It’s not generally understood why some brands “work” and others don’t. We’ll go over what we mean by working in a later blog. In some respects, brands work when they work to connect in the mind of the consumer. What we mean by that is that the person perceiving the brand is able to make sense of it. We are “meaning-making” machines and we love to figure things out. Just watch kids when they solve puzzles, or just put pieces together. What many business people overlook is that the pieces of the puzzle must fit – like a lego or a jigsaw puzzle.
There are three structural elements to most (but not all) brand identities. Visually a brand will have;
- A reference point – i.e. a name. The public will be drawn to this in order to make sense. When we scan our eyes and brains are in sense making mode. Our learning looks to define contextualize, and match the meaning we relate to, via assessment with competitors etc.
- Positioning Line -The brand will usually carry a positioning line or phrase (a slogan). This will (or should) capture the value proposition you intend to deliver
- The logo. Generally misunderstood as the brand, the logo should act to marry both of the above elements at a visual meaning level.
Unless these three functional elements are working in unison, you cannot expect to stand out, shriek value, and appeal above the noise and visual clutter of the other competitors in your target market segment.
Many of our clients come to us, inspired by;
- A flash of imagination – usually in the shower or falling asleep
- Opinions of others – barbecues are a creative space!
- Partners – love them but often they may not quite understand
- Consultants – good and usually well meaning, they can sometimes be unfairly asked, “what do you think?” Rather than “what is your recommendation”?
Brands need solid foundations, a great deal of thought and planning to match your marketing planning and a very objective design team.
After all, would/could you build a great house for your future?
