Branding — not just a logo or a booklet
For most people, the word “brand” immediately brings to mind large corporate logos and unified design, used on everything from billboard ads to business cards. But that’s only one—perhaps even a fairly small—aspect of branding.
Who needs branding?
Is there a guideline based on industry, size, or other metrics that determines whether an organization should start thinking about its brand and image?
Often, branding is misunderstood as just a logo — or, in the best case, a website. These comparisons aren’t wrong, but a logo, a website, printed materials, and even patterns of behavior are just small pieces of the branding puzzle. Branding is like an overall image that an organization or individual creates around itself — how it communicates with clients, the lifecycle of its product or service, what materials are used in production, how employees dress at work, what messages and visuals are used in advertising, and whether or how the organization supports an eco-friendly lifestyle, which sectors it sponsors, and so on.
This list could go on for quite a while, but all these elements belong to the overall brand equation. Each component is interconnected, and influencing one part inevitably impacts the entire image. For instance, if a construction company produces subpar work, misses deadlines, or appears negatively in the media, no name, logo, or website can undo the damage to its reputation.
Therefore, the answer is that there are no organisations — or individuals, for that matter — that can afford to be indifferent to branding. We all need it at some level. You can’t really differentiate here based on industry or size. Smaller players might even face a bigger risk of getting it wrong.
To give another example from the construction sector: a freelance painter probably wouldn’t find clients for very long if a few of their projects ended poorly. This brings us to another key aspect of branding — quality. Nobody wants to buy a product or service that isn’t high-quality, regardless of its price.
When should you think about branding — Right away!
For an organization, you should think about branding already at the idea stage, when you’re planning your field of activity. For instance, if you’re creating a café, consider what image it should represent—what kind of food culture, atmosphere, ingredients, advertising messages, and public statements you’ll have.
You might realize your organization has already considered many of these points. That may be true, but all the elements of your intended image must work in harmony and speak with a single voice.
Where to start when building your brand? What’s most important?
As mentioned earlier, thinking about your brand should ideally begin at the concept stage of the organization, when you define your field and what exactly you plan to do. The key is to consider the brand’s overall image, and the various details related to branding will naturally fall into place from there.
Take the example of a street-food restaurant concept. The owners have some menu ideas in mind, intended for a particular location or multiple locations. Next, you have to decide what image this eatery should convey—what food culture it supports, and so on. Street food, on a global scale, can mean many things. Most of us know burger places like VLND, Uulits, or Kaval Rebane, Päästke Willi, or Baojaam — each has a different approach.
The most crucial factor is consistency among all branding details! For instance, if you’re running an organic café, it’s obvious that you’d use organic ingredients, but you might also adopt a softer tone in customer service, use gentle, nature-friendly colours in the interior, and mix in natural materials. The company’s visual identity should similarly emphasize environmental values—advertising visuals and text, social media posts, the company logo, etc. Everything should work together, each element supporting the other.
What does an organization’s brand broadly consist of?
We’ve already touched on many points, so let’s summarize the most important elements here, grouped by category for clarity.
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This covers everything the organization uses to present itself, such as logos, websites, printed materials, advertising, vehicles, office or storefront design, and so on. Each of these can be broken down further: how the logo can be used, how to apply colour vs. black-and-white or single-colour versions, which colours are defined for digital (RGB), web (HEX), print (CMYK, PMS), or even interior design (RAL). It may also be determined that all printed materials use FSC-certified or recycled paper.
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While messages may shift over time, the tone should align with the visual side. If your visuals are more aggressive, for instance, your messaging might be similarly direct or bold.
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Behaviour is most often examined in the service sector, but it can be looked at more broadly. For example, if a company vehicle is seen speeding or parking incorrectly, that affects the brand’s image. How employees behave and communicate reflects on the organization’s overall image.
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One large component here is the quality of the products or services. For instance, a university’s study programs must be properly accredited, or a corporation’s processes or production might need ISO certification. An organisation’s image is also affected by employee actions outside of work—like a radio host caught driving under the influence, or a politician’s speeding violation.
All of this falls under branding, and often, the public won’t forgive missteps easily. The same applies to issues like sponsor choices or environmental stances. It’s all part of brand building.
How to use your brand, and what are the biggest mistakes—especially among smaller organizations without a dedicated branding person?
Although all of this may seem logical, the most frequent shortcoming is a failure to see the bigger picture. Some elements get overlooked, undermining the overall image. The main mistake is viewing branding only as a logo—just one piece of the visual identity puzzle. The same applies to websites, printed materials, and other visual elements—each is part of a larger whole.
That’s why it’s crucial to pay attention to every element that shapes the image. Here, it’s absolutely worth asking for professional help. No one expects an organization to build its own website without help, so why should it have to be its own copywriter, interior designer, architect, or brand consultant? You don’t have to do it all yourself.
Today, the importance of a logo is gradually diminishing.
A logo alone no longer sets one organization apart from another—the criteria for differentiation have become much broader. Trends are moving toward simpler, easy-to-use text logos, supplemented by patterns, colours, and typography. These visual cues resonate with consumers more quickly than a single logo ever could. Increasingly, typography plays a major role, which is why larger corporations often commission custom typefaces (for example, Intel and various other tech giants).
What should be considered when designing logos and templates for both print and digital channels, ensuring a consistent, cohesive style?
A logo, in the classic sense, is a mark composed of different parts, depending on its structure. The logo icon is the symbolic component, typically used alongside a text mark. Text logos, on the other hand, rely entirely on typography, sometimes without a separate icon. A classic icon-based logo might be Telia, while text-based logos in the same sector include Tele2 and Elisa.
Logo files should be created in vector format for easy use across various media and at different sizes. You’ll also need colour, black-and-white, and single-colour versions. Typically, the designer provides image files like .jpg and .png, plus vector files in .pdf format for both digital (RGB) and print (CMYK) use. Modern websites often use vector (.svg) logo files, ensuring they remain sharp and correct on different devices.
What does a brand designer need to know when an organization wants to develop a new brand, and what should be prepared in advance?
Ideally, a designer or design agency would be involved at the concept stage of the organization, allowing the brand to evolve naturally. However, in most cases, the design agency is hired once the organization is ready to start operations and needs visual identity components.
As a brief, a design agency requires plenty of background information—what the organization does, who the competitors are, which markets it serves, and so on.
When and why should a brand be refreshed or changed?
A brand, as a whole, is constantly changing and evolving, influenced by both internal and external developments. A complete transformation is rare unless the organization shifts its entire business model.
Most visual updates are driven by internal progress, external changes, or the adoption of new messaging. For example, Telia changed its name and thus needed an updated visual identity, while Tele2 did a logo update a few years ago and recently overhauled its advertising approach.
From our own portfolio, we can mention a wooden furniture company whose brand journey began with us finding a name. Initially, they made log furniture, but now they produce modern solid wood kitchen furniture and complete interior solutions. As they shifted from log furniture to solid wood, we updated their visual identity to align with the company’s evolving profile and services.
Branding requires planning and deliberate development in tandem with the organization’s own evolution. Every update should have a clear purpose and aim to address a specific need or problem. Because a brand encompasses nearly everything inside and around an organization, don’t hesitate to consult a design agency. Always keep the bigger picture in mind, focusing on what you do best in your daily operations.
(Originally published on Veebimajutus blog and Digi Geenius.)
