Wednesday 30 October 2013

Don't you dare touch my Nutella!

A Brand is a Logo.
A Brand is an Identity.
A Brand is a Product.

If you agreed with the any or all of the statements you are not alone. You are NOT ALONE in being off track.
Apparently these are the common myths about Branding.
The link below is a fantastic slideshow that explains what Branding is and is not.

An awesome slideshow about BRANDING

In a lot of the classes I facilitate  people get really excited when it comes t branding. It fascinates them. It seems so alive and organic. Almost as if they wish their company would pay more attention to build a stronger brand.

Its not what we think. It's what the world outside FEELS about you. That is brand. In a market which is sometimes flooded with similiar products with similiar features and purported benefits and advantages, people are craving products that beyond price and functionality has a soul. A story of where it came from.

Humans are meaning making creatures. People desire to make choices that makes meaning. That somehow is an extension of their aspirations. For example a $1500 Hugo Boss Suit to some is just overpriced clothes but to others it could mean something else. Yes,yes I can hear the voices of the utilitarians who condemn such "extravagance" but at the same time I also hear the mechanical grind of their lifes. So this begs the bigger question. What is the purpose of all this time we have on this planet.

To get through ? To get by ? To get rich ? To get smart? The problem is in the verb. It's not in the getting but in the letting. To let meaning emerge. To let love have a place in your life. To let chaos teach you lessons. To let the metaphoric sun rise in the darkest places in our hearts and minds. To allow for it to happen. Letting is allowing. So a great brand allows people to make a connection that enriches their experience of life. It was never about just about the price.

I enjoy eating my nutella hazelnut chocolate spread not only because it is an inter-galatically visceral odyssey for my olfactory but it also bring memories of my childhood. Its a brand steeped in nostalgia.
To me Nutella means Happiness. (and lots of calaries might I add)

Forget the snazzy brochures and gimmicks that scream for attention. It will be short lived. Branding is countless hours of pondering. And many more hours of debating. The end outcome is worth the effort. What is the meaning we are here to create for the world. What do we want people to feel about us.

A brand is a promise. So make sure you devote every ounce of your energy and commit to making good that promise. Your brand is being built and torn down by three things : Your products, Operations and Customer experience. The fantastic advantage of working on your brand is that it has a great morale uplifting effect on the staff and employees. It begins to make sense to them. They can find the meaning behind why they need to go the extra mile.


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