Do we wear a brand or does the brand
wear us?
This post is updated with research as i find it.
brands image
The impression
in the consumers' mind of a brand's total personality (real and imaginary
qualities and shortcomings). Brand image is developed over time through
advertising campaigns with a consistent theme, and is authenticated through the
consumers' direct experience. See also corporate image.
Abercrombie and Fitch
“Abercrombie and Fitch doesn’t want
to create the image that just anybody, poor people, can wear their clothing.
Only people of a certain stature are able to purchase and wear the company
name.”
“He doesn’t want larger people
shopping in his store, he wants thin and beautiful people,” Lewis said. “He
doesn’t want his core customers to see people who aren’t as hot as them wearing
his clothing. People who wear his clothing should feel like they’re one of the
‘cool kids.'”
“In every school there are the cool
and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” he told the site.
“Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American
kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong
[in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. Those
companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat,
skinny. But then you become totally vanilla. You don’t alienate anybody, but
you don’t excite anybody, either,” he told Salon.
“Not only does such a successful product
have a personality of its own, it expresses a way of living, a set of values,
an affirmation of choices. Coca-Cola has built this personality through
advertising campaigns promotions that position the drink clearly in a relaxed,
happy, youthful environment, essentially participatory and informal.”
Book Global fashion brands style, luxury &
history
Page 34
Abercrombie and fitch attempts to
create a clear, simple idea, built symbolically around, and supported by,
visual and textual structures: Objects, images, text, events. Advertisement,
stores and products, for example, carry ideals and evoke the youthful America
of the Lvy League, prep school or fraternity/sorority life.
Book Global fashion brands style, luxury &
history
Page 34
Abercombie uses sexualized
salespeople to make its statement. In reversal of the typical female sexual
objects, half - dressed males parade around.
Book Global fashion brands style, luxury &
history
Page 68
A brand is based on the association
that people make with a company in addition to its tangible material aspects so
that it exists in the minds and hearts of the consumer.
Book Global fashion brands style, luxury &
history
Page 68
Brand managers aim to establish a relationship
with consumers and control their perception of the brand identity through
multimodal communicative forms and channels from print to social media.
This brands identity is managed in
three ways: through the brand’s ethos or what it represents as it’s core, the
value that it ascribes to and the brand personality ‘that enable the brand to
be instantly recognisable and much desired’
Book
the hidden persuaders
Page
65
“People have a terrific loyalty to
their brand of cigarette and yet in tests cannot tell it from other brands.
They are smoking an image completely”
Book
wally olins on brands
Page 14
Today we mostly take a product’s
functional characteristics for granted and while brands are still all about
image, it is no longer just their own image- it is also our image.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019850105001331
In many business markets the company's
reputation has a strong influence on buying decisions which may differ from the
more specific product related influence of the brand's image.
BRAND EQUITY
http://jam.sagepub.com/content/28/2/195.short
creation of brand equity. The
authors propose a conceptual framework in which marketing elements are related
to the dimensions of brand equity, that is, perceived quality, brand loyalty,
and brand associations combined with brand awareness. These dimensions are then
related to brand equity. The empirical tests using a structural equation model
support the research hypotheses. The results show that frequent price
promotions, such as price deals, are related to low brand equity, whereas high
advertising spending, high price, good store image, and high distribution
intensity are related to high brand equity.
BREAKING DOWN 'Brand Equity'
Brand equity has three basic components: consumer perception, negative
or positive effects, and the resulting value. First and foremost, brand equity
is built by consumer perception, which includes both knowledge and experience
with a brand and its products. The perception that a consumer segment holds
about a brand directly results in either positive or negative effects. If the
brand equity is positive, the organization, its products and its financials can
benefit. If the brand equity is negative, the opposite is true.
Finally, these effects can turn into either tangible or intangible
value. If the effect is positive, tangible value is realized as increases in
revenue or profits and intangible value is realized as marketing as awareness
or goodwill. If the effects are negative, the tangible or intangible value is
also negative. For example, if consumers are willing to pay more for a generic
product than for a branded one, the brand is said to have negative brand
equity. This might happen if a company has a major product recall or causes a widely publicized environmental disaster.
General Example of Brand Equity
A general example of a situation where brand equity is important is when
a company wants to expand its product line. If the brand's equity is positive, the company can increase the
likelihood that customers might buy its new product by associating the new
product with an existing, successful brand. For example, if Campbell's releases
a new soup, the company is likely to keep it under the same brand name rather
than inventing a new brand. The positive associations customers already have
with Campbell's make the new product more enticing than if the soup has an
unfamiliar brand name.
Specific Example of Brand Equity
Brand equity is a major indicator of company strength and performance,
specifically in the public markets. Often times companies in the same industry
or sector compete on brand equity. For example, an EquiTrend survey conducted
on July 14, 2016, found that The Home Depot was the number one hardware company
in terms of brand equity. Lowe's Companies, Inc. came in second, with The Ace
Hardware Corporation scoring below average.
A large component of brand equity in the hardware environment is
consumer perception of the strength of a company's ecommerce business. The Home
Depot is an industry leader in this category. It was also found that, in
addition to ecommerce, The Home Depot has the highest familiarity among
consumers, allowing it to further penetrate the industry and increase its brand
equity.
Brand
image is the current view of
the customers about a brand. It can be defined as a unique bundle of
associations within the minds of target customers. It signifies what the brand
presently stands for. It is a set of beliefs held about a specific brand. In short, it is nothing but the consumers’
perception about the product. It is the manner in which a specific brand is
positioned in the market. Brand image conveys emotional value and not just a
mental image. Brand image is nothing but an organization’s character. It is an
accumulation of contact and observation by people external to an organization.
It should highlight an organization’s mission and vision to all. The main
elements of positive brand image are- unique logo reflecting organization’s
image, slogan describing organization’s business in brief and brand identifier
supporting the key values.
Brand image is the
overall impression in consumers’ mind that is formed from all sources.
Consumers develop various associations with the brand. Based on these associations,
they form brand image. An image is formed about the brand on the basis of
subjective perceptions of associations bundle that the consumers have about the
brand. Volvo is associated with safety. Toyota is associated with reliability.
The idea behind brand
image is that the consumer is not purchasing just the product/service but also
the image associated with that product/service. Brand images should be
positive, unique and instant. Brand images can be strengthened using brand
communications like advertising, packaging, word of mouth publicity, other
promotional tools, etc.
Brand image develops and
conveys the product’s character in a unique manner different from its
competitor’s image. The brand image consists of various associations in
consumers’ mind - attributes, benefits and attributes. Brand attributes are the
functional and mental connections with the brand that the customers have. They
can be specific or conceptual. Benefits are the rationale for the purchase
decision. There are three types of benefits: Functional benefits - what do you
do better (than others ),emotional benefits - how do you make me feel better
(than others), and rational benefits/support - why do I believe you(more than
others). Brand attributes are consumers overall assessment of a brand.
Brand image has not to
be created, but is automatically formed. The brand image includes products'
appeal, ease of use, functionality, fame, and overall value. Brand image is
actually brand content. When the consumers purchase the product, they are also
purchasing it’s image. Brand image is the objective and mental feedback of the
consumers when they purchase a product. Positive brand image is exceeding the
customers expectations. Positive brand image enhances the goodwill and brand
value of an organization.
To
sum up, “Brand image” is the customer’s net extract from the brand.
Page 99 brands and
branding
Trust. Consumers
believe that the brand will deliver it’s promise, respect them, and be open and
honest with them.
Commitment.
Consumers feel some longer term emotional attachment to their relationship with
the brand.
Alignment and
mutuality. A two-way affinity between consumer and the brand; with mutual
respect, shared values and expectation met-which results in a continually rewarding
experience
Page 83
Relevance. Strong
brands connect with consumers. They meet functional needs and also tap into,
and satisfy, emotional needs and desires. By understanding how existing and
potential customers define ideal experiences and perceive the world with which
they interact, you can determine what they are missing from exciting products
and services and thereby identify suitable opportunities to stake an unclaimed
(or underclaimed) territory.
sales numbers
It was that they deliberately targeted what Ahrendts
called ‘millennials’ — young customers — because they believed their
competitors were ignoring them.
Celebrity
Book
Global fashion brands style, luxury & history
Page
69
In
many ways, brand identity building is all about storytelling. In an age of
celebrity culture, consumers aspire towards and buy into celebrity brands to be
part of their dream story or leading roles or live like they imagine their
favorite celebrities do.
Limited edition
Book
Global fashion brands style, luxury & history
Page
71
Outside
the store for the Versace-H&M launch, one respondent said, “in this life
when everything is the same it’s great to be able to find something different
and exclusive. I’m planning to buy the big Versace cushions as they will dress
up my home in a unique way”
Comme
des Garcons
Quite
a few people will buy as many outfits as they can from the collection as it’s a
famous Japanese designer and Hong Kong people admire Japanese designers. So,
many of us will put theses items straight onto the internet for sale as it’s
the start of the day and I will most likely make a profit today… maybe three
times the price that I will pay and that will be a good money. (Den, Hong Kong
22)
Brand Psychology
Book
Marketing to the mind right brain strategies for adverting and marketing
Page
10
Marketing
to the mind refers to the unconscious mind. This is the side of the brain that
has been explored by few, and misunderstood by many. Yet, it is the size. In
consumer behavior, it is the side that makes the initial (“gut’) and final
(“spend money”) decision. The silent side is, or should be, to the adverting
executive, the “sell to” side. Also, fro the advertising person and the marker,
access to the unconscious will address and answer the question of why consumers
do what they do. It explains, rather then just describes.
Consumers build brands, not companies. This is
a fundamental marketing truth that cannot be denied. Consumers give brands
value by developing perceptions and expectations for those brands. Companies
enhance the value by delivering consistent brand experiences that consumers can
trust.
Human psychology and how it affects consumer
behavior is the foundation of brand building. What do consumers need? Do they
really need those things or do they just think they do? What drives them to
actually take action and buy once a real or perceived need is identified?
The key words are needs and actions,
and the best brand marketers paid attention to their marketing, psychology, and
philosophy professors. They have seen through experience that Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs and Aristotle’s Seven Causes of Human Action can be directly
applied to consumer behavior and brand marketing. You’ll never really “get”
marketing if you don’t “get” the psychology of needs and the philosophy of
actions.
Aristotle’s Seven Causes of Human Action http://changingminds.org/explanations/motivation/seven_causes.htm
The Psychology of Belonging: Why People Become Brand Fans
Going Beyond Buying Into Believing
That is the same motivator that
pushes people not to buy but to believe.
Soccer fans, just like fans of any
brand, don't see themselves so much as buying products but rather belonging to
a larger movement. Such a movement aligns with an individual's sense of self
and drives him or her to evangelize the product on behalf of the company.
"The inspired leaders and the
inspired organizations, regardless of size and industry, all think and act from
the inside out," Sinek says.
However, most people sell, market,
and communicate from the outside in. For example, consider the tagline "We
make great cars through great research." It's not terribly inspiring.
The best companies market from
deep within their development process using their inner why and speaking
directly to the heart of the foundation.
Steve Jobs once commented that his
most hated words were branding and marketing. Former Apple vice president of WorldWide Marketing,
Allison Johnson said that in the late Apple CEO's mind "people associated
brands with television advertising and commercials and artificial things. The
most important thing was people's relationship to the product. So any time we
said 'brand' it was a dirty word.
"Marketing is when you have
to sell to somebody. If you aren't providing value, if you're not educating
them about the product, if you're not helping them get the most out of the
product, you're selling. And you shouldn't be in that mode."
So, Apple isn't in the business of
selling; it's in the business of educating, of driving, of believing, of
evangelizing. When people believe in your mission, they will want to buy
from you. When people want to buy, they not only want to hear from you, but
they expect it and are excited about it.
TED talk Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model
for inspirational leadership — starting with a golden circle and the question
"Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright
brothers
Brand identity
The ultimate goal with
brand awareness, of course, is to be the first in line in the minds of
consumers. For example, when someone wants new basketball shoes, perhaps Nike
is the first brand that comes to mind.
Depending on the product or service you provide, being first in line is what
you are looking to achieve when it comes to brand awareness.
For marketing, branding is
typically the first step in the process. Before you start delivering your
message and content to your projected audience, you must create an image of
your company, or brand yourself. Once you’ve established your brand, it’s time
to spread the word through the various marketing channels. Attempting to market
yourself or your company without a brand identity will only confuse your
potential customers or followers.
WHAT IS A LOGO?
A logo is the graphic symbol
that represents a person, company or organization. If the logo is well-known
enough, such as the Nike swoosh, you may even see a logo used without the name
of the business that it is associated with. Normally, most marks have a
typographic part that more clearly spells out the name of the organization.
What is a wordmark or logotype?
A logo can also be purely
typographic. It is called a logotype or wordmark when only the letters of the
name make up to the logo (there is no additional symbol). A great example is
Coca-Cola’s red scripty type. Some people also refer to the logomark as the
word portion of a logo that also has a symbol.
What is 'Brand Identity' A
company's brand identity is how that business wants to be perceived by
consumers. The components of the brand (name, logo, tone, tagline,
typeface) are created by the business to reflect the value the company is
trying to bring to the market and to appeal to its customers.
Book Logos logo, identity, brand,
culture
Page15
A logo is the basic design equity
owned by a company, alongside the company name. Say ‘International Business
Machines’ and most people won’t know what you mean. Say IBM and they will
understand you in most languages!
Book logos: logo, identity, brand,
culture
Page 75
Not only does such a successful
product have a personality of its own, it expresses a way of living, a set of
values, an affirmation of choices. Coca-Cola has built this personality through
advertising campaigns promotions that position the drink clearly in a relaxed,
happy, youthful environment, essentially participatory and informal.
This paper
discusses the concepts of brand identity and brand image from a communications
perspective. Brand identity originates from the company, ie a company is
responsible for creating a differentiated product with unique features. Brand
image refers to consumer perceptions and encompasses a set of beliefs that
consumers have about the brand. Brand identity and brand image are related but
distinct concepts. Both are essential ingredients of strong brands. A firm can
enhance brand loyalty by ensuring that there is congruence between brand
identity and brand image. Key changes taking place in today's communications
environment have been identified and suggestions are offered on how to
strengthen the identity–image linkage.
Subcultures
While small societies tend to
be culturally uniform, large industrial societies are culturally diverse and
involve numerous subcultures. Subcultures are values and norms distinct from those of the
majority and are held by a group within a wider society. In the United States,
subcultures might include hippies, Goths, fans of hip hop or heavy metal and
even bikers - the examples are endless. One area of particular interest has to
do with deviant subcultures.
Colour
Our minds are programmed to respond to color. For
example, we stop our cars for red lights and go on green Consider the effects
of color in the image of contemporary symbols below.
People see color before they absorb anything else.
Many of the most recognizable brands in the world rely
on color as a key factor in their instant recognition.
Research has reinforced that 60% of the time people
will decide if they are attracted or not to a message - based on color alone!
Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent.
Color is an essential tool because it has an impact on
how we think and behave. Color directs our eye where to look, what to do, and
how to interpret something. It puts content into context. It helps us decide
what’s important and what’s not. That’s precisely why, as a content
marketer, you need to understand what colors mean to people.
While color psychology has been studied and analyzed
over time, the psychological impact of color is still moderately subjective.
We don’t all react the same way to colors, as we all
have previous experiences with colors from significant events, cultures,
people, and memories. However, there are a few generalities about how
people respond to color, and that’s what we’re going to look at.
RED
Red is a very powerful, dynamic color that reflects
our physical needs whether to show affection and love, or to portray terror,
fear, and survival. Red is also a very energizing color that can portray
friendliness and strength, but can also be demanding and show aggression
depending on its context.
Overall, if you’re looking to have a really powerful
presence or get someone’s attention fast, red is your go-to color. Just
remember to use it sparingly to avoid the extreme negative reactions it can so
easily awaken.
GREEN
Green is a color of balance and harmony. It lends us a
clearer sense of right from wrong since green incorporates a balance
of both the logical and emotional. Green is one of the most-seen colors in
nature reflecting life, rest, and peace. It is also a sign of growth,
whether that’s in a physical object like plants or in our income and
wealth.
Overall, if you’re looking to portray
health, rest, and to relieve stress, green is your color. While green does
have minor negative aspects like over-possession and materialism, it has a more
positive affect than most other colors.
BLACK
Black is a color of
sophistication, seriousness, control, and independence. Although, it can also
be used to show evil, mystery, depression, and even death. Black is a very
reserved color that completely
lacks any light as its an absence of all the colors. It likes to stay
hidden, in control, and separate from others. For this reason, black is a great
color for high contrast and easy legibility. Unfortunately, since its a very
powerful color, too much black can cause sadness and overall negativity so use
it sparingly and in your text more so than the visuals itself.
WHITE
White is color
that is complete and pure, making it a perfect example of purity,
innocence, cleanliness, and peace. White can also represent new
beginnings, providing a blank slate, and gives refreshment for new ideas. Since
white has an equal balance of all the colors, it can exemplify several
meanings, with equality outweighing them all. White is a great color for
simplicity, cleanliness, and idea creation; however, avoid using too much white
as it can cause isolation, loneliness, and emptiness.
In a study titled
“Impact
of color on marketing,”
researchers found that up to 90% of snap judgments made about products can be
based on color alone, depending on the product.
Regarding the role that color
plays in branding, results from another study show that the relationship between brands
and color hinges on the perceived appropriateness of the color being used for
the particular brand (does the color "fit" what is being sold?).
A study titled “Exciting
red and competent blue”
also confirms that purchasing intent is greatly affected by colors due to their
effect on how a brand is perceived; colors influence how customers view the
"personality" of the brand in question. Who, for example, would want
to buy a Harley Davidson motorcycle if they didn’t get the feeling that Harleys
were rugged and cool?
Additional
studies have revealed our brains prefer
immediately recognizable brands, which makes color an important element when creating a brand
identity. One
journal article even
suggests it’s important for new brands to pick colors that ensure
differentiation from entrenched competitors — personally, I think we’re getting
into minutiae without additional context, such as how and why you’re
positioning against a direct competitor, and how you’re using color to achieve
that goal.
When it comes to
picking the “right” color, research
has found that predicting
consumer reaction to color appropriateness is far more important than the individual
color itself.
If Harley owners buy the product in order to feel rugged, colors
that work best will play to that emotion.
Primary colors are the three colors that make all other colors. They
are red, blue, and yellow. These three colors can be used to create the next
level of colors, called the secondary colors.
Secondary
colors are purple, green, and orange. They are created using
the primary colors. If you look on the color wheel, you’ll find the secondary
colors in between two primary colors.
Cigarette
packaging is another example of color branding. Notice how every menthol brand
uses some shade of green to distinguish menthol from the natural flavor of
tobacco. Now that new tobacco laws in the U.S. ban the use of the word light to
imply that some cigarettes are safer than others, cigarette companies are using
gold, silver and lighter colors to circumvent the law.
Packaging & product
Consumer products brand design is wrongly
predicated on the notion that shoppers make rational, informed decisions. In
truth, most are purely instinctive and reactive. Eye-tracking studies show that
consumers read on average only seven words in an entire shopping trip, buying
instinctively by color, shape and familiarity of location. Best sellers succeed
by appealing to the reptilian brain, which decides before logic has a chance.
Instinctive reactions can be designed into
packaging through the application of Biomotive Triggers. These are sensory cues
that affect our subconscious, generating emotion and action before the
conscious part of our brain can respond. There are lots of triggers, and we
have identified 16 key combinations that are interconnected. Understanding
these primal cues can help brands connect emotionally with consumers, build
defendable assets and sell more products.
To be successful, every brand must have a
distinctive point of view and be able to express this clear and unique reason
for being. Effective packaging makes it easy to understand at a glance, who I
am, what I am, and why I am relevant to your life. Naturally, the product has
to deliver on its promise to ensure repeat purchase.
1. Stand out.
You need to make your brand the consumer’s signpost to the category. Just
covering the shelf and shouting louder than everyone else won’t cut it. You
need a point of orientation on the package that draws a shopper’s eye and
communicates the essence of the proposition. One way to do this is with cusps.
Cusps are sharp, pointy shapes that trigger feelings of fear, danger and
caution. You couldn’t miss the ads for Maleficent before the Disney premiere,
because everything from the typeface to Angelina Jolie’s clothing, headdress and eye makeup formed cusp shapes that demanded
your attention. Similarly, you can’t miss Nexxus on the shelf, because the cusp
shapes in the logo attract your eye and thus stand out on the shelf.
2. Be Simple. Simple
design is more effective. In a busy, visually agitated market, we so rarely
experience moments of visual or auditory calm that we gravitate toward it.
Buster, the drain cleaner once barking on the heels of Mr. Muscle (Europe’s
Mr. Clean), unseated the giant in England by introducing a small pack devoid of
the power graphics that typify products in the aisle. An Elmwood client, Buster
also recognized the emotional agitation of consumers who need to unclog a
drain, and answered it with a calm, clean, simple package that contrasted with
the visual noise at the shelf. Sales rose 42% and market share hit 30% with no
above-the-line support, and the brand is now expanding into Europe and Asia.
3. Pass the five-year-old test. If you can describe your brand to a five-year-old, send them into a
store to find it, and actually get it, your packaging creates an iconic
connection. Consumers will come back week after week looking for it. The key to
this stickiness is a distinctive brand mark. For example, you could tell a
five-year-old, to get the salt pack with the girl in a yellow coat with an
umbrella on it; she will come back with Morton Salt. Similarly, ask for the
blue pack with the big black and white cookie splashed in milk, and he will
return with a package of Oreos.
4. Trigger emotional engagement. Consumers act when a brand makes them feel something. When
someone looks at you, you’re compelled to look back to determine the nature of
the attraction. That’s your survival instinct at work. For this reason, there’s
nothing more powerful in packaging than eye contact. The next time you’re in an
aisle, notice how many packages bear photos of people that don’t make direct
eye contact; they’re looking away, or slightly past you.
5. Create iconic assets. The best packaging creates a series of visual equities, a sort of tool
kit that can be transferred to every form of consumer communication. Coke is
the master of this. The brand has an array of assets – the agitated red, the
dynamic contour wave, the iconic bottle shape and the logo typography – that
can all be used to help amplify the brand experience. People think the Coca-Cola ngIf: ticker logo is all about the signature and flowing curves. But
look closer, and you’ll see three cusps– two under the “C” and the “a” of Coca
and one in the center of the “C” in Cola – that focus your eyes on the center
of the words. From there your eyes can take in the curves and the suggestion of
flow that’s accentuated by the rest of the typography and amplified by the
bottle. The assets are so memorable that even the suggestion of one in any
marketing communication connotes the feelings associated with the brand.
At a time when many consumers actively screen
out marketing messages, the surest place for CMOs to make a bigger impact is at
the point of consideration. This can be done consciously when Biomotive
Triggers are designed into packaging. The creativity conversation shifts from
subjective likes and dislikes to the science underlying attraction, which
allows design to be accountable for quantifiable sales uplift. That way,
manufacturers and retailers can make more informed choices that make more
money.
Packaging is the main way products are
advertised and identified. To the manufacturer the package clearly identifies
the product inside and it is usually the package that the customer recognises
when shopping.
Advertising is very important when a
manufacturer launches a new or existing product. The package, through its
colour scheme or logo, is what is normally identified by the customer.
Every year, 95 percent of new products fail. The reason is simple: Most customers don't have
the time or energy to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the products in
their shopping carts, so they use a shortcut to make their decision. That
shortcut is your
product's packaging.
Think of Tiffany & Co. For most people,
the iconic robin's-egg blue box is more recognizable than the jewelry itself.
Packaging is powerful because it tells
consumers why your product and brand are different. Apple is known for its
clean, minimalist packaging. If you've ever watched an unboxing video for a new
iPhone, you know people love Apple's packaging.
Plenty of savvy startups are mastering the
unboxing experience as well. Pad &
Quill, a company that sells artisan iPhone and iPad cases, wraps its products
in brown paper with friendly messages printed on the inside and a Roman seal
for a distinctly hand-wrapped feel.
Great packaging is especially significant for
growing startups because it can have a direct impact on sales and a company's
overall appeal. Take Trunk Club, for example. This company hand-selects clothing for men and sends its
stylist-curated outfits in cardboard "trunks" that fit the
convenience and style of its service. After five years in business, Trunk Club
garnered Nordstrom's attention, and the high-end department store bought the
startup for $350 million.
Packaging can continue to influence a
company's sales as it grows larger, too. MillerCoors' sales slumped last year,
but the Miller Lite retro can bumped sales by nearly 5 percent. MillerCoors didn't change its beer; it just changed the can it came
in.
Poor packaging can have an even more dramatic
effect. Australia recently instituted a plain
packaging law for cigarettes. The government's removal of
packaging branding rights aimed to discourage young people from smoking. Not
only can Marlboro not use its logo, but it also can't use its typeface. The
packages, covered with health warnings and graphic images that deter smoking,
resulted in the biggest
smoking decline Australia has seen in 20 years.
How to Design Packaging That Makes an Impact
All startups want to achieve the instantly
recognizable status of Apple and Tiffany & Co., and that type of brand
power starts with a product's packaging. How can you make your packaging stand
out from the competition?
Know your demographic. Stark white and
robin's-egg blue won't work for every brand. Consider Lowe's Home Improvement
and Home Depot. Their rugged brands speak for themselves with distinctive,
masculine colors. Don't be afraid to go bold.
Make cheap packaging look chic and
personalized. Good packaging doesn't have to be expensive. Stephanieverafter, an online hair accessory boutique, packages its bows on simple cards
in muted colors with stylish typography. It's an inexpensive solution that
gives each item a high-end feel.
Make the package part of the experience. Part
of the reason it's so fun to unbox a new Apple product is that its packaging
reflects the sleek, user-friendly experience of the product inside. One startup
that's mastered this is Back to the
Roots, which produces kits to get kids and parents
interested in growing their own food. Its mushroom kit's kid-friendly packaging
is designed to jump off the shelf and convey the fun, hands-on experience the
brand provides.
Consider eco-friendly options. Packaging
that's recyclable or reusable is always a
reason for a consumer to choose your brand over your
competitor's. In fact, 52 percent of people around the world make purchase decisions partially due to
packaging that shows a brand making a positive social and environmental
impact.Puma has made great strides with its eco-friendly
packaging that doubles as a reusable walking billboard
for its brand. There are plenty of creative ways to go easy on the earth and
differentiate your brand in the process.
Remember, your product's packaging is meant to
communicate a purpose: what your brand stands for and what it means for your
customer. Don't miss this opportunity to create a lasting impression on the
shelf and in the minds of your customers.
A product’s package is a result of graphic
design and branding efforts. A clear brand message and attractive design are what make
great packaging, as both come together to first, catch the consumer’s eye and
second, provide relevant information about why that consumer should purchase
this product. When a product is sitting on a shelf or hanging on a rack, its
package is the only way it can market itself. That package is the only chance
that product has to make an emotional connection and persuade the consumer to
buy it.
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Branding enables us to define ourselves in terms of a
shorthand that is immediately comprehensible to the world around us.
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Branding has moved so far beyond its commercial origins that
its impact is virtually immeasurable in social and cultural terms. It has
spread into education, sport, fashion, travel, art, theatre, literature, the
region, the nation and virtually anywhere else you can think of.
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The brand is controlled by us – the customers. When a brand
is really successful it can take off in way and at a pace which bewilders those
who purport to be in charge of it; and when a brand gets into trouble the
opposite can happen. Look at Gap, which lost touch with its market place and
tried to sell things people didn’t like anymore. Gap has been taught a humiliating
and wounding lesson. Or look at levi’s, once the uncrowned king of the jean
world. It’s vey hard to stay on top.
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Brands like Mercedes can sweep across the world. Their
physical and emotional presence is ubiquitous, and they seem omnipresent,
almost omnipotent.
Disney, Coca-Cola,
McDonald’s and Nike use powerful, all-inclusive emotions to target a worldwide
audience. They try to embrace as many people as possible, everywhere.
A young athlete in the US wears Nike running shoes, both
because he thinks they will help him perfrom better and because they are a
fashion statement. Their purpose is both functional and symbolic. Of course
most people who buy Nike shoes don’t run in them at all – expect for the bus.
They don’t even exercise. They simply show off in them.
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