branding
BRANDING
THE IDENTITY STRATEGY
A BRAND’S IDENTIF IS ITS PRIMARY SORUCE OF IDENTIFICATION, BUT IT IS ALSO THE SOURCE OF A CONSUMER’S ASSOCITIONS, WHICH ARE THE LINKS BETWEEN CORE VALUES AND THE BRAND. THESE CAN BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, AND THE WAY TO HELP CONTROL THOSE ASSOCIATIONS – THE IMAGE – IS TO CAREFULLY MANAGE IDENTITY STRATEGYS.
To help develop or enhance a brand’s identity, a company must engage in appropriate research – from perceptual research with consumers (if developing a brand identity) to a brand audit to ensure consistency.
Once a strong identity is achieved, brand owners need to protect the identity to ensure its exclusivity. Protection can include preventative measures, such as training employees on the proper use of the identity, or invoking legal means, such as through trademark or copy write laws.
1. Perform a brand identity audit: choose a brand and then gather as many items – or pictures of items – as you can find that included the identity elements. Once you have the items and pictures, spread them out and see if the elements are used consistently or inconsistently? What are the benefits of consistency? If the elements are used inconsistently, what could the brand do to fix the problem?
2. Think of your favourite brand and make a list of it’s identify elements.
What is the brand name?
What does the logo look like?
Can you remember the tagline or slogan used in marketing?
Are there specific colours associated with the brand?
Does the brand use sound as one of the identity elements?
a) Now think about the same brand’s image: what do you perceive when you see any of the brand’s identity elements?
b) Do you know if the brand generally has a positive, neutral, or negative reputation?
THE IDENTITY STRATEGY
A BRAND’S IDENTIF IS ITS PRIMARY SORUCE OF IDENTIFICATION, BUT IT IS ALSO THE SOURCE OF A CONSUMER’S ASSOCITIONS, WHICH ARE THE LINKS BETWEEN CORE VALUES AND THE BRAND. THESE CAN BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, AND THE WAY TO HELP CONTROL THOSE ASSOCIATIONS – THE IMAGE – IS TO CAREFULLY MANAGE IDENTITY STRATEGYS.
To help develop or enhance a brand’s identity, a company must engage in appropriate research – from perceptual research with consumers (if developing a brand identity) to a brand audit to ensure consistency.
Once a strong identity is achieved, brand owners need to protect the identity to ensure its exclusivity. Protection can include preventative measures, such as training employees on the proper use of the identity, or invoking legal means, such as through trademark or copy write laws.
1. Perform a brand identity audit: choose a brand and then gather as many items – or pictures of items – as you can find that included the identity elements. Once you have the items and pictures, spread them out and see if the elements are used consistently or inconsistently? What are the benefits of consistency? If the elements are used inconsistently, what could the brand do to fix the problem?
2. Think of your favourite brand and make a list of it’s identify elements.
What is the brand name?
What does the logo look like?
Can you remember the tagline or slogan used in marketing?
Are there specific colours associated with the brand?
Does the brand use sound as one of the identity elements?
a) Now think about the same brand’s image: what do you perceive when you see any of the brand’s identity elements?
b) Do you know if the brand generally has a positive, neutral, or negative reputation?