What exactly is branding and why isn’t it just a logo?
I'll get right to it: “branding” is the new “coaching”. There's a lot of confusion about the terminology and the need for it, what's included in the umbrella and what isn't, and who is qualified to offer it.
Let me tell you a short and very embarrassing story. About 10 years ago, a fellow business owner was looking for someone to do “branding”. I thought, hey, I make logos! (professional graphic design was new to me back then.) So I threw my hat into the ring. The good news was that I already had credibility from a variety of other touchpoints. The not-good news was that I had only a vague idea of what she was asking for, of what branding really means, because I wasn't using the same words. I humbly backed right out of that conversation (and I still wish, wish, wish I could have worked with her because I can see from here what she still needs).
A lot has changed since then. I've grown my services from the inside out to include brand strategy – the stuff I already did as a natural extension of my business coaching – and to organize my education, experience and process into the categories and sequence traditionally understood to be Branding.
And so, I wanted to share with you a quick cheat sheet for anyone feeling like they don't know what they need or what it's called or how it all fits together. Don't let anyone make you feel like you're not an expert on your business.
Two things to know about it:
It isn't detailed to be totally comprehensive. For example, I offer custom illustrations (animated, even) but only listed four of the most expected components of brand identity. I didn't even mention marketing…because, while in the same universe, it's not branding.
I decided on some of my own terminology because it felt like a better representation of how I do what I do. For example, for me brand heart includes a promise (why) and principles (how) that inform the approach (what). And I included “storefront” as its own category because, in my opinion, these are also branding moments that extend from strategy and identity.
I hope this is helpful. Or evokes an opinion if you consider yourself an expert, too. Either way I'd love to hear about it. And now, when you do call me, you'll know exactly what to ask for.
❤ Candice
