By Adrián Lorenzo*
A logo is not a brand. When you work on the design of a brand, you do not think (only) about the logo, but about the universe of signifiers that that brand implies. There are several elements that define this world. In addition to the logo, there are its essential components, the shape, typography, colors and backgrounds.
Images and texts are added to these variables, elements that make the communicational context of the brand, indicating the path of perception to the target audience and defining the tone of voice of the communication. Once all the constituent elements of a brand are exposed, the communication channels chosen to reach the audience then appear.
There are also some additions that also weigh on the definition of a brand, such as tagline or byline, often reduced to the category of "slogan" but that, well defined and used, can help delineate commercial strategies or support specific actions in the construction or redefinition of the image of a brand.
It seems convenient to clarify all this since, in order to evaluate with certainty the communication of a brand, it is essential to have as a work base, a well-defined and consolidated brand.
Another point of great importance that must be taken into account is that the brand is not the product, but what both mean. The product is the support of the brand. No brand exists without the product or service that justifies it and, at the same time, it is clear that every brand needs an audience. The brand then, define this a product or service, requires a communication.
Trend and style
Although they are usually closely linked to each other, these concepts occupy in the brand image of a company, two almost diametrically opposed positions. The identity of a brand must respond with certainty to the positioning of the company and clearly reflect its personality. It must be able to survive on possible mergers, acquisitions and all the variables of commercial adaptation to which modern organizations are subjected.
Therefore, that set of elements that define the identity of the brand must be far above trends, no matter how "strong" they may be, it is about seeking and consolidating a style, as particular and meaningful as possible. That it looks good is not enough, it will be necessary to seek that the entire support system and the communication guidelines respond effectively to the brand parameters established by the company. Every element of communication, however tiny it may seem, speaks to brand identity.
The media and the brand
Once the brand identity has been defined, the company must evaluate with criteria the means through which it will make its message known. As Marshall Mc Luhan said at the end of the 60s, "the medium is the message", that is, any communication guideline must have clear foundations regarding the target audience and the impact generated by each piece of communication.
If until a while ago the focus was on know-how, the market has mutated to an instance in which it becomes essential, in addition to the brand and a good product, to make known. In this sense, the media are the ideal tool to achieve the objectives set by the company. However, there is an important point to keep in mind: an advertising campaign, however millionaire it may be, does not guarantee the positioning of a brand. It is about planning each point of contact with the audiences by putting careful criteria in the selection of the media.
Many times, the most effective campaigns do not include traditional media. The brand positioning strategy, the definition of brand identity, must ALWAYS be ahead of the communication campaign and not the other way around. It is the universe of elements that define the brand that makes the corporate identity.
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Communication
Once the identity of the brand and its products or the identity of the product has been decided if it had sufficient entity to talk about the brand, we will have to work on the set of applications that make communication and that, as we initially proposed, define the brand image in the perception of the consumer.
As for the traditional ones, usually printed (although the systems differ from each other), we can mention commercial stationery, brochures, promotional material at the point of sale, transport vehicles, promotion, after sales and advertisements in graphic media. Regarding digital media, new media, we find the website, banners in other media or third-party sites, instant messaging of cell phones and everything that is added day by day as a result of the evolution of technologies.
Each of these items means an adequate study of the scope and implications they will have for the brand. A brochure of expensive production for a product that pretends to be "economical" will be incompatible with the communicational objectives, therefore, harmful to the commercial results of the product and harmful to the brand image.
Up to the age and characteristics of the promoters selected for a given action make the image of the company, it is not about choosing only beautiful women, they must also obey certain guidelines that reflect the message that intends to be transmitted in that action and for that public. As with an advertisement, the medium in which it will be published determines the profile of the reader and, therefore, the particularities of the message.
The value of design
Design is the layer that "speaks" between companies, organisms, individuals, society as a whole. When a company handles its communication judiciously, respecting the long-term guidelines and the agreed and defined objectives for its corporate identity, it will be building brand image. If we did the test of removing this "layer" of design around us, what would be left? It is true, the invasion of messages is in many cases overwhelming but it is not the well-made ads that produce the exhaustion of the medium, it is all the others, those that do not contribute to the communication of the brands or their products but those that only enunciate a message, occupying a space, communication that only seeks to "fill a medium". It is the design of an accurate strategy that will make effective communication with the defined audience possible.
Professionals
Brands are not something simple, they are rather complex realities that, therefore, require teamwork; a multidisciplinary vision that understands these realities and is in a position to manage and control them. This process can then mean an important investment, difficult to assume in small companies or that are just starting out. However, it is always convenient to make a thorough evaluation of the project to be able to fairly estimate the cost of the investment and the possible scopes.
In many cases, especially in rebranding ventures, it can happen that the adjustments are rather like a new "coat of paint" for a somewhat outdated but still current image. At the same time, the final dimension of the work team will also be determined by the scope of the project.
In each case, the problem is not that of the specialization of each of those involved in the process but the coordination of all, that is why it is vital to determine a "program of integrated services", which solves each point jointly, systemically, attending and responding to the needs raised but also understanding the manufacturing processes, commercial, administrative and logistics that each change implies.
The best brand identity is not defined by its color or shape, it is not in the wording of your ads or in the number of times we will hear that name on the radio. A good brand image is reflected in its consumers or in the collective unconscious of a society.
*Director of Image and Communication of Venmark, www.vemark.com.ar, information: [email protected]
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