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CODO Design on Branding
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In design, like in other professions, we tend to take our industry-specific language for granted. Words like "holistic," "interdisciplinary" and "ethnography" make perfect sense to us, but to someone who doesn't spend their day in front of a whiteboard or buried in a sketchbook, it sounds Greek. A glaring example of this, and one that we encounter constantly, is the idea of a brand.
In the last fifteen years, the term "branding" has been ardently adopted by the business community and subsequently misused roughly 700 trillion times. What people often think of as branding — logos, colors and imagery — are actually components of visual identity, or the visuals associated with a brand. The branding process, however, is more than simply designing a new logo for an organization — it's defining the emotional connection people will have with its products and services.
Simply put, a brand is not a tangible thing — it's a person's perception or gut feeling about a product, service or organization.
Look to Nike for a great example of this. Many would think of the iconic "swoosh" as Nike's brand, but this is only partially true. The core of Nike's brand is the idea of empowering people, no matter who they are, to be great athletes. Nike uses the guiding phrase "authentic athletic performance" to articulate the emotional connection people have with the company. This key idea (or brand essence) informs every aspect of Nike's service — their logo merely evokes this essence in a quick way.
Succinctly defining your brand is a wonderful way to align business goals, communication and marketing strategy. This starts with recognizing that your brand exists as a living idea in the minds of your customers, and not merely as a logo on a brochure or website. Branding is not about fabricating an image; it's an authentic expression of what customers love about your company — and why they'll keep loving it for years to come.
For more on branding, check out Marty Neumeier's The Brand Gap or say hi at hello@cododesign.com
In design, like in other professions, we tend to take our industry-specific language for granted. Words like "holistic," "interdisciplinary" and "ethnography" make perfect sense to us, but to someone who doesn't spend their day in front of a whiteboard or buried in a sketchbook, it sounds Greek. A glaring example of this, and one that we encounter constantly, is the idea of a brand.
In the last fifteen years, the term "branding" has been ardently adopted by the business community and subsequently misused roughly 700 trillion times. What people often think of as branding — logos, colors and imagery — are actually components of visual identity, or the visuals associated with a brand. The branding process, however, is more than simply designing a new logo for an organization — it's defining the emotional connection people will have with its products and services.
Simply put, a brand is not a tangible thing — it's a person's perception or gut feeling about a product, service or organization.
Look to Nike for a great example of this. Many would think of the iconic "swoosh" as Nike's brand, but this is only partially true. The core of Nike's brand is the idea of empowering people, no matter who they are, to be great athletes. Nike uses the guiding phrase "authentic athletic performance" to articulate the emotional connection people have with the company. This key idea (or brand essence) informs every aspect of Nike's service — their logo merely evokes this essence in a quick way.
Succinctly defining your brand is a wonderful way to align business goals, communication and marketing strategy. This starts with recognizing that your brand exists as a living idea in the minds of your customers, and not merely as a logo on a brochure or website. Branding is not about fabricating an image; it's an authentic expression of what customers love about your company — and why they'll keep loving it for years to come.
For more on branding, check out Marty Neumeier's The Brand Gap or say hi at hello@cododesign.com
Tags: branding, business, design, positioning, strategy
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by matthew w. wilson on -
interesting post.
it is a sort of alchemy...that is for sure.
you seem like an insightful guy... or at least, more so than the rest of Small Indiana.
i shall add you.
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Permalink Reply by Isaac Arthur on -
thanks.
it is a bit of alchemy for sure. and while mistaking graphic design for branding isn't the end of the world, organizations stand to gain so much more from a genuine, informed branding process.
anyway, add away Matt.
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Permalink Reply by matthew w. wilson on
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i agree that graphic design is not branding.
but, i feel a rich, visual 'tie-in' or visual association (if you will) with a branding concept is a part of it.
humans are very visual critters.
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Permalink Reply by Isaac Arthur on
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oh yes, there's a huge visual 'tie-in' to branding. a wonderfully defined brand essence doesn't matter if you don't follow through with beautiful brand identity work.
people will always connect with visually appealing things, but if you give them more — if you can make them feel as though they're a part of something special, then you've set yourself apart.
it's about crafting a better experience, emotionally and visually.
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Permalink Reply by matthew w. wilson on
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you're absolutely right!
most start-ups and small business totally lack one or the other.
for example, a local coffee house i frequent makes me feel warm and at home everytime i go into their store. it's a combination of the space, the old building, consistent smells, lighting, funiture...ect. you get the idea... but, their visual "branding" is a nightmare.
if, i saw their logo, tag-lines, ads, ect. in a line-up i wouldn't even notice they were there.
on the other hand, there is a (semi-) local restraint chain that has brilliant branding, and consistent packing and visual aspects, but their employees and storefront space turns me off everytime, and i, in fact, have stopped giving them my business.... clever and visually well planned/organized as they maybe.
that's my issue as a graphic/multimedia designer... the creative juices, so to speak, come easily... it is just focusing that creative spark into a laser beam for a client.
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Permalink Reply by Isaac Arthur on
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definitely. we spend a lot of time convincing clients of how the experience they offer folks is holistic and needs to be considered and tailored at every level.
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Permalink Reply by Kyle Lacy on -
This has nothing to do with the post but can you change your comment section in your blog to have a Name and URL in order to leave a comment. I tried to leave a comment on a post and was a little frustrated.
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Permalink Reply by Isaac Arthur on
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give it a try now.
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Permalink Reply by Chris McCoy on -
Great article! I definitely agree that branding is more than just a great logo. While that is part of it, it shouldn't be the stopping point. There are places that I shop,eat and spend my hard earned money simply because of the way I feel going there.
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If you witness or experience any issues, please contact admin@smallerindiana.com and we will look into the matter.
6. Smaller Indiana is supported by its members, and by corporate sponsors. If you're interested in learning more about sponsorship, please call Pat Coyle at 317 332 7878.
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