Brand Ready to Scale? Chapter 3

If you’ve ever thought, “I’ve got a logo, so I’ve got a brand”… this chapter is for you.

In Chapter 3 of Brand-Ready to Scale? Clare Sheffield breaks down what a brand actually is and why your logo is just the tip of the “brandberg”. Clare explains the full system that sits beneath the surface, from your logo suite, colour palette and typography through to photography style, illustration, tone of voice, brand story and key brand messages.

This is especially relevant for product-based founders because as you scale, you create more touchpoints: packaging, tape, stickers, invoices, social posts, trade show materials and more. Without a full brand system, consistency slips, customer trust erodes, and every new asset becomes harder than it needs to be.

You’ll come away with practical audit actions to identify what you have, what’s missing, and how to fill the gaps, so your brand becomes a clear, cohesive force that supports growth.

Transcript

Clare: 0:46

Chapter three. Your logo is the tip of the brand Berg. When we talk about brand, what does that even mean? People often say to me, it feels like some kind of abstract concept, some sort of black art. I speak to a lot of business owners who actually have a logo, but what they really need is a brand. Your logo is the most tangible thing to see when we talk about brand, but a logo is really just like the tip of the iceberg, or the brand berg, as I like to call it. This chapter will explore below the surface to what makes up a brand and will enable you to identify whether you have a logo or a brand and what gaps you need to fill to strengthen it. A brand is made up of a company's visual elements like logos, colours, and design, and its words. The brand name, tone of voice, core brand messages, creating a distinct and memorable identity in the eyes of its audience. It's essential for differentiation, consistency, emotional connection, recognition, storytelling and guidance across all aspects of your business. Visual elements. Logo suite. Your logo suite is a collection of logo variations that maintain core branding elements. They may have different layouts, orientations, or adaptations to suit various purposes or contexts. For example, a brand might have a master logo for general use, an alternative version optimized for slim applications, a simplified version for use in small or monochromatic settings. Your suite of logos ensures flexibility in branding and allows the brand to maintain a consistent identity across various platforms and applications. Colour palette. Your brand colour palette typically includes core brand colours, primary colours that represent the brand's identity and secondary brand colours, additional colours that compliment the core brand colours. They're used to add variety and flexibility to the brand's visual identity. They may be used for packaging, for example, each colour will have a Pantone for print, CMYK for print, RGB, and Hex for digital reference. B rand fonts, also known as brand type faces or typography, are the specific fonts or typefaces that your brand chooses to use consistently in your visual communication. These fonts become a fundamental part of the brand's identity and are employed in various branding materials such as logos, packaging, marketing collaterals, websites, et cetera. Brand illustrations. These are a unique set of visual elements that you may use consistently in your design and c ommunication materials. These illustrations go beyond standard stock images or generic graphics and are specifically created to align with the brand's identity, messaging and visual style. Photography. Your brand photography style refers to the unique and consistent approach, techniques and visual characteristics used in photography to represent a brand's identity, values and messaging. This style is carefully crafted to ensure that all brand related images convey a cohesive and recognisable visual identity. Your photography style may include some of the following elements: visual elements, colour palette, mood and emotion, subject matter, composition, filters. Action. Audit your own visual elements. Firstly, gather reference to all visual assets and applications in one place. Go through the checklist before referencing your assets, note what you have and what's missing. Collaborate with a design partner to create the required missing elements. Hot tip. Remember details such as packing, tape stickers, and invoices. It all counts. The words the brand name. Your brand name is a fundamental element of your brand's identity and communication. It identifies and differentiates you. Your brand name could be a surname, or surnames such as Fortnum and Mason, or be a word or words that evoke emotions such as Joli, a client of mine we named. Joli is the Baba Malay word for jolly, which perfectly embodies the brand's joyful ethos. It's often the first point of contact and plays a significant role in shaping customers' perceptions and loyalty. Tone of voice. Your tone of voice is the consistent style, personality, and manner in which your brand communicates its messages. It encompasses the choice of words, sentence structure, phrasing, and overall writing or speaking style used by a brand in all its communications. Your tone of voice will include your brand personality, your brand values, and will convey specific emotions. It will enable effective communication and differentiate you from your competition. Your tone of voice reflects the brand's essence and leaves a lasting impression on customers. The brand story. Your brand story is a narrative or storytelling approach to convey your history, values, mission, and identity to your audience. It is a compelling and often emotional account of the brand's journey, purpose and the impact it aims to make in the world. A brand story goes beyond mere facts and data. It aims to create a connection with customers and evoke specific emotions. The actions you took in chapter one, about what makes you special, will help you with your brand story. Key brand messages, also known as brand messaging or brand statements, these are the core messages and statements that your brand uses to communicate its identity, values, and value proposition to your target customer. These messages serve as the foundation for all brand communication and marketing efforts. Key brand messages will include some or all of the following. Number one, your brand promise. Number two, your value proposition. Number three, your mission statement. Number four, your vision statement. Number five, a tagline. Number six, your core values. Number seven, a positioning statement. Number eight, your brand personality. Number nine, customer-centric messages, and number 10, differentiation and emotional appeal. These help shape how the brand is perceived and enable customers to understand the brand's identity and offerings clearly. Action. Audit your own brand words. This is much the same process as auditing your visual elements. Number one, gather references to all assets and applications in one place. Number two, using the headings beforehand, collate into a spreadsheet, the copy you have for each section. Number three, establish what you have and what's missing. Number four, if you have a copywriter in your team, create the required missing copy or collaborate with a design partner and copy writer to create the required missing sections. Hot tip. Don't forget your social media copy, profiles and posts. We've developed beyond the surface of the logo to reveal the multifaceted world of branding, where every element from your logo suite, to your colours, to your brand story, to your tone of voice, plays a crucial role in shaping your brand identity. Through this exploration, you've gained insights and actionable tasks that empower you to self audit, bridge any gaps, and ensure that your brand is not just a logo, but a powerful force ready for scaling.