Brand vs. Brand Image
vs. Branding
Your brand = your name.
It's what the world calls you:
- Starbucks
- Nugget Market
- Mr. Shargel's Science Adventures
Your brand image = your reputation.
It's how the world describes you:
- hip, on-every-corner storefront that happens to serve good coffee;
- unique, customer-service-oriented grocery store with fantastic take-out;
- a cool kids' summer science camp with a really rad teacher.
Your branding = your communication.
It's how you present yourself to the world:
- award-winning print, product, web and mass marketing;
- approachable advertising and stand-out
store design; - custom illustration and a Rube Goldberg-esque website.
Why should you care about the distinction?
Your name probably won't change over the years, but your reputation easily can, for better or worse.
It wasn't too long ago that a savvy 30-something wouldn't have been caught dead in a Cadillac. Flash forward to now, when an Escalade is the “it” vehicle for many drivers. Or, consider the fate of Oldsmobile, extinct as of 2004. When it was phased out, Oldsmobile was the oldest surviving American automobile marque. The Cutlass was the best-selling car in America in the late 70s/early 80s, but sales fell in the 90s. The brand was hurt by its image as old and stuffy, and this perception continued despite a late-80s campaign proclaiming it's “not your father's Oldsmobile.”
Same target audience refocus to a younger group, different result.
What gives? The answer is obviously complex, combining a mix of the right product features and benefits with the right marketing message, but bottom line, one won’t work without the other.
Ultimately, your brand must provide “value” for the customer, whether real or perceived. Branding (communication) must provide the mind-trigger to remind them of that value. These useful mind-triggers save time, a valuable resource; once your customers have catalogued you on a certain page – saving them effort in the future – it can be difficult to change their perception if not handled well…see Oldsmobile above.
Take a look around:
- Is your name an easily recognizable brand?
- Is your brand image in sync with your business plan and goals?
- Is your branding in sync with your brand image?
If not, make 2007 your year to move forward. The Oldsmobile alternative simply isn't very appealing.
Sources: The Little Blue Book of Advertising by Steve Lance and Jeff Woll; wikipedia.org; Natural Products Insider.
Take the route to Studio66! Network with business associates from Davis, Vacaville, Woodland, Sacramento, West Sacramento and Fairfield at the Davis Chamber of Commerce March mixer.
Plenty of food, drinks and tunes. Last year we hosted nearly 200 people…be sure to ask for your 24-month Studio66 Calendar!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
5-7 p.m.
630 Pena Dr. Ste. 600, Davis, CA
Stretching the boundaries of branding
This was an actual eBay posting, believe it or not (believe it!) —
Item: Put a tattoo on my forehead for one year.
Description: "You must be asking why I would allow someone to tattoo my forehead. My wife and I would like to pay off our car and other bills, plus have enough money left over so I could attend school."
Opening bid: $33,200
Unfortunately, or fortunately in this case, eBay removed the posting before a buyer appeared. It does, however, make investing in a tasteful, functional website or brochure look cheap. And smart!
Remember the classic game Memory? Flip over and match cards until you have them all. Now you can play SOUND MEMORY with the same concept, but using different notes. "Was that an A flat or C sharp?" Hone your listening skills and see how you measure up!
Studio66 is a Davis-based design firm specializing in