THE BRANDING ICEBERG AND A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT'S UNDER THE SURFACE

All too often, people think branding is just the logo and a strapline. The truth is though that these are only the parts of a brand that are public facing, the bits you can see. All the bits that make up a brand though are not visible. A great metaphor for this is the “Branding Iceberg” which explains why your brand is so much more than its visual identity. Like an iceberg, the visible part is just the tip. Below the waterline lies everything that truly defines your brand, including how it’s perceived, what makes it trusted and why it's memorable.

The Obvious Stuff

These are the parts of your brand that people can see right away:

• Logo & Visual Identity: Your colours, fonts and design elements. Think Salesforce’s cloud imagery or IBM’s classic blue
• Strapline or Slogan: These few words sum up your value, like Apple’s “Think Different”
• Marketing Materials: These arre the polished assets a company puts out there like their website, brochures or ther marketing collaterals

There's no doubt that all of the above is important, After all, it makes you recognisable . But here’s the catch: they’re just surface-level. And in B2B, that's just not enough, especially when buyers are juggling with competing priorities and stakeholder pressure.

The Less Obvious Stuff:

Below the surface, the branding iceberg gets interesting. This is where trust is built, loyalty is earned and reputations are made.

• Your Purpose and Mission: Your "why" is the foundation of everything. It’s not about making money here, it’s about the impact you’re going to make. For B2B buyers, this matters. They want partners who stand for something.
• Core Values: Values shape every interaction, decision and experience. They’re the DNA of your company culture. When Microsoft puts inclusivity and innovation at the heart of its brand, it attracts customers and talent who share those ideals.
• Brand Voice: Your tone of voice is how your brand sounds to the rest of the world. Whether it’s formal and authoritative like SAP or approachable and playful like Slack, consistency is key. Every interaction from emails to social posts and blogs to business cards needs to be on-brand.
• Customer Experience: How people feel when they interact with your brand defines how they will see you. If you can boast of a smooth onboarding process, responsive support or a well-designed product, then people will have more trust in your company. Whereas if the service your prospects get is sloppy and imprsonal, the opposite will be true.
• Perception and Trust: B2B buyers don’t take risks lightly. They need proof that you’re reliable and credible. Thought leadership, case studies and word-of-mouth recommendations create the perception of value. Over time, that perception turns into trust and that will become your biggest brand asset.

Why this really matters in B2B

B2B branding isn’t just about standing out; it’s about making buyers feel confident in choosing you for what is probably a very expensive product or service. These aren’t impulse purchases, they’re long-term investments in relationships. That’s why the submerged parts of the branding iceberg carry so much weight.

Here’s what those hidden layers do for your business:

• Build Credibility: A clear purpose and consistent values make you dependable
• Create Differentiation: When your competitors all look the same, your brand’s depth gives you an edge
• Inspire Loyalty: Emotional connections drive long-term relationships
• Fuel Referrals: When customers trust you, they recommend you. It’s that simple.

Lastly, a brand isn’t built overnight and it doesn’t stay static. It's constantly moving and changing. Like an iceberg itself, it evolves with time and within the environment around it. But when you focus on what's under the surface, the layers that build trust and connection, you'll create a brand that’s not just memorable, but meaningful and in B2B, that’s what sets you apart.

Ready to get started?

For a no obligation consultation, just fire over a quick email to brendan@brandingiq.rocks, message me in the contact section or call +31 6 27 11 91 11.

Looking forward to speaking to you.