A logo is not your brand, nor is it your identity. Logo design, identity design and branding all have different roles, that together, form a perceived image for your business.

Branding

Branding is not a topic to take lightly. Whole publications & hundreds of books have been written on the topic, however to put it in a nutshell you could describe a 'brand' as an organization, service or product with a 'personality' that is shaped by the perceptions of the audience. On that note. it should also be stated that a designer cannot 'make' a brand - only the audience can do this. however a good  designer forms the foundation of the brand.

Your brand does not only consists of  some colors, some fonts, a logo, a slogan and maybe some music added in too. In reality, it is much more complicated than that. You might say that a brand is a 'corporate image'. The basic idea and core concept behind having a 'company image' is that everything you do, everything you own and everything you produce. It should reflect the values and aims of your business as a whole.

As an example, let's look at the well known IT company, Apple. Apple as a company, projects a humanistic corporate culture and a strong corporate ethic, one which is characterized by volunteerism, support of good causes & involvement in the community. These values of the business are evident throughout everything they do, from their innovative products and advertising, right through to their customer service. Apple is an emotionally humanist brand that really connects with people -  when people buy or use their products or services; they feel part of the brand, like a tribe even. It is this emotional connection that creates their brand -not purely their products and a bite sized logo.

Identity

The identity or "image" of your  company is made up of many visual devices:

• A Logo (The symbol of the entire identity & brand)
• Stationery (Letterhead + business card + envelopes, etc.)
• Marketing Collateral (Flyers, brochures, books, websites, etc.)
• Products & Packaging (Products sold and the packaging in which they come in)
• Apparel Design (Tangible clothing items that are worn by employees)
• Signage (Interior & exterior design)
• Messages & Actions (Messages conveyed via indirect or direct modes of communication)
• Other Communication (Audio, smell, touch, etc.)
• Anything visual that represents the business.

All of these things make up your identity and should support the brand as a whole. The logo however, is the corporate identity and brand all wrapped up into one identifiable mark. This mark is the avatar and symbol of the business as a whole.

These brands and logos are unmistakable and timeless. How about yours...

About Us

Gerard is a Senior Member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and a Certified Quality Auditor (CQA). Gerard has nearly 30 years of manufacturing quality experience. Gerard is also an associate consultant with, Totally Qualiy Associates, holds a Certificate in Quality Management from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) as well as an Executive Certificate in Business Administration from Notre Dame's - Mendoza School of Business.

In his spare time Gerard is an officer and member of the Mount Holyoke Lodge of A.F.A.M, the Melha Shrine Temple (Springfield, MA) and the Berkshire Shrine Club.

KielyNet's maintains contact with with a wide variety of resources who hold Microsoft & network certifications as well as digital compositors to handle any job. We look forward to working with you.