The Significance Of Brand Identity For Company Success - Book Report/Review Example

The Significance Of Brand Identity For Company Success Alina Wheeler’s Book, talks about branding identities. Branding is an oft confused word with corporate identity and corporate image. The meanings of both these words are remarkably different. Corporate identity refers to logo creation, the company’s name, tag, the visual expression and it gives and the looks it depicts. Corporate image on the other hand, is what the public perceives of the company. If the perceived image is what the company wants it to be like it or not.

Thus, corporate branding is an entire process. It has to be planned, strategized and aligned with the goals of the organization. Wheeler also highlited brand identity and the process involved in her book. Brand identity is essentially the visual expression of a brand which is communicated to the world outside. It includes the corporate name, its logotype or mark, the communications and visual appearance. It is important for the brand identity of a brand to be strong. This because the brand plays an important role in establishing an emotional connection with the consumer and reflects the brand position and the desired image.

(Wheeler n.d.) The brand identity creation process is a five stage process as explained in the book. It comprises of the following steps: 1. Conducting research 2. Clarifying strategy 3. Designing identity 4. Creating touch points, and 5. Managing assets. The entire process begins with an analysis of the business needs and ends with the application of the brand identity to different pieces of marketing communication. Step 1 revolves around market research and analysis. In this a document is made which takes into account the marketing situation.

Step 2 builds on the marketing strategy behind the brand identity development. Steps 3-6 Is where the creative work is done and it involves exploring and working on the logo mark and logotype. The Process Phases and Deliverables: 1. Conducting Research: In the first step, the details of the project are thrown into perspective. All the minute details regarding the project are learnt in this step. All the current information as well as that information which is needed to bring the branding elements forward is brought to light.

The vision for the project is clarified and so are the strategies and goals established. The needs and perceptions of various stake holders are critiqued and analyzed. Different types of audits are conducted in this phase. These include the technology, legal and language audits. Existing brands, their profitability and curativeness along with the brand architecture is evaluated here. 2. Clarifying Strategy: Clarifying strategy is the second phase and in this phase whatever has been learned is eventually synthesized and a strategic plan is formulated.

The brand strategize is clarified here and a positioning platform is developed. The brand attributes are co-created, a brand brief is written and so is a creative brief written. 3. Designing Identity: In this third phase, the future is visualized. Everything is done in accordance with expected future trends. Any ideas are brain stormed and the best ones filtered out. A design for brand identity is created, various applications are explored and brand architecture is also finalized here. A visual strategy is present and an agreement point achieved. 4. Creating Touch points: The design decided upon in third stage is finalized in this stage.

Trade protection is initiated and prioritization of design applications is done. The brand architecture is finally applied in this stage. 5. Managing Assets A synergy revolving around the brand is built in this phase. The launch strategy and plan is also developed. It is an accepted practice to launch internally first and then go for an external launch. Any standards and guidelines are developed in this phase. Book 2: What Kids Buy and Why Dancuff in this book of his discusses the Product Leverage Matrix.

This tool projects the big picture to us and gives us an idea of all the things we need to be aware and to be informed of, in order to integrate all aspects of a product or program. Leverage denotes power. This means that the character, the product and the program not only attracts the attention of the targeted child consumer but also meets his needs at a certain level. It is important to provide that this power associated with each program varies substantially for every product. The product leverage matrix is an important tool for getting down to where exactly the power is coming from and is a comprehensive model that determines the analysis of an existing product or program and for the development of a new one.

(Cuff 1998) The variables as explained by Dancuff of a Product Leverage Matrix are as following: 1. Medium/ Products: What is the product category? Is it software, is it a book, is it a TV show, and is it a food outlet? How is product packaging being taken care of? 2. Concept: What is the concept of the product. Around what ideology does the product revolve. 3. Point of View: What would be the psychological perception that the product would create. What is the opinion like out there regarding it.

Is it anti social? Is it social?Is it fun frolic filled. What exactly is the message being relayed through the product. Moreover, how will the product impact the company’s image. Will it trigger a good word of mouth, would be indifferent or would it strike negative publicity for it. 4. Content: What is the verbal and visual content of the program? How will it be relayed to the consumer? How will it be manifested into its verbal and visual forms eventually? 5. Context: Context is the geographical setting of the product and the time frame in which product is set.

What are the surroundings of the product like? What is the social environment like? What are the competitors products like? What position do they command in the market? What areas have been left untapped by them? Thus it is about what is competing environment or the context of the product. (Cuff 1998) 6) Process: How does the program/flow works. What is the process like? 7) Character(s)/Personality: What fantasy based characters have been incorporated in the program? Are there any archetypes. 8) Attitude/Style: What is their attitude and style like?

How should they be depicted? TOP OF MATRIX - Essence: What is the central essence of the brand? What is it depicting? - Point of Difference: What is our edge in the brand against competitor? What is that one different thing that will make the brand stand out? - Promise: What promise are we making to the customer? Are we delivering the promise? - Competition: What is the competition like out there? How many competitors are there? - Positioning: How has the brand been positioned in the minds of the consumer.

THE BIG PICTURE The Center of the Matrix - Age: What is the target age of our brand? - Gender: What gender are we targeting? Is it just male or female or is it both. - Stage: What stage of development is the target child in? What is his age bracket? - Structure: What is the structure of the brain of the target audience like? Are they in their development phase or have they developed logical and reasoning skills. - Dimension: A child’s life can take place in a myriad of dimensions. The child can experience her life in various ways.

It can be physically, emotionally, socially and even morally. - Style: What is the learning style of the child? Is it visual? Is it cue based? THE NEEDS AND WANTS OF THE TARGET CHILD A product is successful if it is able to satiate either the long term or the short term needs of a child. This has to be understood. For instance before the age of 6 children are more keen on accumulating toys and stuff, but after the age of 6, they become more keen on cumulating things. They start paying more attention to the details, become pro at comparisons.

Thus, it is important that whatever product is made, keeps into perspective these details of a child’s development stage. In the Ages 8 through 12 part of the paper, Cuff discusses the neocortical developmental focus which has critical implication on product and program development alongside the ways in which they should be marketed and advertised to kids in the age bracket of 8 to 12. At this point, the child is no longer a fantasy oriented child. He is developing fast and has started developing reasoning skills and has now opened up more to brain oriented activities.

So any marketing drive, as Cuff points has to be designed keeping this in perspective. Bibliography Cuff, Dan. What Kids Buy and Why. Simon and Schuster, 1998. Wheeler, Alina. Designing Brand Identity.