This is the thing I find myself saying more than almost anything else. A logo is a mark. It's the most visible part of a brand, which is why it gets confused for the whole thing. But a brand is the sum of every interaction someone has with your business – what you say, how you say it, how it feels to work with you, what you stand for when no one's watching. The logo is the flag. The brand is the country. Getting a new logo won't fix a brand that doesn't know what it's for.

I've worked with businesses that have beautiful logos and confusing brands. The logo looks great in the brand guidelines. On a business card it's impeccable. But the website reads like it was written by a committee, the social media has no point of view, and the emails feel like they came from a different company entirely. The logo is doing its job. The brand isn't.

I've also worked with businesses that have very ordinary logos and very strong brands. You know them when you encounter them. There's a consistency to everything – the language, the tone, the choices they make about what to say and what not to say. The logo is just the door. What's behind it is what matters.

This isn't an argument against good logo design. A well-designed logo is worth having. But it's the beginning of the conversation, not the end of it. The question isn't "what should our logo look like?" It's "what do we want people to think, feel and do when they encounter our brand?" Answer that first. Then design the logo. If you're ready to have that conversation, take a look at the branding process or get in touch.