Glossary of Brand-Related Terms
Articles / Branding
Brand Assets, Brand Collateral, Brand Image, and Other Branding Terms Defined
Whether you are collaborating with a brand designer, working with a marketing agency, or building your brand all by yourself, it can be helpful to understand some key brand-related terms so that you can navigate industry jargon on your way to building your brand.
And if you’ve landed on this article, you are likely looking for definitions for terms like brand, branding, brand assets, brand collateral, brand touchpoints, brand image, or brand reputation, so I present to you my glossary of brand-related terms.
By the end of this quick list of definitions, you will have an understanding of how I define common terms used in the branding industry as well as a few slightly different terms that I use at The Tenth House.
If you find you need some support and guidance with building your own brand, check out The Brand Building Workshop, which is my self-paced digital workshop that you can use as a prequel to working with a professional, or to help you design every aspect of your own holistic brand using my unique, step-by-step method of branding.
Glossary of Brand-Related Terms:
Business: an activity that a person regularly performs (not as an employee) with the intention of making some sort of profit. A business can also be thought of as an entity that is separate from you (whether it’s legally classified that way or not) that is created by you (solo, or in partnership) to facilitate and enable activities that are performed to serve a purpose (eg: purchasing or creating products and services and exchanging them for money or some other form of compensation).
Brand: the way in which a business shows up and operates in the world — it’s how a business and its products & services are presented to people, including how the business does things, what it stands for, and how it looks, sounds, smells, tastes, and feels (both physically and energetically) which ultimately differentiates the business from others in the marketplace.
Branding: the act of intentionally designing the way a business will present itself and operate (a brand) and then applying that brand to the business and everything that people experience from it in order to influence or manage the experience, image, impression, and opinion people have of the business and its offerings, as well as to attract and connect with ideal customers & clients.
Energetic Brand Core: a term that is used at The Tenth House to refer to the abstract and intangible essence of a brand that people experience and feel energetically. According to The Tenth House method of brand design, the Energetic Core of a brand serves as the nucleus that all other brand elements are formed from and controlled by, and is created with an intentionally chosen combination of values, ethics, philosophy, vision, mission, goals, energy, and personality. Intentionally establishing an energetic core for a brand is what gives the brand substance, brings it to life, and personifies it into something that people can resonate with — and its what makes a brand’s business more than just a robotic activity or exchange that is done with the intention of profit. The energetic core of a brand is the brand’s heart, soul, spirit, vibration, and north star — it informs, influences, and determines why and how a business shows up and operates in the world, including what it says, what it does, what it creates, and how it looks, sounds, smells, tastes, and feels (both physically and energetically) to the people experiencing it.
Brand Purpose: the fundamental reason that your business exists and operates. Your brand purpose is the deeper meaning and motivation that your business has under the more superficial or functional goals of sustaining itself and making a profit. Your brand purpose consists of the guiding principles or rules that you will make business & branding decisions from, and it’s what your business, offerings, branding, and marketing will strive to uphold. The specific elements of brand purpose that we will get clear on in The Brand Building workshop are: values, ethics, philosophy, vision, mission, and goals.
Brand Energy: the frequency, vibration, life force, or intangible “je ne sai quoi” that radiates from every aspect of a brand which is felt by anyone interacting with or experiencing the brand and its business. Brand energy is what speaks to people subconsciously or on a soul level and either magnetizes them toward a business or repels them away. With The Tenth House method of brand design, brand energy is intentionally cultivated and infused into every aspect of your brand in order to encourage your desired brand experience, image, and reputation.
Brand Personality: the set of human traits and characteristics that are given, to a brand. Brand personality is how a brand “behaves” and interacts with its audience, creating an emotional connection and helping people relate to it on a personal level.
Brand Assets: the specific visible, audible, tactile, or otherwise tangible elements of a brand that people can experience with their five senses and that are used to present, communicate about, or market a business to the world. Brand assets designed at The Tenth House are a brand’s energetic core translated into tangible form so that people can feel and understand the brand’s values, ethics, philosophy, vision, mission, goals, energy, and personality when they experience any of the brand assets. Brand Assets also act as building blocks that can be used to create brand touchpoints, including brand collateral and communication materials. Examples of brand assets include: brand name, tagline, motto, voice, creative direction, colour palette, typography, logo, photos, images, art, video, graphic elements, textures, sounds, scents, and flavours.
Brand Communication: the practice of transmitting and expressing a brand to the world with the goal of establishing an awareness of the brand’s energetic core, facilitating connections with the public, and building trusting, loyal, long-lasting relationships. Brand communication is usually directed to a brand’s ideal customers & clients, but can also be used by a business internally with employees and stakeholders. Brand communication is achieved by crafting messages and starting conversations that align with and support its energetic core, choosing relevant communication channels, and using brand assets to create brand touchpoints and communication materials. Any time a business creates and puts something out that conveys, shows, shares, or radiates its brand, that’s brand communication.
Brand Touchpoints: any point of contact that someone has with a brand. Brand touchpoints are opportunities for a business to deliver messages, start conversations, and demonstrate its brand, and leave an impression. Examples of brand touchpoints include: offerings (goods & services), customer service, interactions with business representatives, advertising, physical spaces, websites, social media, live events, and any digital or physical branded materials (also known as brand collateral).
Brand Collateral: the tangible digital and physical goods or “things” that are created with brand assets to facilitate brand communication and support a business’s overall marketing efforts. Examples of brand collateral include: business cards, social media graphics, jingles, videos, brochures, stationary, signage, posters, packaging, printed & digital newsletters, quotes, invoices, podcast covers, gift cards, media kits, ebooks, employee handbooks, branded mugs & pens, and other physical and digital items.
Brand Communication Channels: the mediums that a business and brand can use to send messages, start conversations, and engage with people. Brand communication channels can be thought of as the specific modes of transportation that can be used to deliver information. The communication channels that a business uses have an impact on how people perceive the business and brand, and affect its ability to connect with its ideal customers & clients, achieve its goals, fulfill its mission, and realize its vision. Examples of communication channels include: email, telephone, television, radio, podcasts, websites and other digital spaces, YouTube, social media, digital & print publications, internal business documents, physical spaces, billboards & signage, and in-person interactions.
Brand Image: how people view a brand and its business. Brand image is the perception, opinion, or lasting impression that is formed from experiencing or coming into contact with brand touchpoints. Different people can have different perceptions or impressions of a brand & business, depending on who they are and what they have experienced from the business/brand and any of its representatives. If a brand is clear and consistent with its branding and brand communication, it’s more likely that people will perceive, view, and describe that brand in the way that was intended and desired. The more people agree on how to describe a brand, the stronger a brand image gets.
Brand Reputation: similar to brand image, brand reputation is what people think and feel about a brand. Brand reputation is what a brand and its offerings are known for — it’s what people expect from a business/brand, and is positively or negatively strengthened with each experience that someone has with it.
Building your own brand or preparing to work with a designer?
The Brand Building Workshop is a self-paced digital workshop that uses an alternative approach to mainstream branding and a strategic step-by-step process to help you define your version of success and create a comprehensive brand package that helps you achieve it.
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