Brand Strategy
Key question
What is a brand?
A brand is more than just a logo. It is the image created in people's minds: from everything they experience, see, and hear through what you offer.
Learning objective: You will be able to explain the concept of a brand, distinguish it from a logo and corporate identity, and explain why brands create value.
A brand is created in the mind, not on paper.
1.1 / Brand, Logo, Identity
Three terms that are often confused.
In everyday life, these terms are often used interchangeably. In strategic terms, it pays to distinguish between them:
CHARACTER
Logo
The graphic mark that identifies a brand. A part of the brand, not the brand itself.
SELF-IMAGE
Corporate Identity
How an organisation perceives itself and wishes to present itself: values, behaviour, communication, design.
EXTERNAL PERCEPTION
Brand and Image
How people actually perceive the organisation. It is shaped by all experiences.
Brand strategy works to bring how you see yourself and how others perceive you closer together.
The logo is part of the brand, not the brand itself.
1.2 / What sustains a brand
The visible rests upon the invisible.
The iceberg model shows that only a small part of a brand is visible, such as its name, logo, colours and campaigns. The larger part lies beneath the surface: values, attitude, culture, and the experiences people have with the brand.
Design makes the invisible visible. However, it is only convincing when there is something genuine beneath it. Otherwise, it just feels like a facade.
Design makes what lies beneath visible.
1.3 / Why brands work
Brands create orientation, trust and value.
Brands serve several purposes:
ORIENTATION
Recognising
Brands help people quickly navigate a wealth of offerings.
TRUST
Promise
A brand promises consistent quality and reduces the risk of making the wrong decision.
IDENTIFICATION
Belonging
People also use brands to express who they are or who they want to be.
VALUE
Brand value
A strong brand makes an offering more valuable than its features alone would suggest.
How brands work in perception is explained in Design Psychology, Section 6.4 Brand & Tone.
A brand is a promise kept.
Exercise
A brand under the magnifying glass
Task: Research a brand of your choice, either on your own or in pairs.
STEP 1
Gather ten brand touchpoints: website, shop, packaging, advertising, social media.
STEP 2
Arrange the elements in the iceberg: visible or invisible?
STEP 3
Ask three people what they associate with the brand.
STEP 4
Compare self-image (website) and external perception (responses).
Evaluation: Where do self-perception and external perception match, and where do they not?