brand and logo definition =X

What is brand?

Any brand is a set of perceptions and images that represent a company, product or service. While many people refer to a brand as a logo, tag line or audio jingle, a brand is actually much larger. A brand is the essence or promise of what will be delivered or experienced.

Importantly, brands enable a buyer to easily identify the offerings of a particular company. Brands are generally developed over time through:

•Advertisements containing consistent messaging

•Recommendations from friends, family members or colleagues

•Interactions with a company and its representatives

•Real-life experiences using a product or service (generally considered the most important element of establishing a brand)

Once developed, brands provide an umbrella under which many different products can be offered--providing a company tremendous economic leverage and strategic advantage in generating awareness of their offerings in the marketplace.

What is logo?

A logo is a perspicuous glyph or symbolic, identifying mark that conveys origin, identity, or ownership. The main function is to elicit recognition. The object of a logo is to act as a mnemonic device and identifier, to communicate a desired thought or feeling, and to generate a desired emotional response. A thought-provoking logo design can strengthen your brand image and corporate identity, giving you a psychological advantage over your competition. Your logo is the core of your corporate identity, defining and symbolizing the character of your company or organization.

There are three basic types of logos

•Iconic/Symbolic

•Logotype/Word-mark

•Combination Marks

Iconic/Symbolic - 

Icons and symbols are compelling yet uncomplicated images that are emblematic of a particular company or product. They use imagery that conveys a literal or abstract representation of your organization. Symbols are less direct than straight text, leaving room for broader interpretation of what the organization represents. In order for a symbol to be a truly effective logo, it should conform to these maxims:

•Instantaneously recognizable

•Memorable.

•Clarity when reproduced in small sizes.

•Can be illustrative in nature, either concrete or abstract.

Logotype/ Word-mark - 

A logo type, commonly known in the design industry as a "word mark", incorporates your company or brand name into a uniquely styled type font treatment. Type fonts come in thousands of possible variations, shapes, sizes, and styles, each conveying a slightly different impression upon your intended audience. Script fonts imply a sense of formality and refinement. Thick fonts proclaim strength and power, whereas slanted type fonts impart a sense of motion or movement. Type font treatments can also include hand-drawn letters, characters or symbols that have been rendered in such a way as to intrigue the eye and capture the interest. Images can also be integrated into a logotype, often to great visual effect. Of prime consideration when selecting a logotype or word-mark is legibility and ease of recognition, even when reduced to the size required for printing your business cards.

Combination Marks –

Combination Marks are graphics with both text and a symbol/icon that signifies the brand image that you wish to project for your company or organization. Concise text can complement an icon or symbol, providing supplemental clarity as to what your enterprise is all about.There are integrated and stand alone combination marks. For instance, Starbucks logo has the text with the graphic integrated, whereas the AT&T logo has the icon separate from the text.