Branding Information

Play it Again Sam


The marketing director for one of my longtime clients used to complain "does it have to be purple again?" What she and many others don't realize is that the color you are seeing in your sleep, your prospects might just be beginning to recognize, and if done well, associate with you.

Consistency cannot be stressed enough in brand development: whether it is a color or a font, where you place your logo, the schedule for newsletters and promotions, or the way the receptionist answers the phone. One predictable encounter after another carves your brand in the customer's consciousness.

Its Not All Repetition

One of my favorite advertisers is Target. Their commercials are fun, displaying the same flair and style that they market in their store. Interestingly, the logo and store name are not even mentioned until well into the spots, frequently displaying the signature bullseye in a pattern on a dress or as wallpaper in the background. Often it's not even red, still overtime I know it for a Target ad instantly.

Consistency is about recognition and familiarity, not necessarily duplication. When building brand we are trying to create attachment. Target has room to be very flexible, developing consistency through a certain style. Their continuous advertising allows enough repetition that we see the pattern in their message.

The Flexibility Trap

While Target takes a lot of license with consistency, you'll also notice that some things are always the same. The shape and scale of their logo, the pace of the message, the patterns created with their logo, the font for their name and it's positioning at the end of their ad.

The secret to remaining interesting while maintaining consistency is planning ahead. Before you start a brochure or an ad campaign, make corporate-wide decisions on your brand. What can change, what must stay the same? What colors or color palette will you stick with? What is the underlying message of any marketing direction? In short, know your brand message, the key visual elements that support it and how they should be applied. As your business grows and more people handle distributing your message, your brand stays in your control.

About The Author

Beth Brodovsky is the president and principal of Iris Creative Group, LLC. Brodovsky earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design from Pratt Institute, New York. Before launching her own firm in 1996, she spent eight years as a corporate Art Director and Graphic Designer, providing a sound foundation in management and organizational standards and structure. Iris Creative specializes in providing marketing and strategic communication services to clients in service industries and small businesses. For more information contact Beth at bsb@iriscreative.com or 610-567-2799.


MORE RESOURCES:

Volcom Boosts Marketing Strength with Company Veterans
MarketWatch (press release)
I am confident in their strengths and share their enthusiasm as we broaden the scope of our marketing and branding efforts." "Hawaii radiates outward to ...

and more »


Forbes

The Case For Co-Branding
Forbes
Yet one of the best strategies, if thoughtfully prepared and executed, remains one of the most visible and well-known in the food industry: co-branding. ...



The Age

Madonna, Iconix Form Joint Branding Venture
Wall Street Journal
Iconix Brand Group Inc. and an entity controlled by Madonna and the pop singer's manager Guy Oseary are forming a joint venture to develop ...
Madonna Does Fashion with "Material Girl" Juniors Line and MoreNBC New York (blog)
Madonna Pairs Up with Iconix for Macy's LineBloggingStocks (blog)
Madonna Recruits Lourdes For Younger, Hipper Take On Her Fashion LineCelebuzz (blog)
CNNMoney.com (press release)
all 331 news articles »


SFGate Experiments with Branding (and Fails)
I, Resolve (blog)
When the sfgate.com (website of the San Francisco Chronicle) home page loaded I thought I must have entered the wrong URL. It was obviously a travel site ...

and more »


The Guardian

Intel plans to turn its tiny Atom chip into a big brand
The Guardian
Technology can be challenging for brand managers, because "technology is all about change, and brand's all about consistency: there's a constant push-pull ...



msnbc.com

Woods now must raise his game to keep sponsors happy
Reuters
"A great performance will mitigate that personal branding damage." Before the scandal led AT&T (TN) and Accenture (ACN.N) to drop him as a spokesman, ...
NAB 2010: Sony to Showcase Augusta 3D in VegasBroadcasting & Cable

all 3,487 news articles »


Republic Airways Names Ian Arthur Vice President of Marketing
MarketWatch (press release)
In addition to heading up the marketing and branding strategies of recently acquired Frontier Airlines and Midwest Airlines, Arthur will oversee all ...
Republic Airways appoints new VP of Marketing and BrandingTrading Markets (press release)
Continental opts for charging for in-flight meals, WestJet CEO stepping down ...Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (subscription)

all 17 news articles »


Thai branding moves online
Bangkok Post
In global markets, many brands use digital branding as a key strategy to boost sales and create loyalty. Top digital brands include Google, Twitter, Apple, ...



Times Online

Debenhams snatches market share in rebound
Times Online
“When we bought it, I said it had lost its way on branding and it was far too expensive. Our supply chain efficiencies mean we are now buying much better ...
Debenhams' success with rescued PrinciplesTimes Online

all 60 news articles »


The Guardian

French Connection to Close All But Six US Stores
New York Magazine
"With the FCUK branding itself, it was time to move on." In 2006, after suffering significant sales declines, the company tried to win back shoppers with a ...
Ailing French Connection slims downScotsman

all 87 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006