Originally Published September 29, 2015
Often people’s perceptions of what working with brands entails are reduced simply to ‘logo making’—and by that, the notion this seems most frequently to conjure up is the artistic interpretation of a company's or product's name and imagery representing the area of business involved... all boiled down into a graphic icon. But in reality, even when developing a new brand identity is the initiative at hand, graphic design is only half the story!
With Google’s recent creation of parent holding company Alphabet, and the update made to the ubiquitous Google logo, there’s been a great deal of discussion around what makes for a good logo or brand identity. Successful brand identities are developed after a tremendous amount of research, evaluation and thought take place, and should be in-sync with an overarching brand strategy.
While my firm, OnStrategy Consultants, handles a variety of brand-related assignments when helping our clients set strategy and unlock the power of their brands, here I wish to focus upon the array of mission-critical decisions made before a company, product or service can be properly positioned to its audience.
As an example, and in order to make the concepts I describe more concrete, I will use a recent brand identity and tagline program we completed for a newly invented travel toothbrush called EzeBrush™.
Often people’s perceptions of what working with brands entails are reduced simply to ‘logo making’—and by that, the notion this seems most frequently to conjure up is the artistic interpretation of a company's or product's name and imagery representing the area of business involved... all boiled down into a graphic icon. But in reality, even when developing a new brand identity is the initiative at hand, graphic design is only half the story!
With Google’s recent creation of parent holding company Alphabet, and the update made to the ubiquitous Google logo, there’s been a great deal of discussion around what makes for a good logo or brand identity. Successful brand identities are developed after a tremendous amount of research, evaluation and thought take place, and should be in-sync with an overarching brand strategy.
While my firm, OnStrategy Consultants, handles a variety of brand-related assignments when helping our clients set strategy and unlock the power of their brands, here I wish to focus upon the array of mission-critical decisions made before a company, product or service can be properly positioned to its audience.
As an example, and in order to make the concepts I describe more concrete, I will use a recent brand identity and tagline program we completed for a newly invented travel toothbrush called EzeBrush™.
"Successful brand identities are developed after a tremendous amount of research, evaluation and thought take place, and should be in-sync with an overarching brand strategy."
Using this illustration, to understand how we established criteria for what the brand mark program needed to achieve, it’s important first to know what this product is all about: EzeBrush is a game-changing lifestyle product. No longer do people have to keep a scummy, bacteria-infested plastic bag containing a damp toothbrush and tube of toothpaste in their purse, toiletries bag or desk at work.
EzeBrush is the most heavily patented single toothbrush not yet in the market! It already has 15 patent claims issued, and requires absolutely no batteries. Uniquely, it fits in your pocket and self-loads just the right amount of toothpaste as the brush handle extends and rotates into position. EzeBrush is the elegant solution to a problem many of us encounter in travel, at work, or any time we’re away from home and just want to freshen up our smiles.
Before the right imagery and words are created to represent a company, product or service, information needs to be gathered and critical decisions made about how it is to be positioned. These comprise an important part of the brand strategy and become a beacon in guiding everything from the brand voice selected for copy when promoting the company, to directing which marketing channels to engage… and, of course, informing brand identity development.
After studying the market opportunity, reviewing competitors and surveying retail environments in which the EzeBrush will be merchandised, we identified key consumer profiles that make up our core audience and determined which criteria the graphic to be developed would need to meet. These included:
Since the EzeBrush is so revolutionary, there needed to be a way of explaining what it is, at a glance, and underscoring key benefits to distinguish it from other products available in the market. We generated and evaluated numerous potential taglines to accompany the final brand mark, each expressing subtle differences in emphasis and/or consumer benefits, before selecting “Pocket-Size Care for a Lifetime of Smiles”.
- Fresh, Clean, not Clinical
- Sophisticated, but Friendly and Approachable
- Gender-neutral
- Feels Energetic/Part of an Active Lifestyle
- Contemporary
- Distinctive/Stands Out amid Retail Competitors
- Easy Legibility
- Contributes to Purchase Desire
Since the EzeBrush is so revolutionary, there needed to be a way of explaining what it is, at a glance, and underscoring key benefits to distinguish it from other products available in the market. We generated and evaluated numerous potential taglines to accompany the final brand mark, each expressing subtle differences in emphasis and/or consumer benefits, before selecting “Pocket-Size Care for a Lifetime of Smiles”.
The final results represent a strong, well-considered solution, graphically and verbally signaling key messages to prospective EzeBrush users, and reinforcing the product’s brand positioning in a manner suited to the market environment in which it must not only be recognizable, but stand out, and compete for consumer attention.As you can see, this process is a far cry from what some perceive as ‘simple logo making’!
Next time you see a new brand identity in use, think about what it indicates to you about the conclusions and determinations that were reached before the graphic you see was finalized.
Next time you see a new brand identity in use, think about what it indicates to you about the conclusions and determinations that were reached before the graphic you see was finalized.
- Are there clues that tell you who the company has identified as its target market?
- Does it indicate or inform you about what makes the company’s product or service unique?
- Can you see how the product name, typography, graphic elements and tagline, if present, work together to communicate what it is and a sense for whom it is all about?
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Moss Kardener is Chief Strategist at OnStrategy Consultants. His firm works to position companies, products and services for success, distinguish them from competitors, define engaging brand experiences, and create strategic communications to tell their stories. Moss can be reached at 1 (510) 499-9697, or email him at [email protected]. © 2015, OnStrategy Consultants. EzeBrush TM &
© EzeProducts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
please submit your email address here.
Moss Kardener is Chief Strategist at OnStrategy Consultants. His firm works to position companies, products and services for success, distinguish them from competitors, define engaging brand experiences, and create strategic communications to tell their stories. Moss can be reached at 1 (510) 499-9697, or email him at [email protected]. © 2015, OnStrategy Consultants. EzeBrush TM &
© EzeProducts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.