Differences Between Brand Strategy, Brand Identity, and Collateral
If you've recently decided to get a professional brand design for your business, or perhaps just a brand upgrade, first of all, let me say, yay! I'm so excited for you! Secondly, you might be wondering what you'll actually receive at the end of the project.
Most brand designers will list the deliverables of a brand design project well before sending a proposal, whether that’s on their social media or website packages page. That's helpful, but what if you don't know what these deliverables are? What is the difference between brand strategy and brand identity? And what the heck is collateral? In this blog post, I'll clear up these three key components in brand design so you can feel confident going into your brand upgrade.
Brand Strategy
Brand Strategy focuses on the foundation of your brand. This includes understanding your ideal clients, defining core values, creating a positioning statement, profiling competitors, and setting the creative direction. The purpose of brand strategy is to create a solid foundation for your visual identity, ensuring there is rationale and strategy behind design choices. Think of brand strategy as the game plan needed before the actual designing starts. Simply stated, brand strategy provides the guidelines given before the visual guidelines.
Brand Identity
Once we have a brand strategy, we can use it to inform the brand identity, which includes logos and their variations, color palettes, and typography systems. The brand identity is the "visual guidelines" of your brand. As the name suggests, it gives your business an easily recognizable identity that reflects who you are and what you do. Brand identity is what most people automatically think of when they hear "rebrand."
Brand Collateral
After the brand identity is complete, it can be applied across all customer touchpoints. Think of collateral as your brand—but tangible. Common collateral items might include:
Printed Materials: Business cards, packaging design, flyers, brochures, letterheads, and stationery.
Digital Materials: Social media templates, infographics, website design, app design, email marketing campaigns, and digital ads.
All of these collateral pieces can be included in your brand design package as "extra" goods, depending on your designer's offerings. Collateral gives your brand design more value and allows you to present a cohesive and polished image to your ideal clients.
Additional Elements to Consider
Beyond the basics, there are a few more elements that can elevate your brand design package:
Brand Messaging: This includes your tagline, value propositions, and key messages that align with your brand's voice and tone.
Photography and Imagery: Curating a library of brand-specific images that can be used across various platforms to maintain a consistent visual style.
Brand Patterns and Textures: Custom patterns or textures that can be used in backgrounds, packaging, or marketing materials to add a unique touch.
Motion Graphics and Animations: Animated logos or social media graphics that can bring your brand to life and capture attention in digital spaces.
Putting It All Together
Each of these components—brand strategy, brand identity, and brand collateral—work together to create a cohesive and effective brand design. By understanding what each deliverable entails, you can approach your brand design project with clarity and confidence.
Now that you know what these deliverables are, it's time to book that brand designer with confidence! Investing in a comprehensive brand design ensures that every aspect of your brand is thoughtfully crafted and aligned with your business goals.
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