Branding: More Than Just a Logo
Your eye-catching logo is just the tip of the branding iceberg. It’s what’s below the surface that can make or break a company’s presence in a crowded marketplace. Don’t get us wrong – a good logo is priceless – and the foundation for a strong brand. For Nike, it’s the swoosh. A simple embodiment of grace in motion. But Nike underpinned the swoosh with a 3-word no-nonsense call to action: JUST DO IT. And campaigns that married smart copy with beautiful, spare art direction and bold photography that spoke to the athlete in each of us. And that’s what infused so much power into that simple swoosh.
Nike’s brand is so strong their brand name doesn’t appear in this ad featuring a young Serena Williams
The Elements of a Strong Brand
Branding is an ongoing process of creating a unique identity in the minds of consumers. It involves the strategic and creative development of elements such as a company’s name, logo, messaging, and design aesthetic. It’s the promise you make to your customers. And it’s how, through your marketing, website, and customer service, you deliver on that promise. That’s what builds a relationship with your consumer.
A good brand is more than the sum of its parts. There’s chemistry between the brand elements, particularly the verbal and the visual, that extends to creating chemistry with the consumer. Companies who are serious about their brand create brand standards that become the guidelines for how the brand comes to life, from the fonts to the brand colors, as Starbucks shows us below. But brand standards shouldn’t be set in stone. They should be dynamic and evolve as the brand does.
A page out of Starbucks’ Brand Guidelines. What shade of green are you?
Think Difference
Branding is more than about consistent design practices. It’s about finding a unique place in the market and the mind of your consumers that differentiates you from your competitors. Fedex built their brand on the ‘When it absolutely positively has to be there overnight’ tagline, positioning the shipping company as the one to turn to in this ‘get it done yesterday world.’ And a good deal of humor served as a catalyst for their brand evangelism.
FedEx commercial with John Moschitta
Find Your Essence
Every brand needs a personality that will resonate with their audience. It’s the tone, the choice of words, the imagery (yes, brand voice is visual too), and sometimes even the music. Coca-Cola’s I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing was also a number one hit song. Unilever’s Dove brand voice comes across in their Real Beauty campaign as genuine, inclusive and aspirational. Harley-Davidson, on the other hand, has a rugged, rebellious, irreverent brand voice, appealing to the outlaw in each of us and our love for the open road.
Harley-Davidson’s irreverent brand personality on full display
When to Rebrand
It’s often hard to quantify the value a brand adds to a product or service. Brand equity is built over time, and means customers are willing to pay more for your brand compared to a generic equivalent. Many brands have little or no equity and may choose to rebrand as a result. That can be both a humbling and a rewarding process. It may involve a name change and a new or evolved logo. An integrated marketing campaign. An evolved website. Apple Computers left the word computers behind along with Sir Isaac Newton who appeared in their original logo and became simply Apple and the logo we are all familiar with.
Apple’s ongoing brand evolution
Stand Out => Performance
In a saturated market, branding helps you stand out. It creates a distinct identity that sets your products or services apart from the competition. A strong brand can make your business more recognizable and memorable. It creates a bond with the consumer that can lead to brand preference and allegiance. Airbnb has done a nice job of standing out with their smart copy, clean design and ‘Bélo’ logo (they’ve even named their logo).
Airbnb’s brand is smart, clean, and clever
Brand ROI
Effective branding can elevate the perceived value of your products or services. A strong brand signals quality, reliability and often something ineffable, allowing you to charge a premium price and attract a more loyal customer base. When that engagement ring comes in a Tiffany blue box, hearts are won before the box is even opened.
Tiffany makes you think inside the box
Brand Loyalty
Consistent branding helps build a strong emotional connection with customers. When consumers feel connected to your brand, they are more likely to become repeat customers. Over time, this trust translates into customer loyalty.
A well-defined brand makes your marketing efforts more effective. It provides a clear direction for all your marketing campaigns and ensures that your messaging is consistent across all channels. This consistency builds familiarity and trust among your audience. Whether it’s their hallmark 1984 commercial or their Think Different campaign, Apple’s marketing has always been about, as Steve Jobs would say, putting a dent in the universe.
Apple Steve Jobs Heres To The Crazy Ones
All Together Now
Branding isn’t just for customers – it’s also for employees. A strong brand can instill pride and a sense of belonging among employees. When employees believe in the brand, they are more motivated and engaged, which can lead to higher productivity and better customer service.
Your Brand Ally
Few things are more critical to your company’s success than your brand. And it’s important to have an ally on your side that knows how to drive initiatives forward that strengthen your brand and increase your odds of success. ACS can be that ally.
We can help with everything from logo design and messaging to building or revamping your website to better reflect your brand’s promise. We work well with startups that may not have internal marketing infrastructure, companies with in-house marketing/creative teams that could use some additional firepower, and larger brands with global agency contracts that could use a nimble marketing SWAT team.
