Helpful brand terms & definitions
First, you’re not wrong to be confused.
I’ve been in the brand design industry for nearly ten years now, and I’m always finding designers using different words for different things.
Here are no fluff definitions, in my own words, informed by years of research and experience.
This is extensive. All the terms I could think of, that I use on a regular basis.
And there will be a quiz on our first call.
Just joking.
Brand Strategy Terms
Brand Strategy
The long-term plan for how the brand will win: who you serve, what you offer, why it matters, and how you position yourself. Delivered as a package, including everything in section.
Mission
What you do and why you exist (today).
Vision
Where you’re going and how you want things to be (future state).
Values
Core beliefs that guide your decisions, behaviour, and culture.
Pillars
The 3–5 foundational strengths that hold up your brand (your non-negotiables).
Promise
What people can consistently expect from you every time.
Personality
Human traits you embody. How you behave and show up.
Voice
How you speak: tone, style, language choices (who you are when you speak)
Tone
The emotional inflection or attitude of your voice in a specific situation (cheerful when you share an announcement, serious when you post an update)
Story
A narrative that explains who you are, what you believe, and why you exist (people will either see themselves in it, or they won’t… that’s a good thing).
Creative Direction
The visual + emotional blueprint for the brand before design begins (vibe, mood, feel).
Differentiators
The things that make you meaningfully different.
Positioning
The space you occupy in the customer’s mind relative to competitors.
Competitive Analysis
Looking at competitors to understand gaps, threats, and opportunities.
Value Proposition
The promise of value you deliver and why someone should choose you.
Target Audience
The specific group of people your brand is built for.
Audience Segmentation (Personas)
Breaking your audience into smaller groups or people, based on needs or behaviours.
Audience Insights
Patterns, motivations, and behaviours that shape how your brand communicates.
Architecture
How products, services, and sub-brands are organized (parent brand → sub-brand → product).
Messaging Framework
A structured system for your brand messaging (key messages, taglines, benefits).
Tagline
Short phrase expressing your brand value or positioning.
Slogan
A campaign-specific phrase (short-term, promotional).
Content Strategy
How you create and use content to reach goals and speak to your audience.
Customer Journey
The stages a customer goes through from awareness → purchase → loyalty.
Touchpoints
All the places, and any moment someone interacts with the brand (digital or physical).
Extensions
New offerings that expand the brand into new categories.
Expressions
All the ways the brand comes to life visually and experientially.
Visual Identity Terms
Visual Identity
The full system of graphics that visually expresses your brand.
Logo
A symbol or wordmark that represents your brand.
Logomark
A symbol or icon (no text) used to represent the brand (e.g., Nike swoosh).
Wordmark
The brand name written in a custom type style (e.g., Coca-Cola).
Lettermark
Initials or abbreviation used as the logo (e.g., UPS).
Combination Mark
A logo that includes both text and a symbol (e.g., Spotify).
Responsive Logo System
Different logo versions for different screen sizes and uses.
Submark
A simplified mini version of your logo for small spaces.
Favicon
Small icon that appears in browser tabs.
Typography
Your brand’s font system.
Type Hierarchy
Rules for how fonts are used (headings, body, captions).
Colour Palette
The selected brand colors and how they are used.
Primary Colours
The main recognizable colors of the brand.
Secondary Colours
Support colors for accents and flexibility.
Tertiary Colours
Utility tones, neutrals, or extended palettes.
Hex / RGB / CMYK
Color formats for web (Hex/RGB) and print (CMYK).
Brand Pattern
A repeated graphic element used to create consistency.
Texture
A visual surface quality (grain, paper, grit, fabric effect).
Iconography
Your custom icon set: style, shapes, line weight.
Illustration Style
Consistent style guidelines for illustrations.
Photography Style
How photos should look: lighting, mood, composition, colour grading.
Art Direction
Guidelines for visual storytelling: how all imagery should feel.
Scale
How large or small elements can appear.
Composition
How visual elements are arranged together.
Contrast
Differences in size, colour, or weight used to create focus.
Hierarchy
What you want the viewer to notice first, second, third.
Brand Motif
A repeating visual idea tied to the story (e.g., a horizon line, dot grid).
Brand System & Implementation Terms
Brand Guidelines
A rulebook for how your brand looks, sounds, and behaves.
Design System
The reusable components (buttons, grids, colours, type) that guide digital design.
Templates
Pre-designed assets for consistency across platforms (IG posts, ads, decks).
Print Collateral
Support materials (business cards, brochures, flyers, packaging).
Packaging Design
How a product is presented physically: structure, materials, graphics.
Environmental Branding
How the brand appears in spaces (signage, interiors, events).
Merch Design
Branded items like apparel, mugs, totes.
Digital & Web Terms
UI (User Interface)
The visual layout of a digital product — buttons, type, colours, layout.
UX (User Experience)
How a user feels when interacting with your website or product.
Wireframe
A low-fidelity layout sketch showing structure before design.
Prototype
An interactive mockup to test flow and usability.
Responsive Design
Adjusting layouts for mobile, tablet, and desktop.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
How you improve visibility on search engines.
Conversion
When a user takes a desired action (book, buy, sign up).
CTA (Call to Action)
A prompt that drives a user to act (Buy now, Book call).
Hero Section
The first, most visible section on a webpage.
Navigation
How users move through a website (menu structure).
Footer
Bottom section with links, branding, legal, and contact info.
Social Media Terms
Social Strategy
Your plan for how social content supports business goals.
Content Pillars
The 3–5 categories you post about consistently.
Content Calendar
A scheduled plan of what you’ll post and when.
Engagement
Actions people take on your content (likes, comments, saves, shares).
Reach
How many unique people saw your content.
Impressions
How many total times your content was seen (even by the same person).
Meta Ads Manager
The platform where you create, run, test, and track ads on Facebook & Instagram.
Campaign
The top-level structure defining your primary goal (awareness, traffic, conversions).
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
Percentage of viewers who clicked a link in your post.
Conversion
A user completing a desired action (booking, signing up, buying).
Organic Content
Posts you don’t pay to promote.
UGC (User-Generated Content)
Content created by customers or fans.
Reels / Shorts / TikToks
Short-form vertical videos used for reach and discovery.
Carousel
Multiple-swipe, multi-image posts focused on storytelling or education.
Social Proof
Evidence that people trust you (reviews, testimonials, tags, shares).
Voice (Social)
How you speak in captions and comments.
Community Management
Interacting with followers through replies, comments, messages.
Hashtag Strategy
Using relevant hashtags to increase visibility.
Algorithm
The system platforms use to determine who sees your content.
Retention Rate
How long viewers watch a video before dropping off.
Hook
The first line or first 1–3 seconds designed to capture attention.
Call to Action (CTA)
What you ask viewers to do next (save, share, click, DM).
Email & Newsletter Terms
Email Marketing
Using email to nurture, educate, or convert your audience.
Campaign
A single email or a series of emails with a specific goal.
Sequence / Automation
A pre-written set of emails triggered by an action (signup, purchase, download).
Welcome Sequence
A series of emails sent automatically after someone subscribes.
Nurture Sequence
Emails designed to build relationship, trust, or engagement.
Broadcast Email
A one-off email sent to the full list (like your weekly Behold newsletter).
Segment
A specific group of subscribers based on behaviour or attributes.
List Building
Growing your email subscriber base.
Opt-in
The step where someone signs up to receive your emails.
Lead Magnet
A free resource offered in exchange for an email address.
Open Rate
Percentage of subscribers who opened your email.
Click Rate
Percentage of subscribers who clicked at least one link.
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
Clicks compared to total opens (clicks / opens).
Bounce Rate
Emails that could not be delivered.
Unsubscribe Rate
Percentage of people who opted out of receiving more emails.
Spam / Junk
Where emails go when flagged as low quality or suspicious.
Subject Line
The title of your email — biggest driver of opens.
Preview Text
The small line that appears after the subject, boosting open rate.
A/B Testing
Testing two versions (subject lines, CTAs, send times) to see which performs better.
Personalization
Using subscriber data (name, interests) to tailor emails.
Conversion Email
A message designed to trigger a sales action or booking.
Deliverability
How well your emails reach inboxes vs spam.
CTAs (Calls to Action)
Buttons or links telling readers what to do next.
Email Footer
Legal and brand info at the bottom of every email.
ESP (Email Service Provider)
Platforms like MailChimp, ConvertKit, Klaviyo, Podbean email, etc.
Brand Management Terms
Brand Equity
The financial and emotional value of your brand over time.
Brand Consistency
Keeping visuals, voice, and experience unified across all touchpoints.
Rebrand
A major overhaul of identity + messaging.
Refresh
A light update to modernize or clarify the brand.
Brand Identity File Types
PNG (.png)
High-quality image with a transparent background.
Websites
Social media
Overlays on photos
Digital graphics
JPEG / JPG (.jpg / .jpeg)
Compressed image file with no transparency.
Photos
Website images
Social posts
Email banners
SVG (.svg)
Scalable vector graphic, stays perfectly sharp at any size.
Websites
Apps
Digital logos
Icons
PDF (.pdf)
Vector-based, high-quality document or graphic.
Print
Sending logos to printers
Signage mockups
EPS (.eps)
Vector file format used for professional printing.
Print shops
Large-scale signage
Embroidery
AI (.ai)
Adobe Illustrator source file, fully editable vector artwork. The master file.
Designers editing the logo
Creating new assets
Modifying vector shapes
