What they really want is a brand.

To some, that might sound like semantics—or a clever way to upsell strategy. But it’s not. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of what a logo does versus what a brand is. A logo is the handshake, not the relationship. The cover, not the story.

So… what’s the difference? Let’s dig in.

The Logo

A logo is easy to identify and define. Sure, there are nuances—wordmarks, icons, combination marks—but the essence is simple

“A logo is a graphic mark, emblem, or stylized name used to identify and  distinguish an organization from others.” 

Others have said it better:

Paul Rand (designer of the IBM, ABC, and UPS logos):

“A logo is a flag, a signature, an escutcheon (a shield or emblem bearing a coat of arms—I had to look it up), a street sign. A logo does not sell (directly); it identifies. A logo is rarely a description of a business”

Milton Glaser’s (creator of “I ♥ NY”) take:

“The logo is the point of entry to the brand.”

My take as a Gen X Kid? A logo is the gateway drug to the brand. You get a taste, but it opens the door to something bigger. The logo may get someone in the door, but the brand is what keeps them coming back.

So… What Is a Brand?

Anecdotally, most people think they know what a brand is. And to be fair, they’re not wrong—but often, they’re only seeing part of the picture.

Propaganda Creative starts all branding projects with a comprehensive discovery phase with clients. Part of that process is asking clients to describe their brand in their own words. This gives us a sense of their perspective—and helps set the tone for the journey ahead.

Most definitions we hear feel like Justice Potter Stewart’s famous take on pornography: ‘I’ll know it when I see it.’” To their credit they get close, typically we get back a mix of taglines, product features, mission statements, or (most commonly) a vibe.

Here’s how we like to frame it:

“A brand is the sum total of how people experience you—visually, emotionally, and functionally. It’s not your logo, your product, or your website. It’s what people feel when they encounter those things.”

A strong brand creates trust, consistency, and emotional resonance. It turns transactions into relationships. It signals your values without having to say them out loud. It’s how people describe you when you’re not in the room—and how they feel about themselves when they engage with you.

A rich brand adds depth to your business. It’s not just about your product or service—it’s about how your audience feels about themselves when they engage with it.

Customers don’t buy the product. They buy the outcome. They buy the story they get to tell themselves. They buy the emotional response they have to things.

It’s a reflection of your product + them— a mirror of what they want to feel, achieve, or become.

That’s where real brand power lives: In the space between what you offer and how it transforms the person using it.

To illustrate.

Which of these would you trade your hard earned dollars for

Which one makes you feel something, which one is memorable?

That’s what makes branding so slippery for many business owners and marketing teams. It’s not a one-and-done deliverable—it’s a living, breathing system.

You start with the essentials: your website, marketing collateral, and brand voice. But over time, your brand evolves. It grows with your audience, responds to culture, and adapts to the market.

All of the drips fill the bucket.

A strong brand is the result of a clear, intentional design and marketing strategy—one that builds consistency, earns trust, and gains momentum over time.

Where the rubber meets the road.

You’ll find plenty of great branding examples in the Fortune 500 and on Wall Street. We’ve all seen them. To their credit, the Apples, Nikes, and Disneys of the world have redefined how we interact with products and services.

But the real innovation? It’s happening on Main Street. Startups and small businesses that invest the time and energy to build a solid, consistent brand before they launch are carving out niches and gaining real traction.

Let’s take what we know and have learned and reduce our example to the basic building blocks of life, a product so abundant that it can easily be defined as a commodity.

Water.

Sold to you like this…

Conventional wisdom in selling water was simple: to feel pure, it had to look pure. And to prove it was pure, consumers needed to see it. That meant clear containers—bottles designed to showcase the product itself and build trust through transparency.

The result?

An industry flooded with clear plastic bottles in every shade of blue, wrapped in soft or modern typefaces. Our grocery store shelves became a sea of sameness—a homogeneous blue blob that looks like this.

Back to the earlier point: Does this inspire you in any way? Does it evoke an emotional response? Do you feel like the company’s values align with yours?

Or has it come full circle—where water is just a commodity you pay for, that once upon a time, used to be clean and free?

Enter the great disrupter LIQUID DEATH.

Liquid Death ignored all of the conventional wisdom, and built the fastest growing water company in the world by?  \ \ drum roll / / you guessed it, adhering to a strong brand. If you have not yet been indoctrinated, buckle up, this may be a wild ride.

This team has absolutely murdered it (pun intended). Every message, every design touchpoint—turn over any rock, and it screams Liquid Death.

And whether it makes you laugh out loud, roll your eyes, or shake your head in disbelief, the result is the same: You feel something.

That’s brand power. Unapologetic, unforgettable, and impossible to ignore.

I could write endlessly—unpacking example after example, but we all have work to do so here are a handful brought to you courtesy of a well thought out brand.

Cans vs plastic. Instead of plastic Liquid Death decided to use cans. Not just to be different, it turns out that all of that plastic isn’t awesome for mankind, or the other creatures that we share this planet with.

“IF PLASTIC POLLUTION ISN’T CURBED, PLASTIC WILL OUTWEIGH FISH IN THE OCEAN BY 2050.“

(link to video)

Not only are they leaning into a clear social mission, but their counterintuitive choice to use aluminum cans comes with added perks.

Remember that sea of sameness on the shelf? Now—it looks like this.

The branding seeps from every pore of the company—visible in every touchpoint, every detail, every interaction.

Next time you are in the grocery store, take a look, read the can.

No stone unturned, all the way down to the origin story.

Lets’ look at the packaging they put the cans in.

Functional, and another brand touchpoint that sets them apart from everyone else on the shelf. 

he deeper down the rabbit hole you go, the more you discover. And believe it or not—these next product collaborations are 100% real.

In March 2024, Liquid Death and e.l.f. Cosmetics joined forces to launch the Corpse Paint Vault—a limited-edition, black metal-inspired makeup kit that took social media by storm.

The collection featured five cruelty-free products with gloriously over-the-top names:

• Dead Set – Matte Magic Mist & Set
• Kiss of Death – O FACE Satin Lipstick in All Night
• Eye Die – No Budge Cream Eyeshadow in Wispy Cloud
• Dead Line – H2O Proof Eyeliner Pen
• Brush with Death – Putty Applicator

All of it was packaged in a reusable, coffin-shaped box that looked straight out of a horror film—and straight into your feed.

The result? By hijacking social media timelines with something completely unexpected and undeniably on-brand the vault sold out in just 45 minutes.

In December 2024, Liquid Death partnered with Depend to release the “Pit Diaper,” a limited-edition, goth-inspired adult diaper designed for concertgoers who don’t want to leave the mosh pit for bathroom breaks. The product, made from cruelty-free quilted pleather and adorned with chains and spikes, sold out within 24 hours of its release. This collaboration was inspired by a trend where fans wear adult diapers to avoid missing parts of live performances

Only a brand with supreme confidence—and an unshakeable identity—could turn internet hate into music

Enter Greatest Hates, Liquid Death’s album made entirely from real one-star reviews, angry DMs, and online backlash. Instead of burying criticism, they blasted it through distorted guitars and screaming vocals, pressing it to vinyl like a badge of honor.

And guess what? It charted.

These collaborations are extreme—but zoom out, and you’ll see a pattern: none of them took the path of least resistance.

The alchemy achieved by brands you would never see on the same shelf work. Why?

One magical ingredient: strong branding—powerful enough to eclipse the absurdity of the partnerships themselves.

So, what’s the result of world-class branding? World domination.

From the first can on the shelf to now, just six years have passed— and today, Liquid Death is sold in over 133,000 stores, generates more than $333 million in annual revenue, and boasts a valuation of $1.4 billion.

That’s the power of a brand that knows exactly who it is—and never flinches.

The Takeaways

Logos ≠ Brands A logo is a visual identifier—a spark. But a brand is the fire: the total emotional, visual, and functional experience people have with your company.

Branding Is Emotional People don’t buy products; they buy how those products make them feel about themselves. A strong brand reflects who the customer wants to become.

Brands Evolve Over Time: Branding is not a one-time deliverable. It’s a living, breathing system that grows with your audience, adapts to trends, and deepens trust over time.

Liquid Death’s first commercial cost just $1,500—and it set them on their path.

Everyone starts somewhere.

Small businesses are carving out niches and gaining real traction—not because they have the biggest budgets, but because they build solid, consistent brands. They know who they are, who they’re for, and how to show up with clarity.

That’s the power of branding done right—it levels the playing field.

If this gave you something to think about—or even something to argue with—drop a comment. Agree, disagree, or somewhere in between, I’d love to hear it. And if you found this useful, feel free to like or share it with someone who could benefit.