by Lindsay Sleightholm | Oct 16, 2013 | Branding, Design, Latest, Marketing
Though I’m a big music fan, I’m not going to pretend I know much about the actual music industry. But I do know a lot about graphic design and have my share of marketing know-how. And I recognize that there’s a lot more to creating an iconic band than great guitar riffs and a good-looking lead singer.
Is a band a brand?
Some bands are just bands. They’re not interested in creating an identity for themselves beyond what their music conveys. Although bands who want to get to the next level know that the business of music is not unlike any other business – it requires the use of marketing, advertising and design. Like anything else, good branding can help distinguish them among the competition. Bands have their own identities. Yet as musicians they’re not just creating music, they’re also shaping a brand persona – whether this was their intention or not.
Does a band need marketing and design?
Just like any other brand, a band needs to find its audience and connect with them. This happens of course through their music. However it is also created by the interactions they have with their audience, their public performances and appearances, their official and unofficial videos on YouTube, their presence on social media and their visual identities.
This is where the marketing and design comes in. Visual identities are created in order to market the music. These identities can end up on every facet of their visual branding – from T-shirts to websites. Some of the most successful bands of all time have made great use of this visual medium.
Band brands
So putting my music tastes aside, I’ll throw on my designer hat for my picks of some of the best in band branding.
Kiss
If you google “kiss”, you’ll actually get the band Kiss – which in itself is pretty impressive. Originally known as Wicked Lester, headed by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in 1971. But it wasn’t until 1973 that the name change to Kiss came about and a new image was born. The Kiss logo was first developed by their original lead guitarist Ace Frehley, later to be polished by designer and illustrator Michael Doret.
Since then, they haven’t just put it on a few posters and T-shirts – they ran with it. Combined with their trademark make-up and costumes, the entire Kiss brand has been built into a music empire spanning over four decades.
Chicago
Starting out as cover band The Big Thing in 1967, a name change to The Chicago Transit Authority in 1968 was short-lived due to the threat of legal action from the actual Chicago Transit Authority. By the 1970’s the band became simply Chicago. Their final name logotype was designed by art director John Berg.
That logo has since fronted nearly all of the band’s album covers – taking on a different illustrative style each time – yet remaining true to its original design. It has also earned its place in design history, with a nod from designer and author Philip B. Meggs, in Type and Image: The Language of Graphic Design.
Daft Punk
The French duo that in 1992 was originally called Darlin’, after the Beach Boys song, quickly re-branded themselves as Daft Punk after receiving a negative review describing their music as “a daft punky thrash”.
By the latter half of the 90’s Daft Punk were beginning to not only carve out a place for their unique sound but their solid, albeit unconventional, visual brand. Known now for their look as much their music, the two robot-human hybrids have created an image for themselves without ever showing their faces.
These bands, although completely different in musical genre, have at least one thing in common, they have really taken advantage of branding to boost their identities – as have hundreds of other music greats. The music is their product, but they’ve also crafted a marketable image. And each is an example of how consistent branding can help propel any brand, or band, to the next level.
As most know, a good one-off will only give you your 15 minutes. But great branding, effective marketing and strong design can take what is already unique and give it the stage to really stand apart.
by Miriam Hara | Oct 15, 2013 | Branding, Business Success, Latest
A recently shared post written by a colleague about branding promise hit a nerve among marketing professionals. Brand identity value has been a growing cause of concern and debate among those who are in charge of managing and growing brands. Let me say this:
Branding is not dead. And brand identity value is very much alive and changing.
What is required for developing and building a brand identity has evolved. This should not come as a surprise… the market landscape that brands have to communicate effectively in has changed. In the post outlining the importance of brand promise cited above, some felt that the evolving customer journey had left brand, brand identity value and brand premise in the dust. But how accurate is that?
The popularity of social media combined with brand advocates are at the crux of the changing market environment. The customer journey has become a key factor in the implementation of any successful strategies involving brand development and increasing brand identity value. Suffice to say that the social media channel has allowed for the rise of so many niche communities within the social media arena enabling relevant brand advocates. In order to resonate with the evolving and very “vocal” consumer, brand makers and the art of branding itself have been forced to forge new ground.
The fact that consumers now have a voice and can easily “hurt” a brand is true. But the flip side to that argument is that consumers can also use their voice to propel a brand forward. Marketers and the brands who embrace that knowledge while treading cautiously within this channel can reap substantial brand identity wins.
The premise of brand identity value has become increasingly dimensional as it now encompasses brand voice and brand tone to round out its brand persona. No longer are those characteristics reserved to a few brands with hefty budgets. Today any brand, big or small, can dive in and become a dimensional brand. That doesn’t mean that adherence to the basics of building a brand and its identity should go by the wayside – quite the opposite. Due to the immediacy of social media and the often reactionary, volatile nature of the channel, the establishment of brand identity, its guidelines and adherence to character and tone play a significant role in achieving and building a relevant brand identity.
So what do you feel is necessary for a brand to do to keep up its value and relevancy in this market environment?
by Suzy Godefroy | Sep 24, 2013 | Branding, Latest
Your corporate brand and branding promise are both the most significant factors in running a successful and progressive business. No matter what size of company you run, own, and/or manage it is crucial that you invest your time into branding yourself and your business.
It is not surprising to see many business owners lose site of their branding and confuse a company logo and corporate slogan as their brand. Rule number one branding not a quick fix. Branding is all about discipline and a 
commitment to a long-term business strategy that you review on a regular basis and make changes and modifications where you see fit. A logo and slogan are tools to communicate your brand attributes and deliver your brand promise. Your brand promise is what your company stands by, how your markets relates to this positioning and how your businesses stands out from your competitors.
At the management level, the day-to-day strategic approach is a key success factor in building and maintaining a strong brand. If your business strategy gets lost in paper, things can quickly go astray very quickly, as the consumer messaging will become fragmented weakening your branding.
Often staff and management are not singing to the same tune. So take note! Just like your heart you must protect your brand and weigh your decisions extremely carefully so that you are confident that you are being true to your authentic brand identity and branding promise.
Brand strategists are the gatekeepers of your brands and look at the bigger picture on a daily basis. Reviewing how your staff is carrying out their day-to-day functions. Strategic Brand Management also reviews your consumer feedback to effectively deliver your brand promise.
How do you choose your branding promise? We recommend that you hire a professional branding company or marketing company and invest in some time and money and do it right. Do not rush the process!
Engage! Engage! Engage…Engage with your stakeholders, your staff and most importantly with your loyal consumers. And use this information to formulate your brand promise. This exercise is also a very effective way to integrate your brand internally across the board with all staff.
Brand Trust…In such a competitive marketplace trust, accountability and corporate leadership are imperative factors for a business to protect and hone. It’s the little things, like how you react and solve problems, what types of programs do you have in place to react and solve this issues immediately? How do you treat your customers? Is your pricing competitive? How do you support your staff? All of these corporate character traits relate back to your consumer and the markets that you are serving, so be sure to be vigilant.
Brand Values… What kind of value system and culture does your company have? You need to ask yourself this question, day in and day out to be able to assess your values and make sure your team is helping you stay true to the corporate vision. This is also where you can have some fun with your staff and get involved in non-marketing events and do some community relationship building to build your corporate public profile.
Your brand promise is really an extension of you! So at the end of the day, your brand promise is an extension of your business products and services and how your consumers truly relate to them. The big question is what does your consumer need? And this really means what is important to them and how do you differentiate from your competitors?
by Miriam Hara | Aug 27, 2013 | Advertising, Branding, Creative, Latest, Marketing
The real question is “should marketing be subjective?” Through years of creating concepts and designs, I have realized when you ask someone their opinion they will give it to you… whether they are qualified or not.
Most people either like something or don’t. It doesn’t matter if it’s a priceless painting like the Mona Lisa or their kid’s artwork hanging on the fridge. So the 
bottom line is, if people don’t like something there’s nothing that anyone can do to change their mind.
It would seem then, pretty tough to sell a product with a marketing position or concept that doesn’t resonate with the market. It’s even harder to come up with a marketing and advertising campaign that helps people make decisions on whether they should buy or not.
Marketing is like art
When it comes to marketing concepts, like art, everyone’s a critic. And like art, it’s not always easy to defend when the art you’ve just created is being criticized. It’s not like mathematics where it’s either right or wrong. 2+2 is 4 no matter which way you look. But marketing is different because it boils down to the way people think and feel.
Is marketing subjective? Is the creation of a marketing campaign purely subjective? Is it really based on the reaction of the client who tells you for the umpteenth time, ‘so and so doesn’t like it”.
Marketing behind the scenes
Not everyone seems to appreciate what goes on behind the scenes in marketing. Maybe you’ve heard: “Whoever came up with that idea? My kid can do better.” But marketing shouldn’t be evaluated on likeability alone.
Marketing is a critical business function to attract customers. Is it realistic then to leave marketing to chance? It’s true how we view elements of marketing can be subjective. I like that packaging. I don’t like that commercial. But what many don’t understand, fail to understand, forget, ignore or just don’t care is that marketing is strategic. It doesn’t matter what you like, your wife likes or your dog likes. A good marketing campaign first requires investigation and research. A SWOT analysis is key. A definition of target market is only the first step. We need to learn about our target market and what makes them tick. We identify what we want to accomplish. We anticipate how the consumer will react to our objective.
And through all this we are cognizant of the 4ps of marketing.
Marketing is the process of communicating the value of a product to our customers. We do this by positioning our product to find its place and stand out amongst all the noise and babble. We create brand awareness and we sustain that awareness throughout the campaign. In order to create a marketing campaign, we capture marketing insight to determine how best to connect with customers. We build a strong brand and communicate its value. We communicate consistently. We connect with our customers and deliver a message that communicates value. We are conscious to protect our brand. We monitor on a continuous basis. And in the end, our metrics tell us whether we were successful or not in cold, hard numbers.
Those numbers are the facts. They are indisputable.
So maybe, marketing isn’t so subjective after all.
by Lisa Wedmann | Aug 21, 2013 | Branding, Business Success, Latest, Marketing
Big companies spend lots of money and effort to build their brands. Brands help their products stand out. Microsoft, Walmart, Volkswagen. We get it. We know what they do.
But what about building a personal brand. Can building a personal brand help us to become recognized. Can a personal brand help build our careers? Build brand loyalty…to us?
Each one of us has a personal brand whether we consciously created it or not.
Our personal brand is the summary of what defines us as a unique and distinctive individual.
This summary is used when you talk about yourself to others. Or when others talk about you. More importantly when others talk about you… you should be memorable! Wouldn’t you rather someone say “call Joe, he can fix that” rather than “call what was his name… he’s the one that ….…pause…what was his name …?
Unless you want to be called ‘What was his name’, don’t leave your personal brand to chance. Personal branding is a way to make a name for yourself and to sell your talent and your skills. It highlights your values and enhances your reputation.
A strong, solid personal brand will make you stand out from the rest. It will help you when applying for a job, building a business or networking with new friends or associates. A powerful brand defines you at all times and lets others know who you are.
Your personal brand is an investment
When you invest in your personal brand you invest for a lifetime. And like any strong investment, with the right foundation and careful planning it will continue to grow. As it grows it encompasses your values and accomplishments and defines the person you are at any given moment in time.
Your personal brand is based on the thoughts and perception of others. That’s the beauty. Building a personal brand is your opportunity to construct that image. How would you like others to think of you? You have control and you can decide what image you want to project and work on that image.
Name it to claim it
Take the time to consider how you want to be perceived. Be clear about who you are and who you are not. This will become your mantra, your raison d’être. Every action, every activity should reflect that person. Focus your message on who you are and what you have to offer.
Personal branding isn’t easy but it can and will bring impressive results. Just ask Oprah! But no, seriously…if you want to know how to go about building a brand, click here.
by Lisa Wedmann | Aug 9, 2013 | Advertising, Branding, Creative, Latest
“Life can be much broader. You can embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it.” – Steve Jobs
I was reading about the soon to be released movie “Jobs” with Ashton Kutcher and this quote jumped out at me. So much knowledge packed into one simple sentence.
I get it. I totally agree. Jobs is a testimony to this philosophy. I can easily live vicariously through Jobs and let this knowledge spill into all areas of my life. In this case, it captures my interest in marketing and brand building. Brand can be much broader. You can embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it. It’s about a brand’s life cycle and it being able to live in the now.
Embrace it
There’s much to be said about your product and positioning your brand. But embracing it, now that’s where it gets juicy. Embracing is about nurturing and caring. It’s the point in your product life cycle where you have done your research. You understand what it takes to make your brand strong and resilient. You are not afraid to stand behind your brand and make your mark. You own your product. You protect it. And you embrace it.
Change it
For brands, change is not always good, but sometimes it’s necessary.. Knowing when to tweak an element of your brand or when to re-haul it takes a keen sense of timing and a marketing intuition. In most cases when brands (not products) need a total re-position, it’s because the brand hasn’t had the attention it deserves…for quite some time.
Improve it
Improving your brand is not about changing it. It is about realigning your brand to keep it current. It’s about paying attention and having your brand live in the now. Improving how your brand is presented and keeping it relevant to the market ensures its success. Staying on trend. Being fresh. In today’s marketing landscape, this is keeping current with social media and all that it has to offer.
Make your mark upon it
And here’s where Jobs was so distinctive. We can all agree he made his mark. We are all familiar with the iconic apple symbol, the brand and all that it means, not only as a product, but as an experience and a promise.
Jobs left us the formula for life success that can easily be adopted to brand success
We can all follow in Jobs’ footsteps. He left us the formula albeit, for life. To my way of thinking, Brand has a persona, and therefore, as mentioned at the beginning of this post, Brand has a life. We all refer to a brand and it’s product life cycle. Create a cohesive brand identity. Develop a unique identity that demonstrates your company’s personality. Make your product so impressive that people rush to do business with you and not your competition. Do whatever it takes to make it happen.
