Believe it or not, us human beings are programmed to respond to emotion and we often make many important decisions based on how easily we are influenced by feelings and emotive language around us. For example, making purchases in a shop or from a website based on emotion is quite normal. Just like the age old head over heart argument, we know what we should do; the logical, sensible and often safe option, but the most successful marketers understand that successful products appeal to the heart, not the mind. Going by our emotions is usually what creates the action, and this is where the magic happens!

The RT Media Brand Love Mix and effect

If we take this philosophy and apply it to marketing, it could translate as: be inspiring, be adventurous and bold, or why bother? It’s entirely possible that if you are not inspiring or causing people to feel emotions, then your brand is just ‘existing’. Emotive branding is about taking everything you do today and creating a focus. These intentions can only be realised when everyone working for the brand is reading from the same page and embrace the brand’s emotive center.

However, there is a difference between using emotion in advertising and having an emotive brand that builds meaningful connections from the foundations of everything that you do. While using emotion in advertising can help consumers buy into your concept you will need to keep this ‘promise’ as it were so that it runs seamlessly into all aspects of the customer experience from creation all the way through to implementation.

Emotive brands engage their entire organisations so that every message induces a similar set of thoughts and feelings – consumer’s thoughts about brands are made up of groups of associations: feelings, sounds, memories and images as well as facts. Studies on how the brain processes and stores everyday messages and associations suggest that knowledge, experience and emotions are the three things called upon first to make up our representation of a brand.

If these are positive connotations, the recalls should bond the customer (and the employees) to the brand. Think of the infamous Coco-cola, ‘Holidays are coming’ adverts shown on the run up to Christmas- the resulting brand harmony means brand loyalty. The idea is to genuinely bond with your target audience through  shared values, attitudes and behaviour which needs to be a long term creation not just a 30 second fling.

However, don’t lose sight of your realistic and rational benefits and values, the backbone for a ‘right decision’ is based on reason and marketing should highlight both the rational and emotional components of the brand promise to create a balance.

Ultimately, it’s the difference between indulging in meaningless marketing activity and striving for meaningful connections.

It’s a choice every brand can make.

If you would like help with creating brand love then please do get in touch. ross@rtmedia.com

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When C4L gave us the challenge of creating a new brand in 7 days we said “let’s go”.

With Bournemouth set to have super fast internet via fibre optic cables, our client C4L, (the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 company) were keen to make their mark. The brief to create a new brand for this new super fast broadband service was not only tight in deadline but it also has an increadibly competitive landscape. Entering into the market where big fish like BT, Virgin Media and SKY are fighting for customers, we needed to box clever.
With the in-house teams shortlist of names; BEAR, BULLET and JUCIE broadband we first knew a name could make or break this brave new business launch.

Following an evening workshop with Ross Thornley, the South’s branding expert innovator led them through a process and into a market changing name. It was his plan to create a whole new category for the internet connection. Enter FIBREBAND, no longer will users be looking for broadband providers if they wish to experience the unimaginable speeds fibre optic cables offer, they will be asking for FIBREBAND.
This ticked so many boxes from protectability, multi lingual understanding, domain name availability and word defining opportunities.

We are proud to show the value of expert innovation coupled with great design principles will ensure the best possible chances of success.

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This is a really important realization for many clients and indeed agencies. Having designed countless websites, logos, brands and custom software it is important to know what exactly you are buying.
The following is an exert we obtained from one of the South’s leading law firms who specialise in these matters…

“If you have paid someone to design your website, logo, or brochure or create software for you, it is not unreasonable to assume that the copyright in the end product belongs to you. However, this will not be the case unless you obtained the designer’s express agreement to this when you commissioned the work.

If you haven’t obtained the designer’s agreement to the copyright passing to you, all you have is a licence to use the website, logo, brochure or software.

This may be all that you need, but it might become a problem if you want to sell the business or authorise someone else to use your “property” or get someone else to develop or change what you already have. The original designer can stop you unless you have his agreement, which will normally comes at a price.

Action Points
It is essential to ensure that you get the designer to agree that you will own the copyright at the time you negotiate the terms of the engagement.”

Add this to the T&C’s of an agency and you can easily become confused as to who owns what and where you stand. Reading the T&C’s of any supplier is essential however this is often overlooked as business is regularly done on trust. However lack of understanding from a client or the reluctance of an agency to explain exactly what is being bought and sold is not a valid excuse.

Website source code also remains the copyright of the agency unless written agreement has been agreed. Also this licence to use the source code like any goods remain the sellers property until full payment has been received as is the same with any designed product from a logo to a brochure.

So please be careful that you are aware of what you are purchasing when commissioning a design agency to build you logo, website and materials, that if you require more than a licence and wish to own the copyright then make sure you have the agreement and costing outlined at stage one.

As the South’s leading branding agency we are committed to helping consumers understand what they are buying from agencies and not only to be aware of this but work in partnership with them to build brands with value, success and integrity.

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After reading a study of more than 150 taglines that debuted in 2009 this morning from an agency who solely focus on the development of taglines I felt I should share some of the insights found. What we can learn and what I think.
According to Eric Swartz, president of Tagline Guru, “The goal of the survey was to discover the most frequently used words in this year’s taglines, and whether they reveal how companies are strategically recasting their brand message to forge a closer connection with their customers.”

The most commonly used words or concepts (alphabetically):
1. believe
2. far/further
3. future
4. imagine/see
5. innovate/innovation
6. more
7. new
8. save/savings
9. together
10. you

Are these 10 words that matter most to consumers?

“Whereas one tagline offers telling insights into a company’s brand strategy, a whole bushel of taglines reveals a brand lexicon that speaks volumes about what’s important in the minds of consumers,” says Swartz.
“This year’s tagline harvest is all about working harder and smarter, communicating greater value, and creating lasting brand affinity, which, in today’s tough economy, is crucial for cementing relationships and building customer loyalty,” Swartz notes.

Some of the taglines that echo this include:

• Airbus New standards. Together.
• Baker & Taylor The future delivered.
• Buick The new class of world class.
• Chrysler Come and see what we are building.
• Dentsu Good innovation.
• Home Depot More saving. More doing.
• NBC More colorful.
• Sony Make. Believe.
• Syfy Imagine greater.
• Wells Fargo Together, we’ll go far.
• Yahoo It’s you!

Although the impact of “innovation” has been diminished from overuse, and words like “new” and “more” are typical sales jargon, concepts such as “together,” “you,” “imagine,” and “future” paint a picture that is decidedly more intimate, inclusive, and optimistic.

“Money is tight, consumers are worried, and corporations aren’t content to rest on their laurels,” says Swartz. “The overall message is that we’re all in this together so we need to set the bar higher, do more, and deliver greater value.”

Swartz continues: “Essentially, this tagline-generated brand lexicon tells us that big business wants to be perceived as a neighborly partner that is industrious, accountable, and forward-thinking. Consumers are tired of being talked at and misled. They’re looking for better ideas, better results, and, ultimately, a better relationship.”
Knowing this is really important as it indicates shifts in the market, and highlights what to avoid. To me these examples show not just a shift in the market but how easy it is to get lost and diluted in the nose as we follow like sheep: for example,

• Target’s “Expect More. Pay Less.”
• Wal-Mart’s “Save Money. Live Better”
• Home Depot’s “More Saving. More Doing.”

Sure, consumers are looking for ways to save, but what in these taglines truly drives differentiation? And is that important? I think it is. I think this lack of distinctiveness show lack of creativity and becomes background noise.

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E-newsletters are a great place to present your company and to show off what you have achieved. And it is only natural that you want to tell your readers all about the amazing things going on like new products, new clients, new technologies, new contracts or just a great service.

On the one hand, a regular newsletter is the ideal place for this type of information; after all, you want to remind people why they should come to you and / or stick with you. On the other hand, like with so many things in life, you should be careful not to overdo it. When gathering ideas for a newsletter you should always put yourself in the position of the reader and ask yourself the famous WIIFM? “What’s in it for me?” In other words, what’s the benefit for people who have agreed to be emailed by you on a regular basis? (yes, they should agree in some way to receive your marketing communications!).

Treat the contacts in your database as people that are special; because they are. They are the people who want to engage with you. So, give them something special from time to time; invite them to an event and offer reduced (free?) tickets; give them access to materials (e.g. white papers) which others can’t get their hands on; let them have something – e.g. a special offer – which others can’t buy or before others can buy it. These are only examples but I’m sure that if you look at your business and your client base you will find a lot more little treats for your faithful newsletter recipients. Exclusive is the word. So – what’s in it for them?

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Masterbrand
A single brand spans a set of offerings that operate only with descriptive offerings; continual product innovation, new releases, and so on.

Overbrand
Individual business unit or product brands operate under a strong family brand. Dual level of communications: individual offering establishes a unique position while leveraging credibility of the source.

Endorsed Brand
“Source” brand provides the business or product with an aura of credibility. Like Nestlé’s KitKat, Nescafé or Smarties. Special ‘K’, Coco Pops and Frosties from Kellogg’s or Polo by Ralph Lauren. The parent brand lends credibility to the endorsed brand in the customers view. Enables different tone, activities and behavior in different markets for each specific brand .

Freestanding Brand
An organisation consists of independent stand-alone brands, each maximising its impact on the market with little or no connection to its parent. There is a competitive need to develop distinct equities for line of business brands. Source brand does not fit or carry negative baggage.

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Last year we gave away a FREE brand audit to one lucky entry at the BowShot e-Den.2 series. The winners were New Driver, the South’s most prolific driving school with some 280+ franchise instructors across the south.

We are now delighted to announce that we will be supporting New Driver through a new phase of positioning and market share growth. The work has involved strategic planning and forecast modeling for the next 5 years, along with the development of completely ground breaking suite of package offerings to the driving instructors market.

The new brand and communications program will roll-out over the next 2 years and form the platform for stability and increased visibility.

Working with such a passionate team has been great fun, there is so much we can do to build on the success New Driver have had over the last 20 years.

New Driver - Re-Brand Outcome

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The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding

1. The Law of Expansion: The power of a brand is inversely proportional to its scope. Trying to be all things to all people undermines the power of the brand. The strength of brands lies in becoming synony-mous with a single category. Brands that spread themselves across categories lose brand focus, identity, and ultimately market share.
2. The Law of Contraction: A brand becomes stronger when you narrow its focus. By narrowing the focus to a single category, a brand can achieve extraordinary success. Starbucks, Subway and Dominos Pizza became category killers when they narrowed their focus.
3. The Law of Publicity: The birth of a brand is achieved with publicity, not advertising. A new brand must be capable of generating favorable public-ity in the media or it won’t have a chance in the marketplace. Anita Roddick built the Body Shop into a global brand with no advertising, but with massive amounts of publicity. On the other hand, Miller Brewing spent $50 million in advertising to launch a brand called Miller Regular. The brand generated no publicity and very little sales. (more…)

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Your name matters!

I read an eye-opening book a few years ago when I was on holiday in Egypt. It’s part of a series of two: Brand failures and Brand Royalty. Brand failures tells the truth about the 100 biggest branding mistakes of all time. What can we learn from other people’s mistakes?

As the economic outlook is dismal, even with the media reporting retail sales are better than this time last year, as we rush to buy Christmas gifts which will mostly end up on ebay by February, I am thinking how can companies make sure they survive in difficult times.

When things are hard, when we are under pressure, when we sense loss, we revert to type. Old habits, basic strategies and remove over complication. A fighter will look for the punch that saved him last time he was in the corner, companies look to cut costs, adapt to become more flexible and consolidate.

I think when times are tough it is even more essential to FOCUS on strengths to survive. It’s not the time to work on the weak aspects, during the time you spend working on improving your poor right jab you will have been knocked out.

How do we a) know what we’re good at, and b) use it to survive? That can be tricky as what you were good at 5 years ago or even last year may not be right for today and tomorrow. But what stays the same are the basic rules of the game.

What I want to help people to understand is that by removing complications, by focusing and keeping it at the most basic level you will have a fighting chance.

(more…)

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As the south’s branding agency we often have people visit us who are confused about logos and ‘a brand’. Do we just need a “simple logo”… we then ask about the way they win business, how they answer the phone, who they are in competition with, how they talk, dress, treat their customers. What the staff think and feel. Do people buy from them because of price, function or service…Do they care, do they measure and if so by what? Sales, satisfaction, number of staff, customer referrals, market share or by gut?

Smart people understand that a new logo can’t possibly increase your market share, and they know that an expensive logo is not necessarily better than a cheap logo.This is the difference between understanding a logo and a brand.

A logo is an identifier, it gives people something to remember and apply to an experience or thought, like someone’s name. A brand is everything someone experiences and what they think of you.

How do you test if a logo is any good…

You can’t test a logo any more than you can test a first name. Sure, you can eliminate messy, difficult and long names, but what you should be looking to do is create the complete experience.

The visual language, service approach and every last communication from your emails to your ‘on-hold’ music is part of the ingredients to your brand success. What paper your business card is printed on to the car you drive.

It truly is everything you do, however it is important not to get overwhelmed by the enormity of this. Take it one step at a time. Prioritise which points your customers touch first and most often, which are key in winning new customers, which in retaining old ones. Work out effective methods of connecting with people in your own way and style.

Make it memorable and consistent. We love working with people who understand that a ‘brand is not just a logo’ they are half way to a stable, successful and fulfilling business. If this sounds like you then get in touch and I am sure we can create a memorable magic brand together.

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Too many people I meet think a brand is a logo… it’s not! A brand is term which covers everything someone uses to make a judgment on you or your company. Yes the identity is part of this from the colour you choose, to the name, the language in your copy. But opinions are formed from the personality of your staff, the messages and communications you send out, your prices, who else uses you and so many more.

However be careful, because if you are saying one thing and doing another then you are damaging your brand. That gut feeling your prospects and customers have about you.

Building a successful brand requires Integrated Brand Communication:

This is about effectively using the the marketing mix to convey a specific message to a desired audience. It’s both a process and a plan that looks at the needs and desires of the audience, the key messages to be imparted and then the most appropriate channels to communicate them. These channels can include sales, promotion, public relations, advertising and loads more.

This will lead to your best chance of influencing that gut feeling someone has about you. Their memory of what and how you do what you do. Then after awareness, understanding comes interaction and ultimately if you get it right recommendation.

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