The stench of singed hide
I needed to express my frustration. I’ve come to realise that even after 20 odd years in this business i work with possibly the two most dangerous words in the English language: Brand, Identity.
Brand, it appears, is frequently seen as the dark art practiced by flamboyant theorists and creatives. Identity appears to be perceived as something us cultish magicians will steal, alter and return, at vast cost, in a state unrecognisable to the business or organisation who will then have to use it.
Worse, people seem to think the words brand and identity are interchangeable as if they meant the same thing. They do not!
I suppose, their interchangeability is understandable. History! Way back when cowboys and cowgirls led a healthy outdoor life rustling cattle and singing around campfires the word brand applied to the mark they left on their livestock. I can’t help but imagine a hot branding iron and the stench of singed hide. Identity being something Communist governments made you carry a card to prove you had.
So, getting this off my chest: brand means the perception any of us might hold of a product, service or organisation. It’s not tangible property. It’s beyond that. Brand means the share of mind that consumers, purchasers, business people, the public or opinion formers might give over to a product, service or organisation. So in other words, brand is something that does not belong to any organisation or company – it belongs to the audience. It is the image, associations and feelings we hold in our mind about something we might buy, use or want.
One of the things that will influence that image, those associations and the feelings we have will be the identity of that product, service, business or organisation. Identity is tangible. The most obvious form of it is on letterheads, signage, publications and the internet. However, identity is not just about the graphics. It is the behaviours displayed by an organisation. It is what we say and the messages we put out. Identity is the primary tool in the battle to influence our audiences perception of our organisation. To that extent, identity is an important tool when it comes to building a brand.
However, an identity is not a brand. An identity is tangible. A brand is our audiences’ perception.
Ok got it off my chest!
Stephenpage43's Blog 
Funny, that at some point, the branded mark on the livestock, became more than just a symbol of ownership.
We could refer to this as Brand Identity and Brand Image.
The former is the logo, visuals and messages, and the latter describes the ‘share of mind’ or feelings that the brand occupies inside the head of individuals that come across it.
Sometimes along the way, a gap is created between your brand identity and brand image. This can cause major concerns with the overall brand and will rely on good communication to fix it. This can be fixed either by creating direct, consistent messages or a graphic device, or some other means, that glues the brand back together. This will fix conflicting impressions and information, but takes an investment of course.
The thing to remember is that the world is not waiting for you, your brand identity, brand image, products/services, your company or its message. Without a clear program for communication, you just blend in and become part of the scenery.
That’s why Brand Identity and Brand Image need effort – promoting, positioning and advertising – it’s an attempt to develop your brand identity and brand image and ensure the messages are not only heard but are consistent with what you see.
You are right. I think of it as a ‘perception’ (less tangible brand image) that is created by the company through the way it presents itself ‘visually and verbally’ (tangible brand identity).
Why ‘the stench of singed hide’?
I suppose I find it ironic that a whole way of thinking has arisen from hot branding irons being pressed to the hide of innocent livestock. Branding has often struck as one of those things that goes with a loss of innocence.
The science of branding is, perhaps, all about having an awareness of how to win attention.
Like wearing a bright PINK dress?
Yes exactly!
Hard as I try to pick fault. And you know I’m good at that. I think these words work well for creating belief in a brand :
True – honest and real
Direct – in order to create an impact
Inspired – a little different and creative
What do you think?
I think you’ve just written the most succinct description of branding I’ve ever read.
I agree with the idea that identity is something tangible and brand is something else. I suppose I’d also say that identity is something that’s within your control, but brand isn’t.
A month or so ago, I took a group of students to one of the big London branding shops and spent time with one of their senior consultants. We discussed the whole notion of who owns the brand and it was generally agreed that ordinary consumers have much more say in shaping the ongoing development of brand than they ever did. This is largely due to the Web 2.0 revolution, the ability to interact directly with corporations, self-publish and get involved in social networks.
Controversially, I suggested that maybe the whole idea of ‘policing’ brands is becoming outdated. Off the record, the consultant agreed. But he was being paid good money by companies who wanted him to act as a brand ‘guardian’ and didn’t feel he could turn this work away.
In many ways, of course, the only policing that actually goes on is related to identity. Big red crosses through stretched or badly presented logos etc. As Stephen’s post suggests, this is just one element of brand.