What Is a Brand? (Hint: It’s Not Your Logo)

So, what is a brand? When I talk about branding, I like to start with Harley-Davidson. When you think of Harley, what do you think of?

This is Harley's Logo. This is not the brand.

This is Harley's product. This is just one aspect of the brand.

THIS is the brand.

Because a brand isn’t what you say – it’s what other people feel. It’s reputation. Identity. Meaning. That tattoo isn’t just ink. It’s belonging. It’s loyalty. It’s freedom. It's the story someone tells themselves – and the world – about who they are.

Dating Is Branding

Like Tuesday’s blog post pointed out, if you’ve ever dated, you understand the basics of marketing. The same goes for branding. Think about it.

When you go on a date, you pick clothes that say something about you. Your hairstyle. Your shoes. Your Spotify playlist. Your go-to story. It’s all intentional (or unintentionally revealing).

That’s your brand. Not your name. Not your job title. Not your LinkedIn bio. Yes, that’s all important to your brand, but none of these are your brand alone. Your vibe – what people say about you when you’re not in the room is your brand.

And it matters. Because people decide, often instantly, whether they trust you. Whether they connect with you. Whether they want to take the next step.

What Does This Mean for Associations?

Branding isn’t just for corporations or motorcycles or dating apps. For associations, especially member-driven ones, it’s everything.

If your logo disappeared tomorrow, would your members still know who you are? Would they still know what you stand for?

Your brand isn’t only your website or your conference brochure. It’s how your members feel after a great event.

It’s the pride they have when they mention your name. It’s whether they believe that being part of your community says something about them.

That’s what Harley-Davidson nailed. They build great motorcycles, and without that none of this would matter, but their brand isn’t only built around motorcycles. It's built around people who wanted to live boldly and freely – and gave them the badge to prove it.

Brand Is Belonging

So, if you're leading an association, stop asking what your brand looks like. Start asking what it feels like.

• Do your members feel seen?

• Do they feel proud to be part of your community?

• Do they tell others about you – without being asked?

Because in the end, branding isn’t only about style. It’s about story. And the strongest stories are the ones we choose to be part of.

So don’t just show them your logo. Show them what it means to belong. 

Next week, we're going to get into the weeds a little bit about marketing in an association.