Mariana and her team were fantastic to work with. Responsive, understanding, and organized. Most importantly the quality of the work is exceptional. I am tremendously proud to be represented by the branding that Design Etiquette created for my business.

Brandon Chillingworth — Hacked BD

5 Essential Layers Every Brand Needs

— 5 Essential Layers Every Brand Needs — 5 Essential Layers Every Brand Needs

Branding, Business, Strategy

Imagine your brand as an onion, with each layer adding depth and flavor. At its core lies your logotype, its fundamental element. Every layer that surrounds this core will contribute different elements that, if done correctly, will help your brand succeed. Let’s dive into these layers.

1. Logo: The Tip of the Iceberg

Your logo is the visual cornerstone of your brand. It’s the first thing people see and the graphic element they associate with your business. While it’s just the tip of the iceberg, a well-designed logo is fundamental in initiating brand trust.

2. Brand Identity: Colors, Typography, Patterns, and More

Beyond the logo lies the broader spectrum of brand identity. This includes your brand’s colors, typography, patterns, and other visual elements like photography style. These elements work together to create a cohesive and memorable brand image that resonates with your audience.

3. Branding: Shaping Your Brand's Narrative

Branding is the process of crafting your brand’s story and identity. It includes your brand strategy, defining values, voice, personality, target audience, and market positioning. Additionally, branding extends to every touchpoint that shapes the brand experience, from how you communicate with customers to the sensory elements like smell, sight, and touch. Effective branding creates a strong emotional connection with your audience, turning them from customers to fans.

4. Marketing and Advertising: Amplifying Your Brand's Message

Once you’ve established your brand identity and strategy, it’s time to amplify your message through marketing and advertising. This includes strategies like content marketing, social media campaigns, and paid advertising, all aimed at reaching and engaging your target audience.

5. Sales: Converting Leads into Customers

The final layer of the brand-building process is sales. This is where all your branding and marketing efforts culminate in converting leads into customers. If your previous layers are well put together and you have a strong brand, the sales process can become smoother, as customers are already familiar and comfortable with your brand.

To finish this article, I’d like to point out the most crucial element, which I seem to have forgoten to mention: your product or service. While these 5 layers can help you attract more clients and build brand trust, if your offering isn’t top-notch, you might make a sale once, but that’s where it ends.

In conclusion, building a successful brand requires attention to each of these layers. From logo to marketing, to sales, each layer plays a crucial role in shaping your brand’s story and connecting with your audience. The more attention to detail and professionalism applied to each layer, the greater your brand’s chance of success.

What other aspects of brand management are you curious about?



Mariana and her team were fantastic to work with. Responsive, understanding, and organized. Most importantly the quality of the work is exceptional. I am tremendously proud to be represented by the branding that Design Etiquette created for my business.

Brandon Chillingworth — Hacked BD

Our Work Featured in Logo Lounge 13

— Our Work in Logo Lounge 13 — Our Work in Logo Lounge 13

Creativity, Publications

We are so excited to have one of our logos chosen for this year’s Logo Lounge 13.

With 36,000 submissions and only 3,000 logos chosen, this book’s packed with incredible logo designs from around the world. Logo Lounge has been a source of inspiration for our work throughout the years, and we couldn’t be more honored to have our work in it.



Mariana and her team were fantastic to work with. Responsive, understanding, and organized. Most importantly the quality of the work is exceptional. I am tremendously proud to be represented by the branding that Design Etiquette created for my business.

Brandon Chillingworth — Hacked BD

Our Work Featured in Logo Lounge 11

— Our Work in Logo Lounge 11 — Our Work in Logo Lounge 11

Creativity, Publications

“Your work is being featured in the design books you used to devour when we were in school. How cool is that?”

That’s what a friend of mine pointed out the other day (although I guess she wouldn’t use a word like “devour”, but you get the point). I hadn’t thought about it this way until she mentioned it, and yes it does feel cool. I have about half the books of the Logo Lounge collection, and even though I have never thought about submitting my own work until now, this year two of our logos got picked out of 40,000 submissions to be included in their new book.

It feels great to have our work next to other designers we admire, this is enough motivation to keep us creating the best work we can. The Logo Lounge books are well-curated and a great source of inspiration for any brand designer. You can get this issue and some of their past books on Amazon and other design stores.