Brand fundamentalsSeptember 28, 2026

Brand Concept vs. Brand Identity—How Confusing the Two Leads to Unusable Brand Design

Author: Daisuke Irikura (Representative Director, HUV DESIGN OFFICE Co., Ltd.) / MBA / Former INPIT-registered brand specialist / Delivered over 100 branding seminars and consulting engagements for B2B small and medium-sized enterprises

What You Will Learn

The proper definition of a brand concept
How it differs from brand identity
Why you need a brand concept first
What happens when the two are confused

Conclusion (Summary)

A brand concept defines why you are undertaking branding and what the problem is. It is the starting point for branding. Brand identity defines who you are as a company and is designed based on the brand concept. Confusing the two leads to brand design without a foundation.

When clients tell us, “We want to create a brand concept,” further discussion often reveals that what they actually want is to design their brand identity.

Conversely, some say, “We want to define our brand identity,” but are actually talking about a brand concept that clarifies what the problem is.

These two terms are often confused in practice. Yet they mean different things. Proceeding without distinguishing between them leads to brand design without a foundation.

What Is a Brand Concept?

A “concept” means a direction. A brand concept determines the direction of your branding efforts.

Specifically, it clarifies three things.

① Why are you undertaking branding? (Purpose) Why are you designing the brand? Is it to increase sales, improve recruitment, or escape price competition? If the purpose remains unclear, nothing you do will translate into results.

② What is the problem? (Bottleneck) Where is the gap between your current situation and your ideal state? Are different people communicating inconsistent messages? Are customers failing to understand your value? Are you experiencing mismatches in recruitment? Identifying the problem makes it clear what action you need to take.

③ What will you resolve? (Issue to address) Summarize what you will change to address the bottleneck you have identified.

In short, a brand concept summarizes “what the problem is and why you will solve it through branding.”

There is no universally accepted academic definition of “brand concept,” and its use varies among practitioners as well. This article uses the definition above as our firm's practical definition.

What Is Brand Identity?

Brand identity is the definition of “who you are as a company.”

We define it as “the meaning behind meaning-making.” If a brand is about creating meaning for stakeholders, brand identity defines “who you are” at the core of that meaning-making.

Specifically, it is defined through five questions: WHY (reason for being), WHO (target audience), WHAT (value offered), HOW (methods and style), and WHOM NOT (those you do not serve).

Comparing the Two

	Brand Concept	Brand Identity
Question	Why are we undertaking branding?	Who are we as a company?
Content	A summary of the purpose, problem, and issue to address	A definition of the reason for being, value offered, and behavioral guidelines
Nature	Direction for solving problems	The meaning behind meaning-making
Sequence	Created first	Created afterward

Why Do You Need a Brand Concept First?

There is no point in undertaking branding without understanding the problem.

Is the problem that “we are not communicating why people should choose us,” that “different people are saying different things,” or that “we are experiencing mismatches in recruitment”? The design needed to solve the problem changes depending on what that problem is.

First, use the brand concept to clarify “what the problem is and what you will resolve.” Then, after analyzing the business environment and defining the market, customers, and distinctiveness, design the brand identity. This is the proper sequence for the branding process.

What Happens When the Two Are Confused?

If you start creating a brand identity (who you are as a company) without first clarifying the brand concept (what the problem is), the following happens.

You lose sight of why you are creating it You end up thinking, “It sounds good, but we don't know what to use it for.”

The problem remains unresolved You create recruitment messaging when the problem is price competition. You polish the website design when the problem is an overreliance on individual staff members. The problem and the solution become misaligned.

Internal agreement becomes harder to reach Without a clear rationale for “why we are doing this,” internal debates arise over whether it is really necessary.

Summary

Brand concept and brand identity are different things.

Brand concept: Why are you undertaking branding? What is the problem, and what will you resolve? The starting point for branding.

Brand identity: Who are you as a company? A definition of who chooses you, what they choose you for, and why. Designed based on the brand concept.

Branding without understanding the problem is effort without direction. The proper first step in branding is to use a brand concept to clarify “what you will resolve.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long should a brand concept be? A: Around one A4 page is enough, provided it clearly puts the purpose, problem, and issue to address into words. Internal agreement matters more than length.

Q: Who should be involved in creating a brand concept? A: Involving not only management but also employees who experience the problems firsthand, such as sales and recruitment staff, helps you identify problems more accurately.

Q: Does a brand concept stay the same once it has been created? A: It needs to be reviewed when the business environment or the issues you face change. Generally, however, it changes less frequently than brand identity.

Translated from the original Japanese article. Read in Japanese

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