Brand Isn't

In the years I’ve been designing professionally, there is one word that is misused far more than any other. That word? Design. (More on that in the future.) Today, I’d like to focus on the second most misused word, brand. Why am I calling attention to this? It isn’t simply because it’s a pet peeve of mine; I’m noting this because it has real implications—many of which appear in the news cycles around us. Misunderstanding what a brand is leads to it being underutilized (e.g., Bed Bath & Beyond failed to connect with its customers and their needs, leaving them bankrupt) and under-appreciated (e.g., the dumpster fire rebrand of Twitter to X, erasing billions in value). And, as the examples above prove, misunderstanding a brand can lead to failing to recognize—or worse eroding—value, whether that be functional, monetary, psychological, or social.

As you might expect from the title, giving you my definition isn't exactly why I’m here. I’m not going to attempt to create the perfect definition because, at this point in history, you can search for the specific definition that best suits your fancy with thousands upon thousands of results available with a mouse click. And I’d prefer to spend my time and effort creating successful brands rather than defining or debating the term’s subtle nuances.

That said, I’ve often found that sometimes it’s helpful to define what something is by stating what it’s not. So, without further adieu, here’s my working list.

A brand isn’t…

• A logo.

• A symbol.

• A lockup.

• A color palette.

• A name.

• A website.

• A tagline.

• A mascot.

• A campaign.

• A set of guidelines.

• A collection of assets.

• A product or service.

• A list of features or benefits.

• A cost.

• Branding.

• Advertising.

• Marketing.

• Design.

• Marketing’s responsibility.

• The CEO’s opinion.

• A one-way street.

• A destination.

• Simple.

• Tactical.

• Tangible.

• Flat.

• Static.

• Short-term.

• Irrelevant.

• Something you can afford to ignore.

Where do you stand? Do you agree with this list? What am I missing? Contact me if you’d like to discuss what a brand isn’t or how to understand and use a brand to its full value.