In a market where companies are always in search of ways to outsmart the competition, giving your collateral and identity an overhaul is a great way to reinvent yourself.  Not merely an aesthetic process, the decision to re-design anything from a single piece to an entire identity offers a laundry list of benefits, not the least of which is to help a company refocus both its internal and external vision and how it is represented in the market.

But, with a busier-than-ever pace in the business world, why would an enterprise choose to undertake such a process in the first place?   What real purpose does re-designing a company’s identity, web site or collateral serve?  While the answer to that question can be a very personal one for each company, there are some that are more obvious, one of the most common being the addition of a new product or service that prompts design of a new sales or promotional piece.

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With terms like branding, brand identity, corporate identity and a host of other terms related to corporate brand building finding their way into the jargon of nearly every businessperson on the planet, there’s bound to be some confusion about what it all means.

Many people equate a “brand” with its logo, which is a common misconception. A logo is not the brand in and of itself, but a graphic representation of what the brand stands for – a sort of visual shorthand for a complex message.

In short, a brand is the emotional connection you have with a company or its products. It’s the expectation that you have of high quality, a good price or exceptional customer service when you see a company’s name or logo, watch their advertisements or read their promotional materials. A clear example of this connection with a brand is automaker Mercedes-Benz. When you see one of their vehicles, watch one of their ads or enter their showroom, you immediately connect their name and products with quality engineering and luxury. THAT is the definition of branding.

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