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About Branding
A presentation on branding and packaging given to Nelson Olive Growers, May 10, 2000. The principles outlined are relevant to most industries. If you would like to discuss these issues further please contact Tony Downing, DDA on: 03 547 3003, Nelson, New Zealand.
Copyright to Downing Design & Advertising. This article may only be reproduced by permission.
What is a Brand?
Let’s start with a definition...
"A name, term, symbol or design, or a combination of them, which is intended to signify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors."
- Philip Kotler: marketing guru.
Or how about...
"Somethin’ that won’t come off in the wash"
Or would you prefer...
"A poke in the butt with a red hot iron"
OK. Maybe that’s not the kind of brand we’re talking about. But it does illustrate a couple of very important points about the other kind of branding - you know, the kind this article is about. The cow is impressed for life. And he will never turn his back on you again. His emotions have been touched. The best brands do that.
What makes a good brand?
In a broader sense brands are personalities understood on an emotional level. People react to the MacDonalds, Coca Cola and the Levi brands at an emotional level first. Before they make practical decisions on price and functionality etc.
But successful brands must work on both levels. The functional and emotional.
Functional? Objective, logical, practical. Effective brands communicate. People can recognise and recall them. And they stand out from the crowd.
Emotional? The intangible benefits - subjective, emotive, creative - that are felt or anticipated when a brand is recognised. Effective brands have personality. Presence. They’re attractive. They add value.
"Healthy... pure... chemical free... Age old... Aromatic flavour... Elite"... Some of the emotional values people associate with Olive Oil. A successful olive brand may incorporate some or all of these values.
Your customers should associate their desired values, with your brand. The aim is to create a brand that starts on an emotional level, moves to practical understanding and then to action. Remember - Customers are often buying a brand just as much as they are buying a product. For example, wine given as a gift, has to look a million dollars and have perceived value. A hand painted sign on the side of the road may be great for selling eggs but terrible for selling discount airline tickets
How is a brand created?
Step One: Research
The Competition. Who and what are they, and what are they doing with your customers?
The Market. Who are they, what do they think of you and what do they want
Distribution, pricing etc.
Step Two: Strategy
Define the objectives of the brand.
Is your brand going to represent a product or company?
Define the target market ie mass, boutique, direct?
What values should be associated with your brand?
What image (style/look/feel) do you want your brand to convey? Eg Quality, humorous, quirky, reliable, arty, cottage, sophisticated...
Unique selling points? Eg Geography, New Zealand, clean green etc.
Price? Product quality?
Step Three: Creativity
What is the name going to be?
Try to keep the name simple and unique. Hard to pronounce and overly clever names can put a barrier between the customer and product. A brand name can come from a number of different sources:
Personal - family name
Geographic - where the brand comes from.
Historic - from a historic place, person or event.
Abstract - a made-up word. These work well if a product benefit is worked into the name. For example Energel may be a health product that gives energy.Design concepts - Look for strong ideas that will stand the test of time. Think in terms of the market rather than what you would personally like. Also look for ideas that present the unique benefits of your product.
Test concepts. Use the strategy to judge each concept. Does it stand out? Does it have appeal? Test concepts on others, ideally not friends and family they tend to say what you want to hear.
Make sure the brand will be versatile. For example does it work in one simple colour as well as multi-colour? Will it look good in poor print conditions like newspaper and faxes?
Once you have decided on your brand run with it and keep it consistent.
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