Logos and Brands: What’s the Difference?

Have You Ever Thought About the Difference Between Logos and Brands?

Connie Ragen Green — Logo and Brands: What’s the Difference?

Ask a consumer what’s the difference between logos and brands, and they’ll probably guess they’re the same thing. But if you ask a marketer the same question, and the answers will vary wildly.

Frankly, I don’t think most marketers know the difference, and I’m not criticizing. There was a time when I had no clue, either, because unless someone breaks it down for you — not with some marketing-ese taught in school but with a real-world answer — it’s confusing. And so, I turned to a video clip of Seth Godin explaining the difference, and while his explanation isn’t super short, I do think it explains the difference in a way we can all understand AND use to build a REAL business that makes SIGNIFICANT money.

Here’s what Seth has to say on the difference between logos and brands:

“Companies spend way too much time on their logo. If Nike opened a hotel, I think we would be able to guess pretty accurately what it would be like. If Hyatt came out with sneakers, we’d have no clue, because Hyatt doesn’t have a brand. They have a logo.
If I swap the signs on a hotel at that price point, you couldn’t tell if you were at a Marriott, if you were at a Hilton or the Hyatt, because there’s no brand…