Misunderstanding Branding

Myth #1: A brand is just a logo.

“That’s probably the oldest misconception,” says Aaron Keller, managing principal at Minneapolis-based public relations firm Capsule. “People think branding is advertising—that it’s just the soft side of business. It’s not, but it’s impacted by all those pieces. Those things might help define the brand, but they are not in and of themselves the brand.”

Elin Raymond, president of The Sage Group, Inc., a strategic communications firm in Minneapolis, says clients may not realize branding is an all-encompassing process. They may equate it with their logo, brochures, ads, or product packaging. “They probably don’t realize that it is a part of everything that they do: who they are, how they are perceived, and the entire customer, constituent, or stakeholder experience,” she says.

Tim Larsen, president and founder of Larsen Design and Interactive, agrees: “A brand is never just a logo but the totality of the experience one has with a product, service, or company.” Larsen Design is a strategic communications firm based in Minneapolis.

In short, branding includes every single touchpoint a customer experiences. Yes, it includes the logo, but it also includes customer service, product quality, and the relationship a company forms with its customers. It is the art and science of trying to manage the way a company is perceived.

Raymond says the confusion may stem from clients using the logo as a kind of shorthand for the larger issue. “Some clients may come to us initially asking for a new logo,” she says. “I think this is their way of communicating that their brand needs an overhaul. It could well mean that the way they present themselves publicly does not represent who they are.”

Myth #2: Branding was trendy for a while, but now it’s dead.

“The pendulum constantly swings with branding,” says Chris Schermer, director of client strategy and services at marketing agency Schermer Kuehl in Minneapolis. “Ten years ago, it was an emerging hot trend. Five years ago, after the technology bubble burst, it was kind of something that companies didn’t want to invest in. Today there are fewer competitors out there, but the pendulum has swung back to where brand is in favor.”