No company that ever was, didn’t need an identity that represents their core values, imply with just one look what the company does, stands for, or represents, then put it on letterhead, signage, business cards, and any other needed collateral. This can be an involved process, starting with rounds of design samples, research, test groups, and even a bit of creative research can all be in this process.
This all ends up culminating in the final goal of creating a brand identity. Most business entrepanures usually already have something in mind that they already see and/or may not be fully conceptualized in their head and only needs a designer to create magic. I enjoy this process, the job is to give you that something that meets those expectations by creating the facilities that can direct the project toward a whole memorable logo brand.
And in the new millenniuum these identities have been going through a metamorphosis since the age of social media and crowd sourcing. Twitter and Facebook have muscled into the mix, allowing for opportunities to reward the loyal customer, address problems and lay the foundation to create buzz, and open up the communication between corporate world or small business and their customer base. This translates into creating a social presence that further supports that identity and reputation.
All media, wether social or real world printed pieces, need branding that represents a company and creates consistent brand identity. The logo brand needs to translate well across several mediums and this is part of any design solution.