Beyond the Logo: Crafting a Brand that Builds Trust by L. Ganeshkumar

In the bustling world of startups, where the race to launch products often overshadows foundational questions, a critical query emerges: Who are you in the mind of your customer? This pivotal question was the focus of an illuminating session on Brand Identity, led by AI startup leader and seasoned brand strategist L. Ganeshkumar at SPARKLAB on May 21st. This session, far from a superficial discussion of marketing, delved into branding as a profound act of truth-telling and a disciplined articulation of purpose, promise, and positioning.

What is a Brand, Really?

Ganeshkumar challenged conventional notions of branding, asserting that a brand is “not what you say it is. It’s what others say it is”. He clarified that a brand transcends simple elements like a logo, color, or tagline. Instead, a brand resides in perception; it is the comprehensive sum of expectations, experiences, and emotional associations a person cultivates with a product, service, or organization. Essentially, a brand is what people remember about you.

Character, Conviction, and Consistency: The Pillars of Brand Building

The core concept of a brand, Ganeshkumar explained, is character. This encompasses trust, credibility, reliability, and safety. He emphasized that a strong brand aligns with the “unity of thought, word, and deed”. For individuals and organizations alike, the brand of oneself maps directly to the brand of the product or service being offered.

Ganeshkumar proposed four fundamental questions that every brand should unequivocally answer to build an authentic identity:

• Who are you?
• Who are you for?
• What do you promise?
• Why should anyone believe you?

These questions encourage a deeper reflection beyond slogans, urging innovators to identify what they truly stand for and what they will never compromise.

Brand Identity vs. Brand Image: Bridging the Perception Gap

A crucial distinction was made between brand identity and brand image. Brand identity refers to what an entity builds to create an image for external perception, or how it wants consumers to perceive its products and services. In contrast, brand image is what has actually been perceived by the consumer.

A significant risk arises when brand identity and brand image are not aligned, as this can lead to a disconnect that erodes trust and loyalty. Overselling or making promises that cannot be consistently delivered can lead to this breakdown in trust. For instance, despite having similar features and services, an unbranded washing machine was rejected by consumers in favor of a 30-40% more expensive Samsung or Bosch due to the established credibility and trust associated with the branded options. The difference between expressed identity and actual experience – the “unison of thought, word, and deed” – is paramount.

Key Elements of Brand Identity

Brand identity is a collection of both visible and intangible elements. These include:

• Company logo
• Color palette (which carries significant emotional weight and messaging)
• Voice and tone
• Personality
• Tagline
• Brand name
• Typography (fonts)
• Imagery and graphics/illustrations
• Packaging and design

Each element contributes to how a consumer should perceive the brand. Specialists often invest significant effort into designing these elements to reflect the organization’s vision and mission.

Why Brand Matters: The End Outcome

A strong brand offers several critical benefits:

• Recognition: It helps make a product or service known and easily recalled by consumers.
• Consistency: It ensures that “what you do” and “what you are” align, fostering reliability and credibility.
• Differentiation: It allows a brand to stand out from competitors by offering unique value.
• Emotional Connect: It builds trust through positive experiences, leading to strong emotional associations.
• Clarity and Focus: It provides a clear and consistent message across all channels.

Building an Enduring Brand: A Continuous Journey

Brand building is not a one-time task but a continuous journey. It truly begins when credibility, the fulfillment of promises, quick recall, and positive emotional connections are established through experience. Overselling or lacking conviction in one’s product or service can severely damage a brand’s credibility. Ganeshkumar emphasized, “You don’t create a brand. You behave into one”. Every interaction, from pitches to customer service, contributes to the brand’s narrative.

Protecting Your Brand: Securing Your Legacy

Once a brand is built, protecting it becomes paramount. This involves:

• Registering trademarks, copyrights, and intellectual property (IP).
• Ensuring strong brand presence across all channels to maximize reach and prevent misuse.
• Monitoring competition for potential infringement.
• Having legal safeguards in place to fight misuse, such as sending notices and pursuing legal action against confusingly similar names, colors, or designs that mislead consumers. Even well-known names like “Satya Sai” are trademarked and require permission for use.

Such protection is vital because a brand holds significant value, often factored into company valuations.

Conclusion: Identity as the Root of Trust

L. Ganeshkumar’s session at SPARKLAB underscored that branding doesn’t start when you go to market; it starts when you decide who you want to be remembered as. For socially responsible innovators, branding transcends mere sales; it becomes about scaling trust and being legible in a crowded world. Ultimately, a brand is a vehicle of identity, and identity is the root of all trust. The call to action for participants was clear: to revisit their origin stories and ask not just “what do we offer,” but “why would someone care?” and “what feeling will they walk away with?”.