Brand Breakdown #2: Branding vs Logo design, what’s the difference?
Many small businesses come to a designer asking for a logo, but what they really need is branding. While a logo is an important part of your identity, it’s only one piece of a much bigger puzzle. Understanding the difference between logo design and branding helps you make smarter investments and connect with your audience more effectively.
What is logo design?
A logo is a symbol or wordmark that represents your business. It’s often the first thing people associate with your brand - think of the Nike swoosh, Apple’s apple, or the BBC wordmark. A good logo is memorable, scalable, and unique.
Designing a logo involves more than just picking a nice font or shape. A designer will consider your business’s personality, values, and industry, ensuring the logo fits both your goals and your audience. It also needs to work in a variety of contexts - from your website’s header to your Instagram avatar.
But a logo alone can’t express the depth of your brand. That’s where branding comes into play.
What is branding?
Branding is the full visual and emotional identity of your business. It includes your logo, but goes far beyond it. Think colour palettes, typography, image style, tone of voice, and even the way your content is structured.
It’s what gives your business a recognisable feel. A strong brand helps people instantly understand who you are and whether you’re right for them. It creates familiarity, trust, and connection.
Why the difference matters
The difference between a logo and a brand is like the difference between a name and a personality. A name tells you what something is. A personality tells you what it’s like.
A logo might help you get noticed. A brand helps you get remembered.
In a crowded market, having a recognisable and cohesive brand can be the difference between a potential customer choosing you or scrolling past.
A client example
I once worked with a creative coach from Cardiff who initially approached me to design a logo. After our first conversation, it was clear her business needed more than a single symbol. We worked together to craft a full brand identity - something that truly reflected her values and helped her stand out in her niche.
The result? She was finally attracting the right kind of clients. She had more confidence showing up online. And she no longer felt like she was hiding behind a logo that didn’t feel like her.
Why branding is worth the investment
When you invest in branding, you're investing in clarity. Clarity of message, clarity of visuals, and clarity in how your audience experiences you.
Strong branding helps you:
Build trust Improve recognition Attract aligned customers Feel more confident in marketing your business
It’s not just about looking polished - though that helps too. It’s about creating a foundation for long-term growth.
Common misconceptions
It’s easy to think “I just need a logo to get started.” And sometimes, that’s true. But often, business owners end up outgrowing that logo quickly. They find themselves constantly tweaking it, struggling to make it work across different platforms, or pairing it with inconsistent fonts and colours.
Branding prevents that struggle by giving you a cohesive visual system - one that works across every touchpoint and grows with you.
How I can help
Whether you're launching something new or rethinking what already exists, I help small businesses develop thoughtful, strategic brands that resonate. We’ll define what makes you unique, develop a look that fits, and give you the tools to show up confidently and consistently.
Final thoughts
If you’ve ever felt like your visuals don’t reflect the quality of what you do, you’re not alone. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Branding gives you the clarity and consistency to present your business in a way that feels right - and gets results.
If you’re ready to make that shift, I’d love to talk.
