Week 9

Branding Workshop with Mike Weikert

Mike covered the basics of branding and demonstrated the difference between identity and branding. Here are some of the points he made:

What is a Brand?

A brand is not a logo.A brand is not an identity system. A brand is not a product.

A brand is an idea, not a thing. It is a shifting set of perceptions and associations that can be influenced but not controlled. A successful brand evokes an emotional response by telling a story that connects to its audience, transcending the product to represent something bigger—an idea, a movement, a way of life. Most importantly, successful brands ring true.

People are emotional and intuitive beings and react and respond to products and companies based on those emotions and intuitions. As a result, brands are defined by individuals, not companies, marketing firms or designers.

It’s not what you say it is, It’s what they say it is.— Marty NeumeierThe Brand Gap

Products are created in the factory. Brands are created in the mind.— Walter Landor, FounderLandor Associates

It takes a whole company to build a brand.—Blake Deutsch

A brand becomes stronger when you narrow the focus.—Al and Laura Ries

Brands are most successful when strategy and creativity work together.

— smart and beautiful.

— analytical and intuitive.

— logical and emotional.

When both sides work together (in the words of Marty Neumeier) you can build a charismatic brand.

Charismatic brand: product, service or organization for which people believe there is no substitute.

Students were asked to bring a draft of their brand assessment considering the following points in reference to their specific project:

Brand Strategy, Positioning and Identity.

Brand Strategy The combined understanding of three parts.

1. Position in the marketplace(target audience, competition)

2. Visual identity(product/service itself, logo, all design and communication)

3. Marketing initiatives (how your product/service is delivered to the audience)

Brand Positioning Define a platform that will provide a standard for judging the accuracy of all brand communications

Objectives—What are the goals of the product/service?

Challenges—What obstacles does it face in attaining those goals and getting the message out?

Target Markets—Who are you talking to?

Attributes—What characteristics best describe the product/service?

Points of Difference—What makes it unique?

Perceptions—How would you expect the product/service to be perceived by the public?

Reasons to Believe—What makes it different?

Essence—What are the significant features of of the product/service and what does it promise?

from this, we define this:

Key Messages—specific communication points.

Thematic Platform—visual and conceptual principles.

Imaging Criteria—standards for developing the brand identity.

Development Ideas—list of deliverables.

Brand IdentityVisual and verbal expression of the brand.

Execution of deliverables based on the Brand Positioning exercise.