Business branding vs. brand identity.

They're not one and the same.

Both branding and brand identity work to enhance your business, but how?

Let's turn to Seth Godin for help: “A brand is a set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another.”

So if your branding is the basis of your brand, what is your brand identity?

Those questions and more are answered in this article.

We'll uncover five key differences between branding and brand identity, and we'll look at both in more detail.

Brand, Branding, and Identity in a Nutshell

“The way a company brands itself is everything…. It will ultimately decide whether a business survives.” —Sir Richard Branson

Here are a few useful definitions:

• Brand. The meaning people attach to your organization, product, or service. It's who you are as a business—and, more specifically, who your audience perceives you to be.
• Branding. The perception of a brand is shaped by branding—the management of a brand. Branding is the deployment of the strategic plan for your brand so that you ensure your audience perceives your business as you intend.
• Identity. The sensory elements used to identify a brand, including your logo, colors, website, brand photography, and digital marketing efforts.

Source: Branding vs Brand Identity | MarketingProfs