4 min to read
What Is Brand Identity? And When a Logo Is Enough
MCDNS
Brand identity is the visual system that makes a business recognizable: the logo, the colors, the typefaces, the imagery and the rules for using them together. A logo is one part of it. This guide explains the difference, what each one costs with us, and which one to buy first.
What a logo is, and what it is not
A logo is the mark that stands for your business. It can be a symbol, your name set in a particular way, or both.
A good logo is simple, works at small sizes and reads in one color. It goes on your sign, your invoice and the corner of your website.
A logo is not a brand. On its own it does not tell anyone which colors to use, which font to pick for a flyer or how your social posts should look. Those choices are the rest of the identity.
What a brand identity adds
A brand identity takes the logo and builds a system around it. The parts are easy to name.
Color: a small palette with a clear main color.
Type: one or two typefaces for headings and text.
Imagery: the style of photos, illustrations or icons you use.
Voice: how the business sounds in writing.
Rules: a guide that shows how the parts fit together.
The rules matter most. With them, anyone who makes something for your business can make it look like yours. They also save time on every new piece, because the choices are already made.
Logo vs brand identity at a glance
The short version is this. A logo answers "what is our mark?" and a brand identity answers "how do we look everywhere?"
A logo project ends with logo files. A brand identity project ends with logo files, a color palette, typefaces and a guide that explains how to use them.
One is not better than the other. They are different purchases for different stages of a business.
When a logo alone is enough
A logo on its own is the right first step in three cases.
The business is new and you need a mark to open the doors.
You are on one channel, such as a storefront or a single social account.
The budget is tight and other things come first.
Start there if that is you. Make sure you receive vector files, so the mark can be used at any size. A well-made logo can be extended into a full identity later without starting over.
When you need the full identity
You need more than a logo when the brand has to hold together across many places and many hands.
You are on more than one channel: a website, social media, print and packaging.
Staff, freelancers or vendors make materials for you.
You are rebranding, or two businesses are merging.
Your website, social media and documents look like they come from different companies.
The last point is the most common. If customers cannot tell that your flyer and your website belong to the same business, the identity is the fix.
How much a logo and a brand identity cost
With MCDNS, logo design starts from $299. That covers one concept, two rounds of revisions, and vector and PNG files.
Our brand identity package starts from $899. It covers the logo, colors and fonts, a one-page brand guide and two rounds of revisions.
Prices elsewhere vary widely. They depend on who does the work, how many concepts you see and how much of the system is included. When you compare quotes, compare the list of what you receive, not just the number.
Five questions to decide
Answer these honestly and the choice is usually clear.
Will more than one person make materials for the business this year?
Are you on more than one channel?
Do your current materials look consistent side by side?
Are you changing your name, your audience or your offer?
Is your budget set for a mark, or for a system?
If you said yes to the first two, or no to the third, you need the full identity. If not, a logo is a sound start.
What to prepare before you start
A little preparation makes either project faster. Write down who your customers are, three words you want people to associate with the business, and two or three brands whose look you like.
Gather what you already use: your current logo, your colors if you have them, and a few recent materials. It also helps to see examples. Our design catalog shows concept designs you can point to and say "like this."
If the question is bigger than how the business looks, and includes the name or the positioning, that is branding work, and it comes before the identity.
Next step
Tell us where your business is today and we will say plainly whether you need a logo or a full identity. See what you receive on our brand identity page.
