Visual Brand Identity

PROBLEM: How to build and maintain visual brand identity across different channels?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. How to design and implement visual brand identity?
2. How to communicate brand identity through the visual elements?
3. How to take cultural difference into consideration when designing visual brand identity?

1. How to design and implement visual brand identity?

Podner (2015, p. 120) quotes Marguelies (1977, 66) when defining Corporate visual identity. According to them, a corporate visual identity makes a company visible, tangible and recognizable. Furthermore, it defines a contextual framework for the contents that a company communicates. Short: Visual identity is the sum of all the ways a company chooses to identify itself to all its publics.

In addition, visual identity includes elements that are not only visual, but can also be perceived with other senses, such as a typical sound, smell or feel, which can be used to communicate a company's story.

Four functions of visual identity:

1. Provides visibility and recognition

2. Reminds people that company exists

3. Important for forming a first impression

4. Achieves uniformity

Rules to design visual identity:

1. Simple

2. Unique

3. Aesthetically durable

When changing or creating a new visual identity it is advisory to follow three steps:

1. Set goals based on the strategic aims of the company

2. Overview of communication tools and elements

3. Take the (new) visual identity into practice: promote with communication campaign

Source: Podner, K. 2015

Brand elements

2. How to communicate brand identity through the visual elements?

- 1. Create a strong Logo and use it widely:  Logo and its usage, tagline, typography, color palette, iconography 

- 2. Create brand standards for marketing materials
- 3. Publish and promote a style guide: develop guidelines that members of company can relate to. Example of Coca Cola Zero Style Guide: http://www.kathrin-pyplatz.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/styleguide-coca-cola.pdf 

- Harmonization can be achieved by bringing all of the elements together

Source: http://thebrandgals.com/infographic-friday-branding-guidelines/

good example of visual branding: Heineken http://de.scribd.com/doc/69182524/Heineken-Identidad-Visual-Corporativa#scribd 

3. How to consider cultural difference when designing visual brand identity? 

- Color is probably the most important element of the brand because it improves brand recognition by up to 80%, it highlights important information, makes an impression that is 39% more memorable, and it increases comprehension by as much as 73%.

- However, you have to consider cultural differences when deciding on the color. For example, white in China means Death and mourning whereas in Western cultures it stands for Brides, angels, good people, hospitals, doctors and peace. see more: http://webdesign.about.com/od/colorcharts/l/bl_colorculture.htm 

- More cultural differences:

- Eye contact: Western: positive; Eastern: rude and makes people feel uncomfortable

- Symbols and signs

- Metaphors 

- Music

- Numbers (lucky numbers)

- Gestures

Examples of companies not considering different cultures:

When Gerber (baby food brand of Nestlé) started selling their products in Africa they used the same packaging as in the USA (see picture). Later they found out that in Africa companies put pictures on their packages of what is inside the package, since most people cannot read.

When Puffs tissues tried to introduce its product, they were quick to learn that `Puff`in Germany is the term for a whorehouse.

See more examples: http://www.campaignasia.com/BlogEntry/359532,Cultural+blunders+Brands+gone+wrong.aspx

Key words:

Brand identity, Culture, Target Group, Design, Logo, visual elements, touchpoints, Message, reputation 

Sources: 

Kunigis, A. 2016. How to Create a Strong Visual Brand – The Hartford. URL: http://www.thehartford.com/business-playbook/in-depth/building-strong-visual-branding. Accessed 18 February 2016.

Mooij, M. K. 2014. Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes(4th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Podnar, K. 2015. Corporate communication: A marketing viewpoint. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Xerox. 2009. 5 Steps to Consistent, Effective Brand Communications Using Color. URL: http://www.office.xerox.com/latest/XOGFL-18U.PDF. Accessed: 17 February 2016.

Brand identity and brand image

Problem: How to communicate brand identity/ image?

Learning objectives:

  1. What is the difference between brand identity and brand image?

         2. Compare different brand identity models

         3. How do brand identity and brand image affect business?

1. What is the difference between brand identity and brand image?

According to Argenti (2013, p. 72) “a company’s identity is the actual manifestation of the company’s reality as conveyed through the organization’s name, logo, motto, brands, products, services, buildings, stationery, uniforms, and all other tangible pieces of evidence created by the organization and communicated to all of its various constituencies.

A company’s image on the other hand “is a reflection of an organization’s identity as seen from the viewpoint of its constituencies (Argenti, 2013, p. 73).

Corporate image: Mental picture that pops up at the customer's mind when they hear the name of a. It is a composite psychological impression that continually changes with the firm's circumstances, media coverage, performance, pronouncements, etc. Similar to a firm's reputation or goodwill, it is the public perception of the firm rather than a reflection of its actual state or position. Unlike corporate identity, it is fluid and can change overnight from positive to negative to neutral. 

2. Compare different brand identity models

Brand Identity planning model (Aaker. 1996, p.79)

According to Aaker (1996) a firm should consider its brand as: 1. a product, 2. an organization, 3. a person, and 4. a symbol. The goal of those perspectives is to help to consider different brand elements and patterns that can help clarify, enrich, and differentiate an identity. Not every brand has to use all perspectives, however, it is advisory to consider them all. 

Customer-Based Brand Equity (Keller, K.L. 2013)

Keller suggests in order to build a strong brand, you must shape it how customers think and feel about your product. You have to build the right type of experiences around your brand, so that customers have specific, positive thoughts, feelings, beliefs, opinions, and perceptions about it.

When you have strong brand equity, your customers will buy more from you, they will recommend you to other people, they are more loyal, and you're less likely to lose them to competitors.

The model illustrates the four steps that you need to follow to build strong brand equity.

4- Dimensions of Branding (Gad. 2001)

Functional dimension: Perceived benefit of product or service

Mental dimension: The ability to create insight or guidance for the individual

Spiritual dimension: perception of higher purpose in society, or your industry individually, locally or globally.

Social dimension: The ability to create a social context for a group.

3. How do brand identity and brand image affect business?

- the more confidence customers put in the brand, the more likely they are willing to pay a high price for it --> profit/ sales increase

- can create customer loyalty and satisfaction

- but: a negative brand image can lead to loss of customers

Key words:

brand identity, brand image, customer experience, international branding, emotional bond, brand recognition, reputation

Sources:

Aaker, David. 1996. Building Strong Brands. New York: The Free Press.

Argenti, P. A. 2013. Corporate communication (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Business dictionary. 2016. Corporate image. URL: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/corporate-image.html#ixzz3za0kGz40. Accessed: 8 February 2016

Cornelissen, J. 2011. Corporate communication: A guide to theory and practice (3rd ed.). London: SAGE Publications

Gad, Thomas: 4D Branding: Cracking the Code of the Network Economy, Prentice Hall, 2001

Keller, K. L. 2013. Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity. Boston: Pearson.


Mindtools. 2016. Keller's Brand Equity Model - Strategy Tools. URL: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/keller-brand-equity-model.htm. Accessed 11 February 2016.

Integrated Marketing Communication

Problem: How can companies create an integrated marketing communication system?

Learning objectives:

1.    What is IMC about and how does it work in practice? Name a few examples.

·     Who is in charge of, what do you coordinate in, IMC and how?

2.    How can a company synchronize communication tools/channels to give a consistent message?

3.    What are common mistakes in IMC? Give a few examples.

1. What is IMC about and how does it work in practice? 

According to the American Marketing Association, integrated marketing communications is "a planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time."

IMC is basically about putting all marketing campaigns in all different channels used under one consistent message that the receiver automatically connects to your brand.

In IMC the following four elements are essential:

Consistency Make sure you are always sending out the same message throughout different channels/ campaigns
Coherence Be aware of your entire communication process through different channels. All information should be a part of your overall strategy to ensure alignment.
Continuity As well as coordinating messages to be consistent and coherent, you must also keep in mind that every channel needs to be monitored – and this should be done on a regular basis to keep up continuity.
Complementary Lastly, you need to think of how your communication effort come together, so that when the complementary synergy you create overall can exceed any effort. (Friis, 2010)

example: Snickers- You are not you when you're hungry.

• Coherence. While the execution changed across different media and markets, the central theme and strapline remained the same as it was relevant for markets worldwide. 
• Consistency. The consistency of the message worked well across multiple regional campaigns and media. These consistent messages allowed the effectiveness of the central proposition remain intact across markets and regional campaigns. 
• Continuity. The launched in the US with a Superbowl ad featuring Golden Girls actress, Betty White in 2010, and yet six years later the creative execution of the campaign remains intact. 
• Complementary. The effectiveness of the central proposition and the global campaigns adherence to the first Three Cs mean that when combined you have a long-running, multi-channel, multi-million campaign, the constituent parts of which ensure that 
• Effectiveness. According to Effie.org activity in the first three months of the campaign in the US helped to grow sales by 13.4%, there was an 18,000% increases in Snickers searches on YouTube, over 5million online views and over 400million incremental and unpaid media impressions. (Heaton, 2014)

1.1. Who is in charge of IMC and what do you coordinate in IMC?

Corporate communication as an integrated framework for
 managing communication (Cornelissen, 2011. p. 25)

This framework shows that there are various people from public relations and marketing communication disciplines in the coordination and decision-making of corporate communication. Each of these disciplines might be used separately, however, it is more common that organizations manage them together from a holistic organizational or corporate perspective with the company's reputation and overall strategy in mind. In many companies the responsible person for corporate communication has been promoted to a higher position in the organization's hierarchical structure. Sometimes the senior communication director even became a member of the organization's management team. These higher positions enable communication directors to coordinate communication from a strategic level and, therefore, maintain and protect the company's reputation with its stakeholders. 

2. How can a company synchronize communication tools/ channels to give a consistent message?

Nowadays many companies combine various communication departments together to one department in order that knowledge and skills of experts are shared and corporate communication is seen as an autonomous and significant function within the organization. Some of the communication departments might still be separated, but the main idea is to combine most of the departments into one single department in order to make sure that communication can be strategically managed from a central corporate perspective. Large companies even locate their corporate communication department at a high level, vertically within the organization. This means that staff of corporate communication directly report to the CEO and the executive board. This vertical structure divides each organization's primary tasks into smaller subtasks and activities. However, these vertical specializations require horizontal coordination. Horizontal structures combine tasks of basic functions (such as HR, finance, marketing and communication). Horizontal structures also enable companies to respond fast to emergent issues, provide control and ensure that consistent messages are sent throughout all communication channels. (Cornelissen, 2011, p. 25-29)

The organization of corporate communication
at Siemens (Cornelissen, 2011, p. 27)

In order to be able to coordinate all tools and channels the organization needs to carefully plan its marketing campaigns.

IMC marketing plan 

This plan is a coordination of all promotional messages for a product or service to ensure consistency at every customer contact point. 

3. What are common mistakes in IMC?

1. creating wrong content (confusing message)
2. Translation without localisation- take local slang and culture into consideration
3. making promises you cannot keep
4. not knowing your customer
5. not monitoring and measuring your campaign

Keywords: 

SP, PR, Integrated marketing communication, advertising, communication tools, integrated elements, common goal, publicity, marketing plan, mistakes

Sources: 

• American Marketing Association. 2016. Dictionary. URL: https://www.ama.org/resources/Pages/Dictionary.aspx?dLetter=I. Accessed: 2 February 2016.
• Cornelissen, J. 2011. Corporate communication: A guide to theory and practice (3rd ed.). London: SAGE Publications.
• Friis, M. 2010, November 1. Making an Integrated Marketing Communication Effort | Mindjumpers. URL: http://www.mindjumpers.com/blog/2010/11/integrated-marketing-com/. Accessed 2 February 2016.
• Heaton, A. (2014). Three examples of integrated campaigns - Smart Insights Digital Marketing Advice. URL: http://www.smartinsights.com/traffic-building-strategy/integrated-marketing-communications/three-examples-integrated-campaigns/. Accessed 3 February 2016.
• Stockmeyer J. 2012. An Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications. URL: http://www.johnstockmyer.com/enmu/452ch1.pdf Accesed 3 February 2016.