Fundamental Concepts of Brand Identity

Design and Business How to make both add and create value?

Servicescape Management 8 February 2012

What is Brand?

What is Brand?

A brand is therefore more than a product, because it can have dimensions that differentiate it in some way from other products designed to satisfy the same need. These differences may be rational and tangible related to product performance of the brand -- or more symbolic, emotional, and intangible related to what the brand represents.

What is Brand?
Who are you? Who needs to know? How will they find out? Why should they care?

IMAGE and PERCEPTION help drive VALUE; Without an IMAGE there is no PERCEPTION
Scott M. Davis Brand Asset Management

Brands Function

Navigation
Brands help consumers choose from a bewildering array of choices

Engagement
Primary Functions of Brands

Brands use distinctive imagery, language, and associations to encourage customers to identify with the brand

Reassurance
Brands communicate the intrinsic quality of the product or service have made the right choice

Can Everything Be Branded?

Physical Goods

Services

Retailers & Distributors

Online Products & Services

People & Organization

Sports, Arts &

Entertainment

Brand Touchpoints

What is Brand Identity ?

Brand identity is tangible and appeals to the senses. You can

see it, touch

identity fuels

it,

hold

it,

hear

it,

watch it move.
Brand recognition, amplifies differentiation, and makes big ideas and meaning accessible. Brand identity takes disparate elements and unifies them into whole systems.

What is Branding ?
Branding is a disciplined process used to build awareness and extend customer loyalty. It requires a mandate from the top and readiness to invest in the future. Branding is about seizing every opportunity to express why people should choose one brand over another. A desire to lead, outpace the competition, and give employees the best tools to reach customers are the reasons why companies leverage branding. Emotional Branding : a dynamic cocktail of anthropology, imagination, sensory experiences, and visionary approach to change. ( Emotional Branding , Marc Gobe) Co-branding Country branding Types of branding Digital branding

Cause branding

Personal branding

When to start the process

New company, new product Name change Revitalize a brand
I m starting a new business. I Our name no longer fits who We want to reposition and need a business card and we are and the businesses we renew the global brand. website. are in. We re no longer in the business We ve developed a new We need to change our name we were in when we founded product and it needs a name because of a trademark conflict. our company. and a logo yesterday. Our name has negative We need to communicate more We need to raise millions of connotations in the new clearly about who we are. dollars. The campaign needs to markets we are serving. We re going global-we need have its own identity. Our name misleads customers. help to enter new world We re going public in the fall. markets. We merged. We need to raise venture No one knows who we are. capital, even though we do not Our stock is devalued. have our first customer. We want to appeal to a new and more affluent market.

When to start the process

Revitalize a brand identity Create an integrated system
We do not present a consistent face to our customers. We lack visual consistency and we need a new brand architecture to deal with acquisitions. Our packaging is not distinctive. Our competitors look better than we do, and their sales are going up. All of our marketing looks like it comes from different companies. We need to look strong and communicate that we are one global company. Every division does its own thing when marketing. This is inefficient, frustrating, and not cost-effective. Everyone is reinventing the wheel.

When companies merge

We are great company with cuttingedge products. We look behind the times. Will our identity work on the web? Our identity does not position us shoulder to shoulder with our competitors. We have 80 divisions inconsistent nomenclature. and

We want to send a clear message to our stakeholders that this is a merger of equals. We want to communicate that 1+1=4. We want to build on the brand equity of the merging companies. We need to send a strong signal to the world that we are the new industry leader. We need a new name. How do we evaluate our acquisition s brand and fold it into our brand architecture? Two industry leaders are merging. How do we manage our new identity?

I am embarrassed when I give out my business card. Everyone in the world recognizes our icon, but admit it-she needs a face-lift. We love our symbol- it is known by our market. The problem is you cannot read our logotype.

Branding Process

Conducting research

Clarifying strategy

Designing identity

Creating touchpoints

Managing assets

Brand Positioning
Internal
What you can control What you cannot control

External

Positioning

Vision
Mission and values Brand essence
Personality, voice, style

Customer Competition Marketplace

External forces and trends

Product, processes, culture

Brand story

Positioning Statement
What : The only (category) How : that (differentiation characteristics) Who : for (customer) Where : in (market geography) Why : who (need state) When : during (underlying trend) EXP : HARLEY DAVIDSON is What : The only motorcycle manufacturer How : that makes big, loud motorcycles Who : for macho guys (and macho wannabees ) Where : mostly in US Why : who want to join a gang of cowboys When : in an era of decreasing personal freedom

Big Idea
Vision Values Mission Value proposition Culture Target market Segments Stakeholder perceptions Services Products Core values Infrastructure Brand attributes

Differentiation Value proposition

Central idea Unifying concept

Understanding
Marketing strategy Competition Trends Pricing Distribution Research Environment Economics Sociopolitics Strengths/weakness Opportunities Threats

Clarifying

Positioning

Brand Essence
Key messages Voice and tone

Competitive advantage Business category Brand strategy

Big Idea

Vision and Mission Clearly state Attributtes Identify characteristics of the brand Key Products or Services List

Target Market Define

BIG idea

Key Competitors List three

Value Proposition Clearly state Key stakeholder Prioritize this list

Competitive Advantage Clearly state

Qualities of an Effective Names

visual meaningful positive

Qualities of an affective name

protectable

distinctive

Future-oriented modular

Types of Names
metaphor founder magic spell

Types of names
acronym

descriptive

fabricated combination

Customer Experience

Moments of Truth

Taglines
A tagline is a slogan, clarifier, mantra, company statement, or guiding principle that describes, synopsizes, or helps create an interest.
Essential characteristics : Short Differentiated from its competitors Unique Captures the brand essence and positioning Easy to say and remember No negative connotations Displayed in a small font Can be protected and trademarked Evokes an emotional response Difficult to create

Taglines
A cross section of taglines

Imperative commands action and usually starts with a verb

You Tube : Broadcast Yourself Apple : Think Different Virgin Mobile : Live without a plan

Descriptive Describes the service, product, or brand promise

Superlative Positions the company as the best in class

Provocative Thoughtprovoking; frequently a question

Specific Reveals the business category

Target : Expect more. Pay less. Philips : Sense and sensibility

DeBeers : A diamond is forever BMW : The ultimate driving

Dairy Council : Got milk? Microsoft : Where are you going today?

eBay : Happy hunting HSBC : The world s local bank VW : Drivers wanted

Brand Identity Ideals

COMMITMENT VISION DURABILITY VALUE

MEANING

Brand Identity Ideals

FLEXIBILITY

AUTHENTICITY COHERENCE
DIFFERENTIATION

Understanding The Customer

Understanding the consumer is important for designers, in order that they can develop a conscious and subconscious understanding of consumer needs, and translate that understanding into design features. (Rachel Cooper and Mike Press) All design communicates a visual message, and it s the combinations of design elements, such as color or shape, which make each message distinct and ultimately, crystallizes the brand. The message has to be right for its target market, and successfully reaching that target market depends, in part, on how attuned the designer is with the audience (Swann, 1990) Mood Boards Using a range of visuals, textures, colors, and shapes, mood boards present images that represent the lifestyle of a specific consumer group. Mood boards can help to define a product or service brief. Individual Interviews A one-to-one interview provides an in depth and subjective understanding of a consumer, and is often more revealing of true customer feelings towards a product or service than focus group conversations. The interviewees can be further challenged on particular aspects in order to gain more in-depth understanding of their consumer motivations.

Giving Form to Business Strategy

Element Introduction Company Contains Information about the project background and opportunity identified Information about the organization, its brand values, methods of operation and its existing customer Information about the organization s target customers A review of the organization s competitors and their unique selling points Information about proposed strategy and plan for action Information about project objectives, scope of work, expected outcomes and specifications An outline of how project s success will be measured An outline of the project s stages, phases, and milestones. A list of fees, expenses, and production costs

Customers Competition Positioning Design Challenge Metrics for success Program Plan Costs

Key Stages of Design Process

Mind Mapping

Image Board

After selecting the concept, the next challenge was finding the right illustrations that would serve all those purposes.

We knew we didn t want

anything photograph serious, childish, or too adult , says designer Nancy Wu. And the
illustrations couldn t trendy either they needed to stand the test of time. Illustrator Adam Rogers experimented with styles before discovering the boldly outlined shapes of skateboarders, soccer players, and other characters that would eventually serve at the background graphics.