for never does.
Nike has given meaning to their iconic Swoosh logo that goes beyond a simple design on paper or digital screen. Their customers see themselves in that logo because of how deep the story runs and reflects their aspirations and what they want to become.
The Body Shop logo, another iconic logo stands for what Anita Roddick the late founder of The Bodyshop stood for; creating a sustainable and ethical business practice and be a true force for good. Building an honourable enterprise took tremendous hard work and tenacity.
It's no surprise then that The Body Shop has such a passionate and loyal following. The brand has a powerful story behind the logo that was ignited by the founder's passion and what she believed in.
GoPro is another iconic brand founded by Nick Woodman. Nick, an avid surfer created an underwater camera to record himself and his surfer friends catching some waves. Very early on, Nick decided that that was going to be the brand story. A story of finding your passion and living it. The camera is there to capture every moment of this fulfilling experience.
It was never really about the technology and what's inside the camera, but about what GoPro empowers you to become: being YOU to the fullest, being true to who you are, fulfilling your passion and unleash the hero in you.
The brand's tagline "Be a Hero" exemplifies this core brand philosophy. It pushes you to live out your passion. To enjoy what you love doing and share this with the world. Today, we can see thousands of these 'hero' stories of people finding their passion, everyday heroic moments all captured on their GoPros. This is how you give meaning to your logo and build a community around your brand and what you stand for.
Competitors can copy your product but they can't take away what you stand for! What you build around your brand is uniquely yours. Your story and what you stand for and believe in, is your greatest marketing asset. No one can take that away from you. No other brand can tell Apple's, The Body Shop’s, Hubspot's, Hai Di Lao's, Yakun's or Old Chang Kee's story. Their story is uniquely theirs and their greatest marketing asset.
Although having a strong identity and an easily recognizable logo is a nice to have, it's only a fraction of your overall brand perception. There is so much more that goes into creating an iconic and strong brand. One that customers emotionally connect with, what differentiates you from your competitors, creates value for your businesses and delivers long-term success.
For more insights on how you can build a strong brand for your business go HERE
About the author
Ashok Miranda is a Business Transformation Architect and founder of Transform and Transcend, based in Singapore. He is the author of the book Culling Cuturitis: How To Rid Your Company Of This Toxic Disease and Build a Winning Company Culture.
Ashok is a much sought-after consultant, professional speaker and trainer and has helped businesses (startups, SME's and MNC's) reach their full potential and rise to greatness.
He has helped transform the mindset of thousands of businesses professionals across the region.
Ashok is driven by his passion and purpose to architect a better business world. He is on a mission to help companies be massively successful in these turbulent times by building winning company cultures that foster happy and engaged employees. Building strong and emotionally resonant customer-centric brands and designing transformative customer experiences that create ultra-loyal customers and true brand fans.