Creating a well designed, successful brand mark should positively and effectively endorse your products or services. It should act as a seal of approval in the mind of your customer, influence their decision making process and ultimately elevate you to first choice over and above your competitor. A ‘good’ identity should confidently convey the right brand values, portray the correct nature and character of the brand and ultimately support the brand proposition effectively.
As a business evolves and reacts to market conditions, trends and innovation, it’s vital to consider what part of the business strategy needs updating and how this will be linked to the way you want your brand to look, feel and present itself.
People are loyal to brands not only for their product or service but for the symbolism and significance they transmit, your brand mark is a very important asset in this respect.
A trust mark, which effectively endorses your product or service, should act as a seal of approval guiding expectation and positively influencing the buying process to ensure you are number one in the heart and mind of the consumer.
Virgin, for example has long been clear about what it stands for—maverick, challenging the status quo and being irreverent. Arguably, no brand is better at defining its own future, challenging assumption and changing itself before anyone else does. Not only does the Virgin brand mark have instant recognition but it also instills belief in terms of customer’s perceived experience, whether that be air travel or retail banking, endorsement of the Virgin brand mark will guide perception.
Bringing a story to life
Until recently we spent a lot of time and effort explaining why brands were worth investing in. Today all conversation is about the brand story... Read more
Not so long ago we spent a lot of time and investment explaining what brands were and why they were worth spending money on. But today all conversation is about the brand story, how to bring it to life, adding that bit of magic!
Successful brands are able to foster and maintain relationships with their customers that go beyond what we commonly think of as loyal, becoming ambassadors and brand champions. These fans believe they would find the brand irreplaceable; these brands are the most likely to inspire or motivate people and contribute to how they define their way of life.
There is an opportunity for your brand to exude emotional benefits, stand out by telling its own unique, emotive story. Emotional benefits add richness and depth to the experience of a brand.
This is why narrative has become a very important tool for a brands expression, it's where and how brands can really engage, increase affinity, affection and devotion by reaching out to the consumer with compelling words that captivate and motivate in a powerfully irresistible way.
Howies, a UK based clothing and accessories company, believes in championing Welsh industry, treading lightly on the environment, supporting responsible sourcing, treating people fairly and endorsing an outdoor lifestyle. Their attitude and narrative captures the ideal of being free spirited, unshackled and liberated.
This allows them to make peoples lives better and this has become the platform for all narrative, a way of expressing and connecting with customers who have the same belief, or at least aspire to. New and innovative ways to communicate that promise are always being explored, staying true to their core, constantly speaking from the heart but remaining relevant.
The seduction of brand packaging
Seduction is the process of enticing a person; to persuade or induce to engage. Seen positively, seduction is a synonym for the act of charming someone... Read more
Seduction is the process of enticing a person; to persuade or induce to engage. Seen positively, seduction is a synonym for the act of charming someone by appealing to the senses. A well-designed, effective piece of packaging should strive to deliver this whilst conveying the core attributes of the brand.
It’s about positioning but also it’s about appealing to your target audience, distinction, relevance and standout, whilst staying true to your brands core. It’s an effort to make sure that your brand stands for something and stand apart, aiming to evoke emotional triggers whilst delivering on function and sustainability.
Packaging should push the sensory experience and recently brands have been looking at new and innovative ways to do this from tactile packs to reactive pack surfaces.
Graze are a food wholesaler who send handpicked healthy food options to the customer, this is where the customer believes in and trusts the brand to do the thinking for them. Their packaging looks crafted conveying that their products are produced on a smaller scale to ensure quality and to emphasise the product is handpicked and tailored for the customer. They look to promote quality, care and personalisation bringing the brand closer to the consumer, seducing them away from more mass-market products.
Humans are wired to respond to their environment
Atmosphere is a surrounding environment or influence; humans, like all living beings, are wired to respond to their environment... Read more
Atmosphere is a surrounding environment or influence; humans like all living beings, are wired to respond to their environment.
We instinctively react negatively to uncomfortable or awkward spaces but don’t always understand why. Often designers use design cues from nature to establish positive connection between people and the built environment.
When thinking about your own home or property investment, it’s important to convey the right ambience. Creating room for things that make you feel good, simply stated an environment that fits your lifestyle and makes living that much better.
Good design has a powerful impact on our happiness in our homes and can have a strong influence on mood and wellbeing. Carefully considered spaces, tactile form, light and harmony all contribute to the way we feel in a space, whether that be uplifted, peaceful or energised, it should feel like your space, reflective of the spirit, nature and character of the people who live there.
If thinking about a development, the way you want your target audience to feel and behave in that environment should be carefully considered to ensure the design is fully aligned with their potential needs and aspirations.
Where people step inside and feel your brand
This is the physical manifestation of your brand where ideas can be brought to life; it’s a three dimensional living and breathing expression... Read more
This is the physical manifestation of your brand where ideas can be brought to life; it’s a three dimensional living and breathing expression.
Brand environments are one of the most powerful ways to engage employees, visitors, and customers.
Successful branding is about more than the things people buy. It’s also about the factors that create the feelings that people associate with your brand. From space to furniture to signage, interior finishes, lighting and ambience, it’s about a memorable customer experience that turns your brand story into three dimensions, engaging the senses and emotions of your audience.
Nike is at the forefront of customer experience, hoping to change the way we shop the high street. The shopping experience of the future is about involving the customer, playing with them, helping them and that’s before they’ve even seen or touched a product. In their latest inniative areas have been dedicated for interaction allowing the customer to record themselves jumping up and down and having fun, the movements are tracked and recreated using colour to convey the amount of movement and energy used, this is then emailed to you to watch or to share…. when was the last time you wanted to share your shopping experience!
