Brands and logos are the international tools for most businesses. They cross the frontier easily and provide companies with the possibility of transmitting an unequivocal and consistent message to the consumers. Products and organizations have their own “personality”. This personality is very complex. To talk about brands and logotypes as two different subjects is a little bit confusing. Brands, through which traders differentiate their products and services from the rest, can be divided into two categories: brand name (e.g. Rolls Royce, Silver Shadow, Corniche, etc.) and brand image (e.g. the flying lady: a hood ornament on Rolls Royce cars called “Spirit of Ecstasy”).

Sometimes people believe the brand name to be the whole brand and forget that it is just a part of the logotype. In fact, both name and image are different types of marks traders use to make their products different. Many of the most known brands in the world (Coca-Cola, Ford, Kellogg’s) are brand names in emblematic graphic forms. Consequently, the compound brand comprises a brand name and a brand image. Coca-Cola will react immediately if somebody pirates or uses its name without permission. Although the first commercial brands were initially used by traders and dealers, the use of names and emblematic marks has spread out significantly and nowadays hospital, governmental institutions, sports clubs and all kind of organizations that are not part of the trade market use these marks as their symbol of reorganization. Logotypes are not commercial organization’s prerogative. For instance, the goals of the United Nations are clearly defined in the emblematic logotype. A good brand and logo can turn to be a valuable possession.

Eventually, brands went from being simple marks of distinction for products to being guarantees and markers of quality, value, credibility and origin. They have become brief messages through which consumers identify products, services and organizations. A bottle of scent with the name and logotype of Chanel will be more valuable than others with the names Jenkins, Patel or Schwarz.

Commercial brands and logotypes are more than simple words or images:

They make products, services and organizations identifiable.

They differentiate these products, etc. from the rest.

They inform about their origin, value and quality.

They give value to products most of the time.

They are important legal marks.

Traders have always used industry brands and visual means to make their products different. Brand images or isologo preceded brand names in time. In the past, emblematic markers used to be of local use only. The only exceptions were those used by kings, emperors and governments. The French Fleur-de-lis, the eagle of Hapsburg in Austria-Hungary and the imperial chrysanthemum in Japan meant ownership and control.

However, the large-scale usage of commercial brands goes back to more than 100 years ago. During the second half of the 19th century, the improvement of communications and manufacturing processes gave rise to products overcrowdings for the first time; most of today’s well-known brands go back to that period: some examples are Singer sewing machines, Coca-Cola soft drinks, Quaker, Shredded Wheat, Kodak films, American Express.

But the commercial brands boom took place during the last 30 years. Shipyards, coal mines, etc. do not need commercial brands, but ready-made food manufacturers, credit card companies, electronic companies and restaurant chains consider brands and logotypes to be a significant factor for their businesses. Brands are valuable for both companies and consumers. Consumers rely on brands to buy products because they are the guide that helps them when selecting a product from the existing large variety of choices. If we stay at a Hilton Hotel we will not be worried about the reliability of the hotel, or the conditions of the sheets: the name Hilton is a guarantee of their high quality and reliable services.

Because of brands we make, almost subconsciously, a quick decision when faced to different options. This is why brands and logos, the different means through which organizations communicate and differentiate their products or services, are not only a useful tool for these organizations, but also a necessary tool to satisfy consumer’s needs.