Marketing For Beginners — Session 2— Brand

Every marketer starts with a phenomenal word: BRAND. But, sadly, very few marketers understand the meaning of the word Brand beyond definition. A brand is where teams of marketers put their heart out to ness, the goals, achieve the desired results. (Day in, day out! Without getting burnt out)

Goal: Create your brand and plan for it strategically

What is a brand?

A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature distinguishing one seller’s good or service from others.

Makeup of a Brand

A brand comprises three different components: verbal, visual, and emotional. When you bring out cohesion in these components, your brand is created.

Assignment: Take a brand and identify the above (for any queries on marketing/assignments, you can reach out to me on LinkedIn — Cite the blog you are reading)

Drafting your verbal brand

Assignment: Design a logo (Draw it on a piece of paper)

Creating a brand that stretches

Creating a brand that stretches, also known as brand stretching, is a marketing strategy where a well-established brand uses its existing reputation to launch new products or services in unrelated categories.

Leveraging Brand Equity: A brand with a strong reputation and positive customer perception can use that brand equity to introduce new products or services under the same name. This can be a quicker and less expensive way to establish these new offerings compared to starting from scratch with a new brand name.

Branding With Logos

Study these brands and tell me what you know about it:

Apple: The most common interpretation is that the bitten apple symbolizes the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden, referencing knowledge and temptation. Another theory suggests the bite is a play on the word “byte,” a unit of computer data.

Twitter: The logo depicts a stylized bluebird, symbolizing communication, swiftness, and the chirping of birds similar to short messages on Twitter.

Nike: The swoosh logo represents the wing of the Greek goddess Nike, symbolizing victory and speed.

Instagram: The logo is a simple camera icon, a direct reference to the app’s function of photo sharing.

Chanel: The interlocking Cs represent the founder Coco Chanel’s initials.

Thai Airways: The logo depicts Garuda, a mythical bird-like creature from Hindu and Buddhist mythology, symbolizing majesty, power, and divine protection.

Ferrari: The prancing horse logo is derived from a fighter pilot’s emblem during World War I. The yellow background represents the city of Modena, Italy, where Ferrari was founded.

WWF (World Wildlife Fund): The logo features a giant panda, an endangered species that the WWF works to protect.

Penguin: This publishing house’s logo is a literal image of a penguin, reflecting their focus on classic and enduring literature.

Ikea: The blue and yellow circle and square represent a happy face, symbolizing the joy and affordability Ikea aims to provide through their furniture.

FedEx: The hidden arrow formed by the negative space between the “E” and “x” represents speed and efficiency, core values of the delivery service.

Illy: The red “i” in the logo is a stylized signature of the founder Francesco Illy.

Tata: The lettering “Tata” is written in a bold, trustworthy font, symbolizing the conglomerate’s stability and heritage in India.

Unilever: The blue Unilever symbol is a combination of a sun and a dove, representing life, sustainability, and care.

Coca-Cola: The script logo is simply the brand name in a flowing and recognizable style.

Pepsi: The red, white, and blue circle with a white wave design is often interpreted as a reference to the American flag and a dynamic brand image.

Mercedes-Benz: The three-pointed star logo represents the company’s dominance over land, sea, and air (referring to their early car, boat, and airplane engines).

Audi: The four interlocking rings represent the merger of four German automobile manufacturers in 1932.

Tesla: The stylized “T” logo can be seen as a reference to the scientific genius Nikola Tesla, after whom the company is named.

Local Brand: Local brands often have unique logos that reflect their specific products, services, or cultural influences. Unfortunately, without knowing a specific local brand, it’s impossible to decipher the meaning behind its logo.