by Miriam Hara | Sep 27, 2023 | Agency, Branding, Marketing
I know, it’s an awkward stated headline, but I wrote it that way intentionally because it clarifies the point. In business we often hear the term ‘logo’ used interchangeably with ‘brand’. However, while these 2 terms are inextricably linked, they are not synonymous. A brand is so much more than its logo. It encompasses the persona, essence, and positioning of a brand. While brand logos play a significant role in a brand’s identity, “a logo does not a brand make’.
Case in point: When you see a bitten apple logo, you instantly think of Apple. But is it just the logo that resonates with you? It’s the association of innovation, sleek and minimalistic design, superior quality, and a certain lifestyle that comes to mind. This total experience is the brand.
The Brand Beyond the Logo
A brand is the sum of all experiences, feelings, and perceptions a customer has with your company. It’s your company’s personality and character, the promises you make and keep, the values you uphold, and the way you communicate with the world.
Let’s talk Coca-Cola: Their brand is not just about their unique logo or signature red and white colour scheme. It’s about happiness, togetherness, refreshing moments, and universal appeal. Coca-Cola has consistently positioned itself as more than a beverage company – it sells an experience, a feeling. Their ads, marketing campaigns, social responsibilities, and even the tone of their communications, all resonate with this brand essence. And I must point out that it’s the evolution of its brand essence. Coca Cola has been around for a long time.
Logos – Part of the Larger Whole
A logo, while essential, is only a visual representation that triggers recognition for a brand. It’s like the cover of a book that invites you to dive deeper into the story – the story is the brand itself.
Okay, I can’t talk about logos without bringing up Nike‘s famous ‘swoosh’ logo. The simple, fluid design symbolizes motion and speed, fitting for a brand that outfits athletes. But Nike’s brand goes beyond the logo. The Nike brand is about motivation, aspiration, performance, and breaking barriers. The tagline “Just Do It” echoes this sentiment and has driven association of that sentiment right into the swoosh.
The Persona, Essence, and Positioning
Creating a successful brand involves establishing a strong brand persona, essence, and positioning. The brand persona is like the character of your brand – how it behaves, communicates, and interacts with its audience. The essence is the heart and soul of your brand, its fundamental nature or quality. And brand positioning is how your brand distinguishes itself from competitors in the market.
Take Tesla for instance. It has positioned itself as not just a car manufacturer, but a pioneer in sustainable energy solutions. Its brand persona is innovative, forward-thinking, and bold. Albeit, I would say that has more to do with Elan Musk than any branding initiative! The essence of Tesla revolves around sustainability, cutting-edge technology, and luxurious performance. Tesla’s logo, although simple and elegant, does not alone make Tesla the brand it is today. It’s the larger narrative that brings the brand to life.
In a nutshell, a logo is an essential part of your brand, but it’s only a piece of the bigger branding picture which extends far beyond it.
What does branding mean to you, beyond the logo? Share your thoughts here!
by Miriam Hara | Aug 4, 2023 | Agency, Branding, Marketing
One of my favourite expressions is that brands are living organisms. I believe brands are not stagnant entities. They breathe, evolve, and mature over time. Just like any other living organisms that surround us. We often speak about brand evolution and what it means, not realizing that as brands evolve they “become”. Therefore, the evolution of a brand’s being, essentially, the art of rebranding a living organism is a delicate balance of observation and analytics.
Here’s something to think about: When it comes time to rebrand – the brand has something to say about what it evolves to and how!
Brand’s Humble Beginnings
Every brand, whether a household name or a budding start-up, begins its journey as a germ of an idea with great potential. Think of iconic brands like Apple, Nike, google or Coca-Cola. These brands were not always the global brand powerhouses we know them as today. They started with a vision and an offering that they made unique. Just like living organisms, brands go through a growth process, adapting to the ever-changing environment and consumer preferences.
Nurturing Brand Growth and Relationships
One critical aspect of nurturing and evolving a brand, is through various touch points or connections. The interactions a brand has with its target audience across different channels are what will provide its sense of being and the strength of its relationship with its audience. This includes everything from social media engagement, customer service, advertising campaigns, to product experiences. By carefully nurturing these aspects, brands can shape their identity and foster deeper relationships with their customers. They Become.
Starbucks is a perfect example of this. It has mastered its reach and connection far and wide. From the moment customers step into their stores, they are enveloped in a warm, inviting brand ambiance. The friendly baristas, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, and the carefully designed interiors all contribute to the unique Starbucks experience. Additional, their engaging social media presence and loyalty programs further enhance the customer journey. Starbucks understood and understands the evolution of its brand. Each touchpoint with their customer base is seen as an opportunity to strengthen their brand and create a lasting impression.
Brand Evolution: The Art of Rebranding
This brings us to the concept of rebranding—a strategic decision made by marketers to redefine a brand’s image, target audience, or positioning. Rebranding can breathe new life into a stagnant brand, help it stay relevant, and appeal to evolving customer needs. While rebranding can be a powerful tool, it must be approached with caution. Brands need to carefully consider their loyal customer base and ensure that the essence and values that customers associate with the brand remain intact. A well-executed rebranding strategy can breathe new life and energy into a brand, while a misaligned one can alienate customers and erode trust..
In the fast-paced digital age and market, monitoring brand evolution is crucial. Social media, customer reviews, and data analytics provide unprecedented access to real-time feedback and insights. By actively monitoring a brand’s trajectory, companies can make informed decisions, adapt swiftly to market dynamics, and nurture a brand’s growth.
I believe, just like living organisms, brands possess the power to adapt, mature, and leave a mark on our world.
Do you envision brands as living organisms? Please let me know your thoughts here.
by Miriam Hara | Jun 28, 2023 | Advertising, Agency, Branding, Creative, Design
Colour is the silent language that speaks volumes about your brand. It’s the first thing that catches the eye, influencing perceptions and stimulating emotions Colours evoke emotions, convey messages, and even influence our decisions. As creatives, we’re not just painting with colours; we’re leveraging them as powerful communicative tools. The right palette can enhance brand recognition, guide user experience, and create visual harmony. It’s more than aesthetics; it’s about understanding the psychology of colour. Colour in creative plays a pivotal role in brand communication and consumer decision-making. Understanding colour psychology can help you choose the right palette for your brand, creating a strong visual identity that connects with your audience.
Consider some of the world’s most recognizable brands.
Coca-Cola, for instance, has leveraged the boldness and energy of red to convey passion and excitement. Facebook, on the other hand, uses calming blue tones to inspire trust and reliability. These brands have effectively harnessed the power of colour to shape their image and resonate with their target audience.
But how do you select the perfect colour palette that represents your brand accurately? The answer lies in comprehending the emotional and psychological undertones each colour carries. Red often stirs feelings of passion, urgency, or aggression. Blue can communicate trust, tranquillity, or melancholy. Yellow typically signifies happiness, vitality, or caution, while green is often associated with nature, growth, or envy. Let’s not forget purple, a colour that can project creativity, luxury, or mystery depending on its use. Every colour carries a plethora of meanings, shaped by cultural, demographic, and individual perspectives.
When choosing colours in creative, consider your brand’s personality and your target audience’s preferences. A brand embodying youth and energy might lean towards bold, lively colours, whereas a luxury brand might gravitate towards a more understated, sophisticated palette. It’s crucial to maintain consistency across all platforms and touchpoints, ensuring your chosen colours align seamlessly with your brand.
Never underestimate the importance of testing and research. Different cultures, age groups, and genders may react differently to certain colours. Employ tools like A/B testing, focus groups, and market research to delve into your target audience’s colour preferences. Remember, colour is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s both an art and a science, demanding a thoughtful approach and a profound understanding of your audience. However, when executed correctly, the right colour palette – perhaps featuring a dash of purple… or a whole lot of it! – can significantly bolster your brand identity, shape perceptions, and spur engagement.
So, how can you choose the right palette for your brand or project? Want to learn more about how colour can elevate your brand’s identity and message? Visit our website for more insights or contact us to explore how we can help you create a visually compelling brand identity.
by Miriam Hara | May 26, 2023 | Agency, Branding, Communications, Marketing
In my 35-years at 3H, I’ve grown quite fond of an expression I use quite frequently in strategy sessions and yes, even in brainstorming sessions. The expression: – “we are talking to ourselves.” It’s an amusing acknowledgment of a trap we marketers often fall into. We’re so involved with our brand’s world that we sometimes forget our audience isn’t. This awareness has consistently guided my commitment to audience-centric marketing, reminding me to always consider the creative, communication, and positioning from the viewpoint of our target audience
The Impact of Self-Talk.
It creates an echo chamber, amplifying our own assumptions and drowning out the voice of our consumers. We believe that they’re as familiar with our brand as we are. The result? A communication gap. We’re talking, but not necessarily to our audience.
That’s what I refer to as the Self-Talk Syndrome. This self-talk results in a marketing echo chamber. We assume our consumers have the same brand intimacy as we do, creating a detrimental communication gap. We’re in conversation, but are our consumers truly part of it? Our clever taglines and plays on words or even how to express the need and use of our brand to consumers , so clear to us, may not resonate with those unfamiliar with our brand’s intimate details.
Remember this, our target markets, and by default, our consumers are not part of our internal dialogues. They see our brand quite differently from how we see it.
The Antidote to Self-Talk….Audience-centric Marketing!
So, what’s the solution? A perspective shift. We need to step outside our self-talk bubble and see through our consumers’ eyes. The goal isn’t brand familiarity, but effective, engaging communication.
Keep is simple. Keep it Clear.
The heart of audience-centric messaging is simplicity and clarity. It’s not about diluting our message, but making it more accessible – a counter to the complexity often bred in self-talk. Consumers care about benefits, value, and practicality – these should be the focus, not intricate product details.
Let’s Open Dialogue!
It’s also time to turn our self-talk into an open dialogue. Embrace feedback. Listening to our consumers lets us adapt our approach to align with their needs and expectations, ensuring that our self-talk doesn’t drown out their voices.
Bridge the gap.
Escaping the echo chamber of self-talk brings immense benefits. Clear, relatable messages. A bridge between brand and audience. An engaged consumer who appreciates our brand. By focusing on the audience, we foster stronger, deeper connections.
Break free from the cycle of self-talk and embrace audience-centric communication. Examine your marketing strategy. Is it a product of self-talk, or is it truly resonating with your audience?
Always keep in mind, the conversation we need to have isn’t with ourselves, but with our audience. It’s about making our brand not just known, but understood and valued. We don’t just want to talk – we want to engage, resonate, and build relationships. The most meaningful conversations are those we share with others, not the ones we have in our self-talk echo chamber. For that, let’s step out and tune into the frequency of our audience. Ready to sing along?
by Miriam Hara | Mar 29, 2014 | Branding, Latest
Brand value is based upon the sum of all its parts. Those parts are: a brand name, its marketing, the relationship the brand has with its target base, its intent and its history. Additionally, to a large degree brand value or brand equity is based on its level of endurance. A brand’s stamina and staying power are as important as its ability to stay true to its original intention.
In short, brand value is tied to its originality.
At the risk of sounding a tad too “mature”, I remember when marketing meant not only advertising the benefits of a brand, but communicating those benefits to the consumer in an original way. This allowed the brand to own its entire messaging, from the logo to the colour and tone used and of course, the imagery.
Today, I feel that some creative has become lazy – reaching for the low hanging fruit. This may be the result of less time and lower budgets, however the drawbacks to brand value by creating “me too” creative are significant.
Brand creative should be a significant contributor to brand value. Here are a few tips to flexing creative to become more original for your brand creative:
1. Start your brainstorming session with a brief. It should outline what the objectives are, who the competition is and what they have done in the market place.
2. Don’t build your creative around a royalty free stock image. It’s important that you completely own your visual identity. Have you ever seen an ad for a technology brand with the exact photo as an ad for an insurance service provider? It’s quite alarming. Today, many print ads and digital creative ads are based on the use of stock imagery – ugh!
3. Go for substance, not flash, unless you can achieve both without alienating your target group. The use of flash and pop up mechanisms on websites intrude rather than captivate attention.
4. Always be clever with the creative for your concept and your approach to copy and headlines. Often headlines are too tactile and lack playfulness and originality.
If the strategy is on point and implemented properly, creative will add considerably to brand value. Brand creative should be based on brand persona. And brand persona should be based on a unique set of characteristics that give it… well a personality. How else will a brand resonate with its consumers? It needs to be attractive and speak to consumers in a way that forms a true connection.
In today’s environment, the brand persona has taken on an even more prominent role. There is another dimension to develop brand personality: its voice and tone. Like every person is an original, to be a successful brand and create brand value, originality is essential.
