Linguistics - The spaghetti junction for Brands

The right brand name can be the difference between success and failure.

A great piece of innovation will be successful whatever it might be named just look at the Dyson bagless vacuum cleaner.  A much better invention than the name suggests or inspires.

I’m talking about brands on the peripherals, that have a good product but not necessarily the relevance and differentiation within their category. Brand positioning and naming throughout the portfolio all become paramount to the ongoing commercial success.

This is where linguistics can help. Many Marketers do not give this area of study a second glance yet it can help define your greatest asset and prepare the foundations for a local brand going global.  In the words of Al Ries ‘A brand is nothing more than a name.  In time, the unique idea or concept of your company or product disappears. All that's left is the difference between your brand name and the brand names of your competitors.’

Bitesize Brand Philosophy

A few weeks back I started to document bite size pieces of my continually evolving brand philosophy. I should however have taken heed of Julius Pringles who said 'Once you pop you can't stop'.

Understand the Zeitgeist

If you know how your consumer is feeling and is likely to feel over the next few years you have a better chance of positioning your brand correctly. In the midst of a recession for example, your brand may be a great comforter, mood lifter or family staple. Understanding where your brand currently sits and what role it can play will help drive your brand strategy.

Lead don't follow

Category leaders will always be successful, followers are one step behind. If you currently follow, innovate and move direction.

Use all aspects of visionary sight.

Brands owners should look to the past, present and future to remain relevant.

Hindsight: The ability to reflect and learn from the past
Insight: The ability to interpret and respond to the present
Foresight: The ability to predict and prepare for the future

It's Mayday for Moberly

Brands should be clean, crisp and clarified. 

They should convey a rich past intertwined with a youthful and spritely energy. 

Lets be clear about the territory it owns and where it derives from.
The identity should effortlessly flow across all consumer touch points and engage emotionally.

Most of all it should be simple and single minded.

I'm not the only person to appreciate simplicity.

This is the first of a regular feature that showcases what I believe to be great and timeless design. I will pick a duo of agencies each month and display what's fabulous from within their portfolios.

Mayday 

definingdreamingdramatisingbrands...

eatingbreathinglivingbrands...

Cheer - Is there a reason?

My last few design reviews haven't been very positive.  Twinings didn't have the twinkle, Jordan's wasn't jaw dropping, Pipers wasn't playing and M Savers was all out of favours.

There is now reason to smile, a reason to cheer.

Landor Associates have completed the redesign for Cheer Detergent, a Proctor & Gamble brand sold in the USA and Canada. The 3rd new design in 4 years launched in the summer of 2011.

PantoneLIVE™

I had an exclusive invite to the PantoneLive launch at Kings Place, London.

PantoneLIVE™, a cloud-based color service that provides instant access to essential brand color standards. PantoneLIVE is the first service under the Pantone Digital Business Unit, a newly created division of X-Rite that is the byproduct of Pantone’s expertise as the world’s color authority and X-Rite’s color science and technology leadership.