The Bard expressed the idea that a rose has a brand. The term implies characteristics that the end-user expects. He or she anticipates beauty, a certain inviting fragrance, thorns and all the emotional connections that the giving suggests.

In this segment of Logos 101, I want to touch on the emotional connections that a logo brings with it. One of the best ways I have discovered to illustrate branding is by using automobile nameplates.

It goes something like this: Which of these two cars is the most adventurous, Honda or Subaru? Which of these two cars is the most reliable, Toyota or Chrysler? Which of these two cars is the most youthful, Buick or Kia? Which of these two cars is the most family oriented, Chevrolet or Mazda?

We could quibble about which is the correct answer. But if you can make any distinction, it can only be explained because you have been influenced by that car manufacturer’s well-polished brand.

So the caution for a new business is this. You still have a brand.The brand is whatever is typical for a new company. Even so, the opportunity presents to remold the “new thing” brand to one that supports your business model.

For the established brand, the caution is this. Changing a tagline, graphics, marks, and logos, typically called rebranding, does not really change the brand. It’s like calling a thing that still looks, smells, feels like a rose a carnation. A rose is still a rose by any name.

Rebranding can be a useful tool to improve the brand of any poorly reputed enterprise only if the root causes for a weak brand are remedied.