Branding glossary in English and Spanish

Putting artificial intelligence tools to work in an organization's daily processes, like answering common questions or drafting content, with people reviewing the results.

Data about how people find and use your website, like visits, pages viewed and calls, which helps you see what's working.

Tasks that run on their own once they're set up, like sending a confirmation text, a reminder or a review request at the right moment.

A seal from the Better Business Bureau for businesses that meet its Standards for Trust, such as honest advertising and responding to complaints. Citlalli Brands is a BBB Accredited Business.

Reaching customers in two languages with one consistent brand.

What people think, feel and expect when they hear an organization's name, shaped by every experience they have with it. A brand is more than a logo: it's the reputation the logo stands for.

A review of how a brand looks, sounds and performs today across its website, materials and customer experience, to find what's consistent and what needs work.

A custom background made with a brand's own colors and shapes, for printed and digital pieces like presentations, banners and social media.

Using the same logo, colors, fonts and message the same way everywhere, so people recognize you at a glance and trust what they see.

The written rules that keep a brand consistent wherever it appears.

A simplified mark taken from your logo for small spaces, like a social media profile picture or a browser tab.

The visual and verbal elements that make an organization recognizable.

When what a brand promises and what people actually experience match. It's one of the four pillars behind Citlalli's work and the Brand Integrity Self-Audit.

The human traits a brand shows in how it looks and speaks, for example warm, expert, playful or bold. It keeps the tone consistent in every piece.

The place you want your brand to hold in your customers' minds compared with the other options, and the reason they should choose you.

The plan behind a brand: who you serve, what sets you apart and what you promise.

Every place people meet your brand: your website, phone, signs, vehicles, uniforms, invoices, social media and the way your staff greets them.

What a strong brand is worth to an organization over time: the trust, recognition and loyalty that help it win and keep customers.

The principles an organization stands for, like honesty, service or community, which guide how it works and how it treats people.

The way a brand sounds in writing and in speech: its words, tone and style, kept consistent in every language it uses.

Shirts, polos, jackets and caps with your logo, for your staff, volunteers or events, decorated with screen printing, embroidery or other methods.

Useful items with your logo, like shirts, bags, pens, mugs and notebooks, that people keep and use, so your brand stays in sight.

The work of shaping how an organization is seen and remembered: its strategy, name, visual identity, messages and the experience people have with it.

Sending and receiving text messages from a business phone number, with the customer's consent, for questions, appointments and follow-up.

The words that ask people to take the next step, like “Call today” or “Request your estimate,” usually on a button or at the end of a message.

A pop-up tent printed with your logo and colors, which makes your booth easy to spot at festivals, fairs and outdoor events.

A membership organization of local businesses that promotes their interests and connects them through events, networking and recognition, like the Solano Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

A chat window on a website where visitors can send a question. Some continue the conversation by text message, so the visitor can leave the page and still get the reply.

Two color systems: RGB, made with light, for screens, and CMYK, made with ink, for print.

Coated paper has a smooth finish, glossy or matte, that keeps ink on the surface, so colors look brighter. Uncoated paper absorbs more ink, so the same colors look softer.

The small set of colors, with exact codes, that identifies a brand.

Programs, events and campaigns that connect an organization with the community it serves, in person and online.

Showing up the same way everywhere people see, hear and experience a brand, from the website and the phone to uniforms and signs.

The number the Contractors State License Board gives licensed contractors in California. The state requires it in all forms of advertising, and it must be clearly visible on commercially registered vehicles.

How much a text color stands out from its background. For regular text on websites, accessibility guidelines ask for at least 4.5 to 1.

Small files a website saves in your browser to remember things, like your language or your privacy choices. Some are needed for the site to work; others are optional.

Customer relationship management: a system that keeps every contact, conversation and follow-up in one place, so following up is easier.

When a message, an image or a campaign reflects the values, traditions and everyday life of the people it's meant for, so it feels made for them.

Two ways to make decals and signs: cut vinyl is cut from sheets of one solid color, while printed vinyl is printed in full color, usually in CMYK.

The address of a website, like citlallibrands.com. A domain that matches your name makes you easier to find and to trust.

Decorating fabric by stitching a design with thread. It looks polished on polos, jackets and caps, and each color is matched to the closest thread.

A large printed wall, often with a repeating logo, placed behind a stage or a photo area at events.

A setting in some browsers that tells websites you don't want your personal information sold or shared. California treats it as a valid request to opt out.

Your free business listing on Google Search and Maps, with your hours, phone, photos and reviews. It used to be called Google My Business.

A six-character code, such as #615E8D, that describes a screen color for websites and digital tools.

A national celebration in the U.S., from September 15 to October 15, that honors the history, cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.

Customers in the U.S. with roots in Latin America or Spain. It isn't one audience: language preference, country of origin and generation all change how people want to be reached.

A U.S. college or university where Hispanic students make up at least 25% of full-time-equivalent undergraduate enrollment. HSIs can apply for federal grants to better serve those students.

A clear description of the people or organizations you serve best: who they are, what they need and why they choose you. It helps every message speak to the right person.

A one-page summary of a brand, with its logos, colors, fonts and main message, ready to hand to any printer, designer or web developer.

A word or phrase people type into a search engine, like “bilingual branding agency.” Using the words your customers use helps your pages show up.

A single web page built for one goal, like a campaign or an offer, with one clear call to action.

A strap worn around the neck to hold a name badge or keys, often printed with an organization's name for events and staff.

A person or organization that has shown interest, for example by calling, filling out a form or sending a message, and could become a customer.

The map and short list of businesses Google shows for local searches, like “sign shop near me.” Google ranks them by relevance, distance and prominence.

SEO focused on a place: helping a business appear when people nearby search for a service, in Google's map results and through its Business Profile.

The symbol, word or combination of both that identifies an organization. A good logo works large and small, in color and in one color.

Redrawing an existing logo, or a clear idea of one, as professional vector files that can be used at any size.

Different layouts of the same logo, such as a main version, a rectangular or square version and an icon, so it fits every space.

The one idea you want people to remember about your organization, said the same way on your website, in your materials and in your conversations.

What makes an organization valuable and different in ways its customers actually care about, not just different for its own sake.

An automatic text sent to a caller when a business can't answer, so the conversation can continue by text.

A website that adjusts to any screen, so the text is easy to read and the buttons are easy to tap on a phone, where many people search for local businesses.

Keeping your business name, address and phone number exactly the same on your website, on Google and in every directory, so search engines and customers trust the information.

A printing method that transfers ink from metal plates to a rubber blanket and then to paper. It's cost-effective for large runs of brochures, flyers and business cards.

A system of numbered, premixed inks that keeps a color consistent from job to job.

An image file format for screens that can have a transparent background, which makes it a good choice for logos on websites, social media and presentations.

A preview of a printed piece, digital or physical, that you approve before production. It's your last chance to catch mistakes in colors, text and placement.

The industry's name for items printed or decorated with a logo and given away to promote an organization, from pens to tote bags.

A square code that a phone camera can scan to open a link, such as your website, a menu or the page to leave a review.

Changing a brand's name, look, message or positioning to reflect where the organization is going. It can be a refresh of a few pieces or a complete new identity.

A tall printed banner that rolls up into its own base, easy to carry and set up at events, trade shows and front desks.

A routine for asking every customer for an honest review, for example with a text and a direct link to Google after the job. Google's policy doesn't allow paying for reviews or asking only happy customers.

A printing method that pushes ink through a mesh screen, one screen per color. It's common on shirts and works best with a few solid colors.

Search engine optimization: the work that helps a website appear in search results, like Google's, when people look for what you offer.

A business that goes to its customers, like a contractor, instead of receiving them at a storefront. On Google it can show the areas it serves and hide its address.

The signs that identify an organization and guide people to it: storefront signs, banners, yard signs, window graphics and directional signs.

A short, memorable line that sums up what a brand promises. It often appears with the logo.

A website built to turn visits into conversations: fast, easy to use on a phone, easy to find on Google and connected to tools like chat, texting and follow-up.

A person's clear permission to receive text messages from a business, often given by checking a box on a form. Marketing texts need this consent first.

The natural mix of English and Spanish that many bilingual people use. Used on purpose, a few familiar English words can sound warmer than a forced translation.

A color printed with its own premixed ink instead of being built from four process inks. Pantone (PMS) colors are spot colors.

Keywords that text message programs must honor, as mobile carriers require: replying STOP ends the messages, and HELP returns contact information.

Knowing where an organization is today, where it's going and what it's trying to accomplish next, so its decisions have a direction.

A written plan with an organization's priorities, its recommended next steps and how the pieces need to work together.

A fitted or draped tablecloth printed with your brand, often used with a tent and a banner to complete an event booth.

The group of people a message, campaign or product is meant to reach, defined by needs, language, location or other traits.

An idea from management thinker Peter Drucker: the assumptions an organization makes about its market, its mission and its strengths. When they stop matching reality, it's time to rethink them.

Adapting a message to a new language and culture, keeping its meaning, tone and intent.

Translation changes words from one language to another. Localization also adapts dates, units, prices, phone numbers and references to the place and the people who will read it.

The two ways to say “you” in Spanish: “tú” is informal and close, and “usted” is formal. A brand should choose one on purpose and use it everywhere.

The fonts a brand uses and how it uses them: sizes, weights and spacing for headlines and text.

One place to read and answer texts, website chats, social media messages and email, instead of checking each app separately.

A clear statement of the benefit you offer, who it's for and why it's better than the alternatives.

A file made of shapes instead of pixels, such as an SVG, an EPS or a vector PDF, so a logo can grow to the size of a sign or a truck without losing quality.

Vinyl graphics, like a logo, a phone number or a license number, applied to part of a vehicle. A simpler option than a full wrap.

A printed vinyl film applied over all or part of a vehicle, which turns a work truck or van into a moving sign for your brand.

Designing websites that everyone can use, including people who use a screen reader or a keyboard. WCAG, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, is the most widely used standard.

An organization's home on the internet, where people learn what it does, check that it's trustworthy and take the next step, like calling or booking.

A small printed sign on a metal stake, often used by contractors at job sites and by organizations for events and campaigns.