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A logo is a visual symbol of your business. It's typically comprised of the company name and an icon or mark. Logos often appear on marketing materials such as business cards, websites and packaging. 

Your logo is just one piece of your brand. However, your brand is your reputation as a business. A brand is a promise about who you are and the benefits you deliver to your customers. 

Think of it like this: You have a friend named Dave. The name of your friend, (in this case, Dave) is like a logo. It symbolizes your friend, Dave. "Dave" is just a name. However, your friend has a lot of characteristics. Dave is trustworthy and honest. Dave is funny and his stories tend to be a little exaggerated. Dave's characteristics are like his brand. There are certain things you tend to expect from Dave, like the fact that he can be trusted and that he's funny. Over time, you begin to associate the name "Dave" with trustworthiness and humor—that's his brand.  

Now imagine your are expecting a baby and you are picking out names for your baby. Your wife likes the name, Sally, but you hate that name because there was a girl in grade school named Sally and she was mean to you. For you, the name "Sally" has become synonymous with "mean spiritedness". "Sally" is just a name but the brand you associate with "Sally" is "mean."  

Are you with me so far? That's why seeing or hearing the logo/name, Exxon may result in a negative emotional reaction from you. "Exxon" is just a word—a made-up word, actually. It had no real meaning until a brand (reputation) became attached to it.  

A logo and a brand are both important. You may not have a logo, but you definitely have a brand (reputation)—even if you haven't actively worked on creating it. 

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For more information on branding and marketing services, please email emilie@imagovisual.com or call (303) 246-5358.