Guide to brand terminology

A no-fluff guide to the key terms and phrases

The world of brand strategy is full of buzzwords. If you’ve ever sat in a meeting wondering what the difference is between a purpose and a vision, or what a brand really is (hint: it’s not your logo), you’re not alone.

In this guide, I’ll demystify the most common brand terms I get asked about — in clear, ‘human-speak’ language. Whether you're building a business, briefing a designer, or trying to clarify your message, these are the terms worth knowing.

Brand

The associations people make when they think of your business, service or product. These associations are intuitive and emotional — not logical. You can’t control what people associate with your brand, but you can influence it via all areas of your business including your behaviour and offering, your design and your messaging.

What it’s not: Your logo. That’s a symbol representing your brand — a visual shortcut, not the whole picture.

Brand Assets

Recognisable elements that trigger associations with your brand. Includes your logo, colour, graphics, sounds, name, characters, and shapes.
eg. KFC’s iconic Colonel Sanders

Brand Strategy

A plan to guide and develop your brand so it aligns with your business goals. It defines your purpose, positioning, values and personality — and sets the foundations for everything from messaging to customer experience.

Differentiation

The art of standing out from your competition. Differentiation is about clearly communicating what makes your brand distinct — not just in what you do, but in how you do it and why. In B2B markets especially, true uniqueness is rare, so many businesses aim for a clear distinction: a noticeable and meaningful point of difference that positions them effectively in the mind of their ideal customer.

Guidelines

A document that shows how to correctly use your brand assets - logo, colours, fonts, photography, illustrations, tone of voice. Useful internally or for agencies and partners - it helps ensure the consistency of how your brand appears and sounds, achieving more clarity and impact.

Mission

Your day-to-day focus. A mission gives your team clarity on what success looks like today and tomorrow.

Personality

The set of human characteristics that describe how your brand behaves and communicates. It influences everything from tone of voice to customer experience.

Playbook

An engaging description of your brand - often includes many aspects of brand strategy but also behaviours and attitudes of the business. Great for onboarding teams or sharing with partners.

Positioning

A strategic decision about how you want to be perceived in your customer’s mind — especially in relation to competitors. A clear positioning helps you stand out in a crowded market and attract the right people.

Promise

A stated or implied pledge to your customers, team and/or suppliers.

eg. FedEx’s overnight delivery guarantee.

Purpose

The reason your brand exists beyond making money. It’s the bigger picture — the impact you want to make. That might mean tackling global challenges or simply making everyday life a little better. A strong purpose provides internal clarity and guides strategic decisions.

Slogan (or tagline)

A short, memorable phrase that sums up your brand’s essence. Get it right and it will be recognisable even when seen or heard separately from your name or logo.

eg. Nike – “Just do it.”

Tone of voice

How your brand expresses its personality through language — written and spoken ie it’s not just what you say, but how you say it.

Value proposition

A clear statement that explains the core value your product or service delivers to your customer — the problem you solve and why that matters to your customers.

Values

The principles and beliefs that drive your decisions and behaviour. Values shape your culture, influence your tone, and help customers connect with what you stand for.

eg. Lego – Imagination, Creativity, Fun, Learning, Caring, Quality.

Vision

Where you’re going, what your brand aspires to become, and the impact it aims to have. It’s the guiding light that helps shape long-term decisions and direction.

Visual identity

The visible face of your brand: logo, colour palette, fonts, icons, layouts, imagery and more. It’s what people see — and what should consistently reflect your positioning and personality.

Final Thought

You don’t need to memorise every term — and you don’t need every one of these defined and documented like a checklist. The goal isn’t to tick boxes, it’s to bring clarity and cohesion to your brand.

A handful of well-thought-through elements, lived and breathed consistently, will always beat a bloated strategy deck that sits in a folder.

When you understand what each piece does — strategy, identity, personality, voice — you can make smarter decisions, brief creatives more clearly, and stay consistent across every touchpoint.