Now, some may say I’m splitting hairs.

Others may argue incorrect nomenclature.

Fine – more power to you, but this is my take on it.

Brand is that feeling you get when you think of the thing. Let’s say I say the word “Marks and Spencers” – this will conjure up a myriad of feelings, associations, memories, how you position it in your mind and what it means to you. This will no doubt be different depending on who you are. Some may think “national treasure of the high street”, “underwear and food”, “just my style”, “reliable, a constant”, “familiar and comfortable”. Others may think “old-fashioned”, “my Gran loves it”, “not cool”, “expensive picky bits”, etc.

This is the brand.

This lives in the hearts and minds of audiences (whether they’re your audience or not).

It’s part reputation, part experience, part legacy, part delivering on a brand promise.

It’s a culmination of alllllllll those interactions people have had with that brand that makes them arrive at that conclusion.

And everyone’s view on that brand is theirs, true for them and can be difficult to change.

Branding is how a brand is brought to life, those interactions and moments that people have with the brand (that feed brand perception). Branding is an action, a doing, an activation of the brand. Much like marketing, advertising, etc, are also activations of the brand.

So, think of all the ways a brand shows up – online, offline, physical, digital, in-person, product, service. In each instance, what does it look like, sound like, what words and tone does it use, if it’s a physical space, what does it feel like, smell like, sound like, what are the people like, etc.

Every detail from uniforms, packaging, menu paper choices, confirmation email responses, the service experience, the website journey, how the staff behave, how the staff are recruited and trained, and the products themselves (I can go on) – these branding expressions all add up to the brand experience that feeds people’s perception of the brand.

Brand is the intangible.

Branding is the tangible that feeds the intangible.

Some may say branding is purely the visual and verbal identity, but I like to approach it in a more holistic, brand-led way.

Why is this distinction important?

Often, people get stuck in the ‘stuff’ and can get lost on single elements.

Like the logo.

Like the website.

Like the tagline.

These are small (note I’m not saying unimportant) parts of a bigger thing. There is so much more to consider when it comes to building a brand that often gets overlooked.

For example, values are a big one. I’ve written about the value of values before, but to summarise – when you articulate authentic, true and compelling values, it influences much more than just token ‘hygiene’ words splashed on the walls of offices. It impacts who might invest in you, want to work for you, who wants to buy from you, how you show up and behave, and what choices you make as a business.

They also directly impact the tone of voice and creative expression, which in turn impacts branding activations and all the things listed above.

Which in turn impacts how people experience your brand and shape what the brand means to them.

This is why we take a different approach to branding – we lead with brand, a bigger picture that is strategic and intentional. We start with getting to the root, the source of the brand, unearthing the essence, and articulating the foundations. THEN we wrap branding around it.

This approach touches every aspect of the organisation and helps shape that perception, that heart and mind space it takes up with audiences.

It also transforms the internal experience for staff – alignment, tools, shared vision, transparency, clarity, language… it can support a healthy culture.

I await contradictions and oppositions as much as ah-ha comments and agreement on the above. It doesn’t make a difference to how we do what we do – it works, it’s of much higher value than pure design and copy, it’s longer-term and bigger picture, and transformational.

We’re here for that.