A brand's identity is important, as it plays probably one of the biggest roles in a company's success. Branding comes into play when consumers look at a certain company and immediately have a first impression based on what they see in either the products or visual representatives of the service the company provides.
There are three main parts that go into a brand's entire identity: brand, identity, and logo.
A brand is the perceived emotional corporate image as a whole.
The identity includes visual aspects utilized by the overall brand.
And finally, a logo is the symbol or mark that distinguishes or identifies the business.
Using Apple as an example, their "brand" is a multinational technology company. Each brand has its own voice which determines the message the company wants to communicate to their audience. In Apple's case, it is success and sleek innovation in the advancement of technology and devices.
Their "identity" includes the color scheme, marketing material, product and package design, apparel design, and basically any other form of visual representation of the company. For Apple, they're known for their sleek, modern, luxurious looking products, as well as the way their website, stores, and advertisements look.
Logo, is the simplest form of the brand. It is simply used to identify out of the millions of other businesses. Apple's logo is their apple symbol, a simple, grey/white/or black apple with a bite out of the side. This simple design can be recognized all over the world as the company is internationally successful.