Branding: Process, Identity & Strategy

1. Conduct research 2. Clarify strategy 3. Design identity 4. Create touchpoints 5. Manage assets

A deliberate branding process can lead to better solutions because it can make a better impression on customers, increase consumer loyalty, and create a brand purpose that is deeper than profits.

The collection of brand elements used by a company to single out and distinguish/differentiate their brand. Examples include the color palette, typeface, logotype.

Marketing focuses on shorter-term goals and is good at driving immediate sales and response, while branding focuses on longer-term goals and is good at building long-term loyalty, trust, and a reason to buy.

Navigation: Brands help us choose from a seemingly endless array of options. Reassurance: Branding choices communicate key qualities or values about the product. These qualities help convince us that we made the right decision. Engagement: Brands use distinctive imagery, language, or associations to encourage customers to connect with the brand.

1. New company, new product 2. Name change 3. Revitalize a brand 4. Revitalize a brand identity 5. Create an integrated system 6. When companies merge

A strong company culture turns employees into brand advocates who promote the brand at every turn. Benefits of a strong culture include: attract and keep better employees, better working relationships, increased productivity, happier customers.

Any person with an interest or concern in the outcome of a branding decision. Examples include employees, customers, brand manager, shareholders, and the C-suite leadership team.

The processes put in place to maintain productive working relationships with the people who have the most potential influence over your brand. Educating stakeholders about why the branding is being done, communicating through a consistent framework, and empowering by providing branding tools and resources that are relevant to key stakeholders, are three key steps in managing stakeholders.

The different components of a brand that identify and differentiate it from similar brands in the market. Common brand elements are brand name, logo (brandmark), logotype, symbol, character, spokespeople, slogan, jingle, packaging, signage, URL.

Our brain processes information (1) shape (2) color (3) form (text) so symbols are important in branding because symbols and shapes are easier to process, and brand awareness depends on having a strong visual identity that can be easily recognized through the breakthrough clutter.

Visual images, elements, or symbols that are used to identify the brand to consumers

Freestanding, stylized text that is a company name, product, or acronym

One or more letters that act as an Mnemonic Clue (triggers memory) about the company's name or a core brand attribute

A literal image that has been simplified and stylized

A symbol that conveys a bigger idea about the brand

A mark where the company name is always connected to a pictorial, element, shape, or form

A structured relationship between a logotype, brandmark, and occasionally a tagline or slogan. This is usually the first thing that is finalized, and then different elements can be created based on this.

Logos: (1) Good for improving brand recognition (2) Can reinforce almost any type of association (3) Can provoke visual appeal Characters: (1) Good for improving brand recognition (2) More useful for non-product related imagery (3) Often take on human characteristics Slogans: (1) Good for helping brand recall and brand recognition (2) Can convey almost any type of association (3) Can evoke verbal imagery Jingles: (1) Good for helping brand recall and brand recognition (2) Can convey almost any type of association (3) Can evoke imagery from past experiences Packaging: (1) Good for helping brand recognition (2) conveys almost any type of association (3) Combines verbal and visual appeal

Marketing focuses on shorter-term goals and is good at driving immediate sales and response, while branding focuses on longer-term goals and is good at building long-term loyalty, trust, and a reason to buy.

A succinct central theme (or idea or feeling) that captures what the brand aspires to do. The "heart and soul" of your brand. Core elements: The most important supporting ideas to the central theme Extended elements: Add texture or personality to the central theme

Collectively creates a recognizable and distinct image that embodies the core values, personality, and overall message a company wants to convey to its audience

Any interaction or exposure a consumer can have with your brand. Examples include at the checkout counter with a staff, press releases, any advertisements, customer service interactions.

Any brand touchpoint where the brand maintains full control of the message. Example: website or advertisements.

Any brand touchpoint where the brand loses some or all control of the message. Example: reviews.

The hierarchical structure (or relationships) of brands and brand names within a single company.

Also called a "brand house" and is a strong single brand. Brand extensions use the company's name with generic descriptors. Examples: FedEx, FedEx ground, FedEx air. Google and Google Drive, Google Photos, Google Maps.

Individually distinct sub-brands. Each sub brand has a clearly defined market while also leveraging on association with the parent brand. Example: Vicks and all of the medicine Nyquil, Sinex that also has the logo on it.

Also called "House of Brands" Each brand has their own unique name. A family of distinct well-known brands. Parent brand is often visible. Example: P&G and all of their brands.

1. Are you being selective about what the market is facing? 2. Is there alignment between what you offer and the way people buy your brand? 3. Does your brand architecture truly reflect your brand positioning?

1. Empathize with the customer and what they need to hear 2. Distill down to the only essential information 3. Clarify your message using design and branding tools

A higher purpose beyond the product or service you sell. Can help inform the brand's strategic direction. When true, give your core customers a reason to believe in your brand.

What do you stand for? How do you differentiate your brand from competitors? Drives creativity with a unique visual form and expression, a rallying point that helps build consensus among decision makers, evolves overtime to stay relevant with culture.

What is the truth at the core of your brand? Are you genuine? Is every communication piece that you deliver true to your promise?

What unique benefit does your brand create or provide? Is the benefit relevant to consumers, stakeholders, investors? How is this benefit communicated across all brand touchpoints?

An organizational anchor around which strategy, behavior, actions, and all communications are aligned. Typically, a short statement or sentence.

Different from strategy because strategy is what needs to be said to solve the problem at hand, while the big idea is how they're going to say it. Strategy is the organizational direction for the brand, while the big idea is the organizational anchor for design solutions.

A website or logo that can deliver the same brand experience in a variety of different sizes. Signatures and logos are also optimized to work in different sized spaces. Variations are created and "snap into place" as the available space increases or decrease.

Named after the founder of a company

Name that conveys the nature of the business itself. What is does. Examples: Whole Foods, PetCo

A name that uses a different word or phrase to highlight a unique essence, spirit, or symbol of what the brand represents. Examples: Dove, Amazon

A name that is completely made up. A new word

A name that is a combination of two existing words. Examples: Snapchat, Doordash

A name that is intentionally misspelled. Examples: Lyft, Netflix

1. Meaningful 2. Distinctive 3. Adaptable (can grow and change with a brand over time) 4. Modular (standard base and brand extensions can easily be built off the name) 5. Sounds good (has positive connotations) 6. Legally available

The process of examining extremely large data sets to uncover valuable information including hidden patterns, correlations, market trends, and customer preferences.

A reporting tool that uses data visualization to display key brand metrics of KPI's.

The ongoing research to quantify the effects (or performance) of brand building efforts on conversions and sales. Helps identify which brand building efforts are working, and which are not.

A quantifiable measurement that is used to track or evaluate a specific business, branding, or advertising effort. Dozens of potential metrics such as awareness, image, same store sales, impressions, conversions, bounce rate.

Specific metrics used to demonstrate whether a project/assignment is achieving agreed upon goals. Brand awareness is often a KPI and the first step in turning leads into customers. Examples: have a 20% return rate, sell 1,000 products

A measurement of customer experience and degree over loyalty to a company or brand. Typically, one question is measured on a scale of 1 to 10. Calculation: Percent of promoters (9's and 10's) - percent of detractors (1's and 2's)

The degree to which a customer will choose one brand over the brand of a competitor. Higher brand preference is equated with higher brand equity.

Comparing sales from this year, with sales from the same time period last year