Brand Strategy

Essential first steps for building a successful brand

Branding, specifically successful branding, is the act of imbedding a word into the mind of consumers in a positive manner for as long as possible. It is a methodical, time-intensive process that is first established via a tenacious PR campaign over a period of years, and finally maintained through advertising once a brand has taken root.

Step 1a: Define a new category

The first thing a company should consider is what category the company, its services, or its products belong. Ideally, a new category will need to be created, and named. This is perhaps the most important decision a company can make on its path towards branding nirvana.

• New categories allow companies to profess a kind of ownership, with claims of originality being among the most effective and respected strategies used during successful branding campaigns.
• Companies whose products and services do not warrant the creation of a new category are doomed to follow the leaders and originators of whichever existing category the company's products and services fit.

Step 1b: Choose a short, Unique name for the new category

• The category name is just as important as the category itself. Step 2 below outlines the key points to follow in choosing names.

Step 2a: Choose a short, unique name

Whether it's a company, a product, or a service, the name chosen should be as short and unique as possible. Generic names, acronyms, or long and complex names are harder to remember, have little character, and are eventually shortened by the consumer.

• Acronyms are a last ditch effort to turn generic names into something shorter and more memorable. Acronyms are not necessary for short, unique names.
• Federal Express changed it's name to FedEx after years of consumers trying to give its generic name character, and make it more memorable.
• Trends are not to be followed when choosing a name, unless the goal for the company, product, or service is to be short-lived, or designed to ride a fad to it's inevitable end.
  
  
• The following are a few do's and don'ts:
  • Choose a name that is easy to spell accurately when hearing it for the first time.
  • Meaningless, or meaningless-sounding words (Altria; Microsoft; Sony) should sounding pleasing to the ear, while conjuring up as little meaning as possible.
  • Unless absolutely necessary, the name should sound generic (North American) or have little cultural flavor.
  • Avoid trends, such as placing single lowercase letters before the name, or adding ".com" after it.
  • Avoid Unique or phonetic spelling (often used in order to capture the Web domain).
  • Try to determine how the newly chosen name might be shortened or twisted by the consumer.

Step 2b: Choose a memorable logo

Once the category has been decided upon, and the name of the company, product, or service has been chosen, the logo's next. Logos can help clarify the name or business, establish a tone, and help better position a company, product, or service within an industry or market.

• Most logos, or "logotypes," are made up of two components:
  • wordmark: the actual name
  • bug: the symbol
• The bug generally comes first. The goal is to capture the essence of the company, product, or service with as few lines as possible.
• The rule of thumb: less is more (less lines = more memorable).

Step 3: PR

At this early stage, forget advertising. Advertising can only defend a brand. It can't build one. Instead, put your efforts into PR. Think of PR as word-of-mouth approval from a friend, and advertising as the obnoxious car salesperson.

• PR is nothing more than third-party endorsement, i.e. news; a powerful credibility builder. The only thing more powerful is word-of-mouth.
• PR can be anything from press releases to street-level guerrilla marketing tactics

While the cost per person is generally more for PR as compared to advertising, PR's "third-party" effect runs deeper and is more effective at garnering loyal customers than the "salesperson" approach upon which advertising is built.

Methodologies

The anatomy of a logo (or logotype)

A memorable logo must do 3 things (in order of importance):

1. By way of the wordmark, give the company name a unique character that renders it visually memorable;
2. Provide the simplest graphic (bug) that gives symbolic representation to the company's primary story;
3. Have a construction of color and form that enhances the familiarity of both the wordmark and bug.

Color Theories

The human eye can distinguish approx. 128 different hues, and about 130 different tints. It is most sensitive to green, then red, then blue.

Red tends to be more confrontational, since it is focused in front of the retina. Blue is focused behind the retina, having a more subdued effect.

This may explain why red is used more in retail, and why blue is often used by corporations.

Colors have varying symbolic meanings and psychological effects around the world. The following is a general guide for Western cultures:

Form

The significance of Form is divided into 3 key elements (in order of importance): The unique character given to the wordmark, typically through custom modifications to the letterforms; The unique characteristics of the overall design of the bug; The spatial relationship between the bug and the wordmark. The Wordmark While bugs tend to get the most credit, it's actually the wordmark and the company, product, or service name that have the most impact on memory. The famed Nike "Swoosh" works in the same way as a children's book that replaces a word in the story with a picture; when we look at the Swoosh on its own, we actually "see" the word Nike. All the better if the wordmark has a unique character/design to it.   The Bug The form of a bug should be as simple and direct as possible. The less complex a bug is, the easier it is to remember. Thick, bold strokes offer a sense of strength and weight that help balance the necessary simplicity of a successful, defining bug.   The Logo The relationship between the bug and wordmark—the logo—is primarily an aesthetic, subjective choice. However, there are a few things to keep in mind: The smaller the logo is presented (within reason), the more successful and larger the company will appear; Logos with a horizontal aspect offer more functionality across various media; Only use visual alignment when combining bugs and wordmarks; always aligning the bug to the shapes and lines of the wordmark.

Name Theory

The Word On its purest level, a brand is really nothing more than a word. More specifically, the sound of that word, what implied meanings it might conjure up, and how memorable it is. A short, unique sounding word is best. Note consumers' penchant for shortening brand names even further, as well as adding uniqueness to generic sounding names: "FedEx" (Federal Express); "KD" (Kraft Dinner); "Coke" (Coca Cola); "Mac" (Macintosh). The Design All the best designers and strategists on the planet cannot make a bad brand or company name any more appealing than consumers believe it to already be. There is, however, a quick-fix strategy that has saved countless companies from certain obscurity—the acronym: General Motors to "GM"; General Electric to "GE"; International Business Machine to "IBM." But a good name (even a good acronym) can inspire a unique logo design that can help create a memorable word in the mind. In fact, a great name might not even need a bug. A unique wordmark might be all that's necessary. Short, unique, memorable "words"   Read more: Naming trends (source: BrandChannel.com)