How can Brand Design Consultancy uplift your brand?

What comes to mind when you think of an apple? In most cases, people conjure up images of various products from Apple’s stable, be it PCs or mobile phones.

And what does the word “Apple”, the fruit have to say about these products? Per se, the word ie. the fruit has nothing to do with the products in that; one is an edible fruit and the other talks of high-quality electronic and digital gadgets. But brand design consultancy has made the word “Apple” synonymous with quality, innovation and an absolute ruthlessness towards not producing low-priced mass-market products.

That then is the effect of branding design consultancy where done the right way! It tells your audience exactly who you are, what your views are about the world, the industry and every element that has to do with your product. To put it clearly, a brand where executed the right way does the following:

• It helps you get the right audience that you aspire for. An Apple product can never reach the mass market like others. It shall ever remain in its desired niche and fetch its own loyal followers
• It communicates to its audience what it is (in terms of a product), what it stands (an emotional pitch about where the buyer stands vis-à-vis the other brand’s audience) and what the world perceives you when you are seen in the company of these products (in this case, an iPhone and iMac!)
• It communicates to the world what the brand’s history was and where it plans to go to in the future. We know the Steve Jobs story and how he brought up Apple. Being the ever-formidable brand that it is, Brand Apple tells the world what it plans to do and where it plans to go in future and in the process sets the tone and tenor for the industry. Yes, a market-leader brand sets the bench-mark. Others either follow, copy or flatter. Or, they get left behind!
• It derives a loyal following which stands by the brand for considerable period of time and forms the basis on which newer products come into the market, be it for the same audience or for a newer segment.
• It creates an industry in its own right. JCB, Xerox, etc. are examples. They are market leaders AND they define the industry itself by whatever they do!

On what helps create the perfect brand, the following points should be noted:

• Audience analysis. One size just cannot fit all- ever. It’s a sheer waste of time and resources. And yes, if you want a mass-market product, it is either generic OR doesn’t really need any major marketing efforts. Better still, try and clearly define whom you want to serve. The selection should perfectly fit what you plan to sell. Trying to sell a very generic bicycle to a millionaire could be a waste of time BUT if the cycle is pitched right up the millionaire’s life-style path, things can be quite different!
• Be clear on who you are and what you want. It does happen in the industry that after creating a successful brand, its promoters aren’t really sure if they can service it! Case in point, Toyota in the US! They were perceived as a creator of mass-produced, low-cost cars and folks in the US just could not believe they could do any better! They HAD to create a new brand, Lexus whose entire appeal right down to car sales and distribution channel was segregated from the mother brand!
• Define your message and character in clear terms to create the right image in your audience’s mind! In the case in point, every effort of Lexus in the US was towards creating a new brand - right from scratch whose appeal was radically, radically different from the parent Toyota Brand. Be it the logo, the appeal, taglines, persona, everything was in contrast to Toyota. Having done it the right way, despite their pedigree, Lexus is today an established name in high-end vehicles in the US with its own following and market share!

Folks, brand design consulting is not just about creating a mark and an image of an organization. It stands for everything an organization does or is known to do. Getting it right is thus very important and more so the so in the shortest possible time. Else, you waste time, money and most importantly, the right kind of initiative! The last is important as that is the driving energy which powers every success.