What Are You Actually Paying for When You Invest in Brand Identity?
If you have ever looked into hiring a designer for branding, you have probably noticed that the term brand identity package can mean very different things. Some designers include a logo, a colour palette and a few fonts, while others include everything from brand guidelines to packaging, social media templates and art direction. So what are you actually paying for? The short answer is: not just a logo.
First, what is a brand identity?
A brand identity is the visual side of a business. It is how the brand looks across its website, packaging, social media, printed material and anything else a customer might see. The logo is part of that, but it is only one part of a much bigger system.A full visual identity usually includes the elements that help everything feel connected. This can include typography, colours, photography, graphic elements, layout styles and other visual details that appear consistently across different touchpoints. The aim is to create a brand that feels recognisable even when the logo is not immediately visible.
The logo
The logo is still one of the most important elements of a brand identity. Most brand identity packages will include a main logo as well as a few alternative versions, such as a secondary logo, a smaller brand mark or icon, and black-and-white versions. These different versions are useful because one logo will not always work in every space. A long logo might look great across the top of a website, but it may not work inside a small Instagram profile image or on a narrow product label. A good logo system gives the brand enough flexibility to work across different formats without losing consistency.
Colour palette
A colour palette gives the brand a consistent visual direction and helps create recognition over time. Most brand identity packages include a main set of colours and, depending on the project, a few secondary or supporting colours. The designer should also provide the correct colour values, such as HEX and RGB for digital use and CMYK for print. This may seem like a small detail, but inconsistent colour is one of the easiest ways for a brand to start looking messy. When the same colour appears differently across a website, printed material and social media, the identity quickly becomes less cohesive.
Typography
Typography is another major part of a brand identity. A designer may choose one typeface for headings and another for body text, or create a more detailed system depending on the needs of the business. The important thing is that the fonts work together and can actually be used consistently. Typography appears almost everywhere in a brand, from websites and packaging to presentations, social media posts and printed material. Because of this, it often has a much bigger impact on the overall look of the identity than people expect. A strong typography system helps create structure and makes the brand feel more considered.
Supporting graphics
Supporting graphics are often what make a brand identity feel more complete and individual. These might include patterns, icons, shapes, textures, frames, illustrations or other visual elements that can be used alongside the logo and typography. Not every brand needs a large collection of graphic elements, but having a few recognisable details can make the identity much more flexible. These elements can be used across social media, packaging, websites, presentations or printed material to help everything feel like part of the same visual world.
Photography and image direction
For some brands, photography is just as important as the logo. A brand identity package may include guidance on the type of images that should be used and the overall visual direction they should follow. This could include decisions around lighting, composition, colour, cropping, styling or subject matter. The purpose is to make sure the imagery feels consistent with the rest of the brand. Without this direction, a business can easily end up using completely different photography styles from one platform to another, which makes the overall identity feel less connected.
Brand guidelines
Once all the visual elements are finished, they are usually brought together inside a set of brand guidelines. This document explains how the identity should be used and helps keep the brand consistent over time. Brand guidelines can include logo usage, colour specifications, typography, image direction, spacing rules and examples of how different elements should work together. They are especially useful when more than one person is working with the brand. A social media manager, web designer, printer or future designer should be able to look at the guidelines and understand how the brand is supposed to look.
What about social media and packaging?
Social media templates, packaging and other materials are sometimes included in a brand identity package, but not always. It depends on the designer, the scope of the project and the needs of the business. These are usually considered brand applications. The identity is created first, and then it is applied to things such as packaging, business cards, social media templates, stationery, menus, signage, email signatures, presentations or websites. These applications are useful because they show how the visual identity works in real situations.
Do you need everything?
Probably not. A small service-based business and a product brand have very different needs, so the right brand identity package should depend on where the brand actually needs to appear. A consultant might mainly need a strong website, presentation template and social media system. A skincare brand might need packaging, labels, photography direction and retail material. A hospitality brand might need menus, signage and printed collateral. The most useful package is not necessarily the one with the longest list of deliverables, but the one that fits the way the business operates.
What should you ask before hiring a brand designer?
Before starting a branding project, it is important to ask exactly what is included. Do not assume that the term “brand identity” automatically includes packaging, social media templates or website design, because every designer structures their services differently. It is also useful to ask whether you will receive editable files, print-ready files, web-ready files, font information, colour codes, logo variations and brand guidelines. Knowing this before the project begins makes the process much clearer and avoids confusion later.
Final thoughts
A good brand identity package should give you more than a new logo. It should give your business a clear visual system that can be used consistently across different platforms and materials. The exact deliverables will vary from one business to another, but the goal should always be the same: to create a brand that feels consistent, recognisable and professionally considered wherever it appears.
If you are preparing to invest in your own identity, explore my brand identity and packaging design services, or see how it comes together in the MĒNOS skincare case study.
