Branding Strategy Insider

Days of the Logo Numbered

“Make it bigger,” the executive screamed from the corner of the room as I desperately sought a sign-off for an ad featuring a major fashion brand. This wasn’t the first time such a situation came up. In fact, every meeting I had always ended up in discussions about the placement and size of the logo – it was as if that one by one inch space, over time, had become the holy grail of branding – the rest was more or less an ad-on.

Let’s be frank – we live in a logo obsessed world. Pay a quick visit to Times Square and you’ll see what I mean. But is the magic still in the logo as we are exposed to some 2 million television commercials throughout life until we reach the age of 66 – or do we continue to be caught up in a format which once worked but, with the passage of time and the changed media picture, is now out of date?

I decided to find out. Over the years I’ve been stunned by the fact that we smoke more – not less. Admittedly the biggest increase of new smokers takes place in Asian and Eastern European countries. That said, even in the U.S. increases in smoking remain steady – not decreasing as we all want to convince each other it is, and all this despite the fact that we all know it is unhealthy. It is almost impossible to light up a cigarette indoors. Remember that advertising in most countries were banned decades ago, still brands like Marlboro rank in the very top, over the most expensive brands in the world – why?

The only way to find out was to understand what really goes on in our subconscious mind. Project Buyology – the largest NeuroMarketing project of its kind in the world – scanning some 2,000 consumers worldwide – wanted to answer exactly that question. What are the tricks the tobacco industry knows which the rest of the world somehow has missed? Estimates today claim that 85 percent of everything we do, every minute, takes place in our subconscious mind. Was this where the battle was taking place?
The answer was to be found in a small region in our brain called the neuclus accombens – also called the craving spot. It is a small area in our brain which controls our pleasures – and addictions too, such as smoking. It is a lie detector. It may be that you claim not to be affected by ads for tobacco smoking – the neuclus accombens however will tell you the truth.

Creative Debate: London's 2012 Olympic Logo

Creative debates come and go. Some, like that of Tropicana's new packaging and London's 2012 Olympic logo are sure to have a long shelf-life. As Wolff Olins’ work on the 2012 logo continues to be scrutinized, we would like to gauge your reaction to the design above. To begin, two marketers share their opposing views.

Loves it: Bryan Bedell
Just like most people, our first reaction to the London 2012 logo was shock. But we talked about it all morning, and by 3pm, we decided we love it. And here’s why you should, too:

It’s not boring. The bright colours and distinctive design definitely do stand out, and it’s immediately recognisable.

It’s different. It avoids all the go-to pratfalls of current logo designs. No brushstrokes, feathered drop shadows, mirrored reflections, gradients, patriotic colours, rainbows, ribbons, landmarks, symbols of unity, maps, swooshes or globes!

It’s reproducible. It’s good to see a logo that’s so easily printable, broadcast-able, embroider-able and moldable. It even looks pretty great in black and white.

It’s flexible. A variety of colour combinations, shapes and patterns are available, keeping the logo slightly different on each view, but consistent. Keep in mind that an Olympic logo is almost always saddled with the logos of corporate partners. This square, bold mark will hold up.

The Power of Brand Consistency

“We thought we’d update the logo a little.” “It’s not a new tagline. It’s just a catchy phrase that we are using instead of the tagline.” “We thought the icon would make a great decorative element.” “We are thinking about creating a new name for the organization.” “We developed a new product so we created a new brand for it.” “We created a different tagline for each audience. Pretty clever, huh?” “We were getting so tired of the old logo.” “It’s more fun to present the brand in a wide variety of colors.” “There was no room for the icon so we left it off.” “This is a funky stylized version of the logo targeted at younger audiences.”

What is it about marketers that cause them to want to create something new all of the time? I have been told that I am a creative, out-of-the-box thinker, but when it comes to brand identity, I learned a long time ago that consistency is the secret to success.  With enough repetition, people encode the brands identity (usually not as read words but as the recognized look, shape and feel) in their brains, preferably linked to things that matter to them. If you mess with the overall look and feel of the brand, these linkages and associations are likely to break down.

So, how does one combat these tendencies? In the following ways…

·         Develop a sound brand strategy and identity from the start

·         Base them on deep customer insight

·         Carefully think through your brand’s architecture and identity system, anticipating as many new products, services, media and other applications as possible

The Brand Identity Checklist

What will our checklist reveal about your brand identity standards and systems? Simply answer yes or no to the following:

•    As St. James Associates says, some brands are “all symbols but no soul.”  First and foremost, does your brand have a soul?               
•    Is your brand’s name proprietary?  Does it differentiate the brand instead of just describing its products and services?               
•    Is your brand’s name suggestive of a key differentiating benefit, but not too narrow so as to decrease the brand’s ability to claim new benefits in the future?               
•    Do consumers like your brand’s name? Is it memorable?               
•    Do you avoid generic sub-brand names?               
•    Do you have comprehensive brand identity standards and systems that address all uses of your brand’s identity elements?               
•    Are those standards and systems actively in use?               
•    Are they available in manuals, on CDs, and through your Intranet?               
•    Are all business units and sub-brands subject to those standards, with none outside the jurisdiction of the standards?               
•    At a minimum, does the system include standards for the visual identifier, color, typography, backgrounds, contrast, staging area, relative size, positioning, key applications, and unacceptable uses?   

The Language of Branding: 'Brand Identity'

Brand Identity is a combination of visual, auditory, and other sensory components that create recognition, represent the brand promise, provide differentiation, create communications synergy, and are proprietary. Some marketers define brand identity more broadly to include most everything in a brand’s design: essence, promise, personality, and positioning. The more specific definition used in our blog reflects the most common usage of the term, especially by firms focused on the creation of brand identity standards and systems.

Names and nomenclature, logotypes, symbols and other graphic devices, distinctive shapes and colors, brand voice and visual style, sounds, jingles and other mnemonic devices, typography, theme lines or slogans, and characters that are uniquely associated with a brand are all components of a brand’s identity. Textures, scents, flavors, and other sensory elements also can be components of a brand’s identity.

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

Leveraging Corporate Brand Identity

When most people think about a brand’s identity, they usually think about the name, the logo, and maybe the tag line.  But the identity consists of so much more than that: it includes typestyles, colors, symbols, attitude and personality, brand voice and visual style, sounds and other mnemonic devices, characters and other spokespeople, product design, package design, and the list could go on and on.  The most powerful brands have a consistent brand voice and visual style from product design and packaging to retail environment and external communication.

Companies such as Procter & Gamble practiced the traditional model of brand management.  These companies managed a large portfolio of stand-alone brands  (Bold, Bounty, Ivory, NyQuil, Pepto-Bismol, Scope, Folgers, Pringles, etc.) and marketed them separately.  While this was highly effective for those companies, it requires substantial marketing resources. 

Today, more and more manufacturing companies are discovering the power of using their corporate brand names (General Electric, IBM, 3M, Ford, etc.) to market their products.  These companies have discovered that it is highly efficient to leverage the corporate brand name.  The name offers quality assurance and familiarity at a minimum and a coherent umbrella promise (example: 3M – innovative solutions) as well, if executed properly.

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

 

Brand Logo Basics

It is at least as important for a logo to be recognizable as it is for it to be readable.  Often, people are only able to get a quick glance at the logo, and then only at a distance.  In those instances, recognition, not readability, is all that counts.  That is why it is so important to integrate recognizable icons, shapes, type fonts and colors into a logo’s design.

Some logos were created during the era of big department stores and were designed as signatures to fit on the side of buildings.  So, these logos are more square in orientation than they are horizontal.  Many of these now seem outdated (if they haven’t been updated).  Hallmark’s logo belongs to this class. Others were designed as corporate logos to reinforce leadership and stability (AT&T, IBM).  Many of these now seem cold and sterile.  Some logos are more fun – communicating more of a personality (Apple, MTV, Ebay).

Today, logos must be designed with the foresight that they will be used in multi-media environments (from TV to the Internet).  That means colors, animation and sound sequences (like NBC, Intel, AOL, Harley-Davidson [engine sound], and Maxwell House) should be considered.

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

Evaluating Logos

Today I thought it might be useful to offer some thoughts on evaluating a potentially wasteful and expensive process: corporate identity.

If you've ever been in a corporate identity or logo meeting, you'll hear terms like glyphs, monoseals or dramatic angles. Colors are given feelings, shapes become dynamic or elegant or sensual. It can all be very confusing. So let's start at the beginning in an effort to clear things up.

Logos have been with us for thousands of years. A Babylonian clay tablet of about 3000 B.C. bears inscriptions for an ointment dealer and a shoemaker. The Roman legions had them. In the middle ages, every two-bit duke with a handful of knights had one plastered on their shields. There were crests or coats of arms everywhere. But none ever amounted to anything. What lived on were the names of the people involved or the places the big battles were fought. What does that tell you?

It's not about the symbol. It's about the name connected to the symbol.

The Brand Identity Delusion

Have you ever heard, or been asked, this question?  “If your organization, or brand, were a car, what make or model would it be and why?”  No?  You’re lucky.  I’ve heard it a lot.  In fact, too many times to count, and not once have I come across the perspective inherent in this response: “My brand would be a customizable, decked out limousine.  One in which I can give my customers the rides of their lives!”

Most organizations are obsessed with navel gazing; trying to discover “who they are” and “what makes them special.”  They hire consultants and spend countless hours pondering their unique identities.  And for what reason?  To help them create their brand personalities and craft their messages, of course.  There’s only one little problem with their approach: it’s completely backwards.

Business is not psychotherapy; it’s theater.  It’s not about going “in,” because your audience is interested in you and your unearthed identity.  They’re not.  It’s about going “out,” and ingratiating yourself to your audience by making them feel good about themselves, and their decisions, in your presence.  It’s about unearthing what they need to feel good, smart and special, and then giving it to them.

It’s easy to become hypnotized and confused by your own marketplace experiences. That’s what great brands  are hoping to have happen.  They want you to get lost in their carefully constructed brand identities and come to believe that it’s all about their uniqueness and passion for their coffee, equipment, motorcycle, phone, etc.  In fact, it’s really all about you.

Color & Brand Identity

Color is one of the most important components in creating brand identity. The purpose of a brand identity system is to encode a brand in people's memory and retrieve it from their memory. In a visual system, the two most powerful components are the consistent recognizable shapes and colors. (Scents and sounds are more powerful than visuals as understood by Cinnebons and Harley-Davidson.) It is best if these shapes and colors are distinctive (at least within the product category). Color can have a significant affect on people's perception of a product or brand. For instance, burgundy and forest green are perceived to be upscale while an orange label or package indicates an inexpensive item.

Third, colors can actually have an affect on a person's state of mind and cognitive ability as demonstrated by numerous research studies. For instance, pink has been shown to increase a person's appetite and calm prison inmates. Additionally, if your brand is sold outside of North America, be aware that colors can have different symbolic meanings (not all positive) in different countries and cultures.

Sponsored By: Brand Aid