Branding Terms 101
Imagine building a house without a blueprint - it would be chaos. The same can be said for building a brand without understanding the foundational terms. Brand identity, collateral, project scope, copy, mood board - these are the blueprint for creating a cohesive, impactful brand. Understanding these terms is crucial for any business looking to work with a designer. At Dssentials, we make it a priority to educate our clients on these essential terms. Get ready to elevate your brand understanding and join us on a journey to crafting a brand that truly stands out.
Common branding terms, explained.
Branding, the art of creating a unique identity for a company, is a complex and multifaceted endeavor. It involves a wide range of terms and concepts, from visual identity and brand messaging to content strategy and batching content. Understanding these terms is crucial for anyone looking to establish a strong and effective brand presence. Whether you're a business owner, marketer, or designer, knowing the key concepts of branding can help you navigate the world of branding and craft a compelling and cohesive brand identity.
Brand Identity
What are your core convictions, preferences, and inclinations? Now, reflect that onto your brand. A brand identity is the embodiment of your brand's persona, transcending mere aesthetics like colors or fonts. It encompasses how you convey your business, the message your brand emanates, and the impact your brand has on society.
Visual Identity
This is where aesthetics come into play. Your visual identity encompasses the visual elements that bring your brand to life, including brand collateral, social media design, photography, and more. It's crucial to devise a strategy before crafting your visual identity to ensure a successful brand experience.
Project Scope
A comprehensive blueprint of what your project includes, such as timelines, methodologies, deliverables, communication protocols, and constraints. A "client portal" can serve as an ideal repository for this information, allowing easy access to essential details. We prefer to use Notion as our client portal and internal organization tool.
Collateral
A website is a crucial aspect of your brand, however, marketing materials are equally as vital. These are primarily print or digital items that reinforce your brand, such as business cards, letterheads, thank-you cards, stickers, labels, digital PDF downloads, and more.
Revisions
Revisions, or rounds of changes, are an essential component of any project. Your contract will typically specify the number of revisions included, which determines the number of opportunities you have to make updates to the project. Additional revisions will typically incur additional costs.
Mood Board
When you envision a mood board, do you imagine a collage of magazine clippings or a vision board? Indeed, that's the essence of it! A mood board is a curated collection of images that embodies the visual direction of the brand. Most designers start this endeavor on Pinterest with their clients to curate the aesthetic and guide the visual identity.
Visual Elements
Visual elements are the logo's loyal companions. Together, they comprise the entirety of the visual identity experience, including color palettes, photography, icons, patterns, fonts, illustrations, and more.
Copy
Copy refers to the written language that represents a company's voice and message, conveying its unique identity and purpose. It encompasses all written materials, from headlines and taglines, to product descriptions and call-to-action phrases, playing a pivotal role in shaping a brand's perception and connection with its audience. The goal is to have these words convey your brand’s message and help you stand out.
Content Strategy
This is the deliberate and intentional approach to creating, managing, and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content that aligns with a company's brand identity and goals. It encompasses the planning, creation, delivery, and governance of all forms of content. This includes text, images, videos, and more. It’s the blueprint that guides a brand's messaging, positioning, and storytelling, enabling it to effectively engage and connect with its audience. It's the backbone of the brand, its the way the brand tells its story and makes its impact.
Batching
Batching content refers to the practice of grouping content creation and production tasks together, rather than tackling them one at a time. It is a time-efficient and organized method that enables companies to produce high-quality, consistent, and relevant content on a regular basis, with the aim of maintaining a strong brand presence and building a connection with its audience. It's a strategic way of creating and managing content, allowing the brand to stay on top of the game and be consistent with its messaging. It's a key to the brand's success in the digital age.
We hope this lesson in branding vocabulary was a helpful one! Stepping into the process of branding your business can be intimidating, and we want to make it as simple as possible. These terms will help you speak intelligently with potential designers and ensure they are focused on what’s most important to you in your own branding journey.
If you’re interested in working with us, shoot us a message here!
