Beyond the Logo: What Brand Strategy Really Looks Like
When most people hear “branding,” they picture a logo. Maybe a color palette, a nice font. But according to our lead designer Jenna Turek, that’s only the tip of the iceberg, and often the last step, not the first.
We sat down with Jenna to talk about what actually happens before the visuals come together: the questions she asks, the research she does, and the strategic thinking that determines whether a brand identity truly works or just looks nice.
Q: When a client comes to you, what’s the first question you ask to uncover the strategy behind their brand before any visuals come into play?
“We usually start by asking if they’ve ever developed an actual strategy for their business or company, and we look at what materials they already have,” Jenna explains. From there, her team builds on that foundation, helping clients put their identity into writing through content pillars, a vision, a mission, and a clearer sense of who they are, long before a single design element is considered.
In other words: the strategy work isn’t a formality before the “real” design begins. It is the real work, the design just gives it shape later.
Q: How do you translate an abstract idea like “trustworthy” or “innovative” into concrete design choices, such as color, type, imagery?
This is where strategy and creativity meet. Jenna’s process starts with association: “I think of things that would remind me of that idea; visual icons, inspiration, things in the world around us.” She often draws from personal and lived experience, especially when working with founders on their own businesses, using what a word or feeling means to them as a jumping-off point for a visual concept.
Color plays a deliberate role too. “Colors evoke certain feelings and emotions, and they’re used strategically to make our audience feel connected in the way we want them to feel connected.” Every hue on a brand board is doing a job, not just looking good.
Q: What happens when a client’s personal taste conflicts with what the strategy or research suggests is right?
This might be the most relatable moment in branding, and Jenna handles it with a simple reframe: “Even though it’s your business, and so much of your heart and soul is in it, we always come back to keeping our ideal customer in mind. We aren’t always our own ideal client.”
Her example: a founder might love green, but if it doesn’t resonate emotionally with the audience they’re trying to reach, it’s not the right choice, no matter how personal the preference. The work is about staying aligned with the people the brand needs to connect with, not just the person building it.
Q: How do you think about brand identity as a system that has to flex across contexts, such as an app icon, a billboard, social media, rather than just a logo?
Jenna describes her approach as assembling puzzle pieces. “The entire brand identity is your completed puzzle. All of those individual assets, the logo included, are just smaller pieces of the bigger picture.”
That means every asset is designed with its future life in mind, how it will look and function on a phone screen, a storefront, a website, or a billboard. “Anytime anyone sees your brand, they’re getting that same feeling and that same experience, no matter where they’re seeing you.” Consistency isn’t about using the same logo everywhere; it’s about a flexible system that adapts without losing its identity.
Q: How do you know if a brand identity is actually working once it launches?
According to Jenna, the identity itself is just the starting line. “It’s that next step after that starts to show us metrics and conversion, how you promote the brand, market it, whether through digital marketing or social media.”
She’s quick to point out that “working” looks different depending on the business. A sales-driven company measures success differently than a nonprofit focused on brand awareness or donations. But across the board, a strong identity gives a business the confidence and cohesion to go out and be measured in the first place.
Q: What’s a branding myth or misconception you wish more people understood?
Jenna’s answer circles right back to where the conversation started: “It’s not always just about your logo. I think a logo is the very first thing people think of when they think of branding, which is natural. But it’s really the underlying strategy you work through and perfect before you start the visual side that carries you through your business journey as you evolve and scale.”
Her take: the visual identity might be what people see first, but the strategy behind it is what makes it last.
The takeaway: A great brand isn’t built by starting with a logo and hoping the strategy follows. It’s the other way around, the strategy comes first, and the visuals are simply the clearest, most memorable way of expressing it.
