Logo vs. Brand – What Is The Difference?

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A logo is a recognisable and distinctive symbol or small design used to identify and distinguish a company. It is usually the first visual thing customers see of your company. Logos help customers understand what your company does, who you are and what your purpose is. Logos are affixed to all advertising, products, communications and vehicles of your company and helps with recognition, differentiation and recall. Logos are a tangible way to express the personality and characteristic of your company as they embody the essence of your company, its story and history.

A brand is the perception, knowledge and impression a person has of a company, their products, service and overall experience. A brand is said to be the ‘big picture’ impression your company leaves on its customers. This impression is unique to each person and can be made through advertising, customer service and communications.

Vaibhav Gera put the difference between logos and brands in an interesting way, “Brand is like a human being and logo is like the uniform it wears!”

Here are a few more differences:

– A logo can be designed in less than 24 hours, whereas a brand takes months or even years to develop.

– Logos can be easily generated online, whereas developing a brand needs human input.

– There are hundreds of pre-made logos and examples on the internet, but none for brands as they are unique to each company.

– A brand is a mental identification of a company and a logo is a visual identification.

In conclusion, a logo is a graphical representation of how a company wants to be perceived and a brand is the perception of experiences a company creates for its customers. Logos and brands are equally important when it comes to positioning and growing your company. You can never have one without the other. A good analogy is that logos are the tip of the brand iceberg. They are the visible part, whereas the brand lies beneath the surface.

Interested in branding your business?
Contact PURE on accounts@purecreative.co.za or call on +27 (21) 424 6918 to set up a complimentary 20 minute consultation, let’s create something great together.