BRANDING
Image: hypebeast
BRANDING
The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding.
Between the products we know and love and those we shun, there's a virtually endless array of commonplace goods that we don’t even notice!
Standing out in the crowd on fully stocked supermarket shelving is simply not easy, and many don’t manage to do it…..they just aren't that memorable!
This dire destiny can sometimes even befall the best of products!
The key is this:
Success is as much about conveying an idea as it is about the contents of a tin or what's underneath the bonnet of a car.
And that's where branding comes in.
So, what is it that sets a brand apart?
Below are the 22 laws of branding used by the most successful companies to gain an edge on their competitors.
Law 1) The Law of Expansion.
This law states that: “A BRAND BECOMES WEAKER AS IT EXPANDS AND LOSES FOCUS”.
Take for example Chevrolet.
This is a brand that, unfortunately, put its short-term interests ahead of its long-term strategy.
Consider. What image does this brand conjure up for you?
Struggling to define?
Chevrolet decided to widen their range, and now produce a plethora of vehicles, from small and affordable, to large and luxurious.
Expansion allowed the firm to sell more cars in the short term, but the resultant weakening of the brand backfired in the long run.
Sales declined dramatically from 1.5 million cars in 1987 to 0.83 million vehicles in 2001. A 45% DECREASE!
Which brings us to………………
Law 2) The Law of Contraction.
A company's brand grows stronger when it narrows its focus.
Take as an example Sandwich Delis. There are millions across United States, but no particular ONE with a strong brand nationwide.
Delis typically offer a comprehensive range of products:
Sandwiches and soups, bagels, muffins, donuts, ice cream, beverages, newspapers, cigarettes, and even lottery tickets! Hardly a narrow focus.
Subway has bucked the trend! Its growth exemplifies this law.
Fred Deluca, who founded Subway in 1965, adopted an unconventional approach to the Deli concept. Radically stripping back their offering to just one item, the submarine sandwich, Subway subsequently enjoyed unprecedented success. By 2001 it had 12,629 outlets across the United States. Second only to McDonalds.
Like Subway, the most recognizable brands are those which develop a singular focus,
Which nicely leads us to………..
Law 3) The Law of Singularity.
Strong branding makes product names synonymous with an identifiable object or idea.
Rolex for instance, means Expensive Swiss Watch, whilst Rolls Royce equals the very best of something.
If a brand's core identity is strong enough it cannot fail to distinguish itself.
Take Walmart.
Although this brand purveys a vast array of products, because they have a singular focus, a companywide ethos based on LOW PRICING, all their wares embody this ideal.
Law 4) The Law of Publicity.
(NB!!!) Publicity is not to be confused with Advertising.
Publicity GROWS a brand, while Advertising HOLDS the place the Brand subsequently gains in the Market
Ask an Advertising Executive what their job role is, and they’ll probably say they work in “Brand Building”.
This, however, is a misconception.
Advertising, well done, successfully cements a Brands position, but it is not an effective tool for Building that Brand.
PUBLICITY DOES THAT!
Publicity has been likened to oxygen in a Brand’s bloodstream!
Without it, a brand is doomed to failure in the shark-infested red waters of the start-up Market Place.
A good way to ensure Publicity is to be the first in any given field (TG4)
This attracts media coverage-most welcome!
Being “the first” can often also result in a ubiquitous permeation of the everyday.
Think POST IT notes as an example.
Law 5) The Law of Advertising.
This says: The purpose of advertising is to defend your gains in the marketplace once a brand has been launched.
Publicity Campaigns, be they ever so powerful, eventually peter out. Nothing lasts forever.
When this happens, and all the hype around your brand has faded, it’s time to change tack and ramp up the ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN!
A word of warning though!
Don’t fall into the trap of highlighting your products specific edge over its rivals…..
Marketing Research points to the fact that consumers are not so much interested in how your products compare, but rather that it is the BEST in its category!
Examples:
Budweiser trumpets itself as the “King of Beers” (since 1876-no less!!!!!)
Disneyland-claims to be “the happiest place on earth!”
And while we’re on slogans, I love this one.
Wheaties -The Breakfast of Champions!
Image: heb.com
Law 6) The Law of The Word
The greatest brands have been successful in substituting their names with a single positive concept.
A good example is Mercedes-Benz. Most people think “Prestige” when considering this brand.
Companies often make the mistake of focusing all the attention on their Brand’s best features.
However, it is far more effective to strive at making your Brand synonymous with a word or idea that is superlative in essence.
You need to OWN a word or phrase association!
Honda, for example, owns Well Engineered.
Toyota, Reliable.
Volvo, Safe!
However, you can actually go one better!
That is, having a Brand name that means a type of product.
Kleenex is a classic example. (they were the world’s first in pocket tissues)
Then of course there’s the old favourite Hoover, although personally, I think Dyson is getting up there.
Image: Dyson
Law 7) The Law of category.
So…… your brand has taken over the leadership position, what now?
This might seem a bit counterproductive, but the law states:
You should promote the category itself, not just your own product!
Will this give a boost to your competition?
Possibly!
Nevertheless, you must still do it!
The bottom line is this.
Consumers don’t always care who they source from. They are looking to reap the benefits they are splashing their hard-earned readies on!
You want Pizza. You want it pronto! Delivered to your front door.
At this stage, it’s doubtful that you’ll favour Pizza Hut over Dominoes (or vice versa).
Image: uber eats
You just require an easy ordering experience and a fast delivery of piping hot product.
It’s all about the convenience.
So, you get the point?
Promoting the Category might not boost sales in the short term. It WILL, however, expand the entire Market Category.
And that means EXCELLENT BRAND PROSPECTS long term!
In a similar vein, we have:
Law 8) The Law of Fellowship
A potentially scary one!
It says: Competition actually creates more business opportunities for a brand.
The classic example of course is the “soda wars” between Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
This has resulted in a vast expansion of the soft drinks market sector.
The theory is this:
“Competition draws attention to a category and stimulates the interests of consumers.”
(Al and Laura Ries)
Law 9) The Law of Credentials.
This one says: Credentials and perceptions of quality are central to building trust in a brand.
A good brand needs to establish its credentials and stake a claim on authenticity. Only one Authentic Claim is required to establish this.
Ensuring this is believable, then allows a Brand to make a secondary claim on the back of a first.
An example was drawn of two restaurants side by side. One empty, the other heaving with punters!
Which one, do you think, a hungry person would decide to eat at?
Most likely the busy one, and why, because it has established its credentials as a popular eatery!
This fact is now accepted by the consumer, and the restaurant (Brand) can now make its secondary claim…..that they serve the “Best Steak In Town”.
This is also likely to be accepted as fact by foodies, as it accounts for the restaurant’s popularity-obviously!
One sure-fire way of Boosting your Brand is to Claim Leadership!
Asahi Beer did just that when they claimed they were “Japan's number one beer"
That the claim was believed (and therefore the strategy effective) has been borne out by the fact Asahi was able to buy out Carlton & United breweries in May 2020 for $16 Billion and end up with a 48.5% share of the Australian beer market.
(And we all know how thirsty Aussies are!)
So now to address the “perceptions of quality” element of the law.
Yes, QUALITY is of importance, but more vitally as a perception!
What am I talking about? See below:
Law 10) The Law of Quality.
A strong brand is a brand that is perceived to represent quality
An interesting comparison has been drawn between our old protagonists Coca Cola and Pepsi.
When canvassed, the majority of consumers claim to prefer Coke.
Fascinatingly, however, blind tastings regularly result in Pepsi coming out on top!
Which proves the point.
Coke is perceived to be of a better quality than Pepsi. The fact that it may not actually be is not something that worries consumers.
SUCCESSFUL BRANDING- PAR EXCELLENCE!
Another tried and tested method of ensuring the perception of quality is to increase your pricing.
Try it. It works!
Higher the price=Higher the quality!
Rolls Royce
Rolex
Remy Martin
I rest my case!
Law 11) The Law of Extensions
It must always be remembered that, when building a brand, you're in it for the long haul.
It’s a sad fact that many companies can’t seem to resist the temptation to meddle with their Brands!
The message is, leave well alone!
Why risk all your hard work in building the brand by diluting it with embellishments or add-ons? What is the point of tinkering with the success you have achieved?
This might have been a good question for Hellman’s to ask themselves before they sought to complement their Classic Mayonnaise with newer, lighter, and even flavoured variations.
Research consistently has proven that these extended products don’t only run the risk of going unsold, they are proven to actively damage the brand.
Positive returns on this strategy are not terribly obvious, and it might just be me, but I seem to have noticed a strengthening of the competition in this particular condiment sector in the last year or so.
Another way companies mess this type of approach up is by introducing line extension products under the banner of an existing brand name, rather than launching an entirely new brand.
This does not seem to work well, leaving consumers scratching their heads as to where the brand is headed or what it stands for!
So now we come to:
Law 12) The Law of Consistency
This law states that the best course of action is to Focus on Maintaining Absolute Consistency over Time.
So, to recap on Law 11, do try to resist the temptation to keep adding new gizmo’s and quirks!
Also, exercise care and restraint when adding new products to a range.
A case in point is Volvo. For over thirty years Volvo was synonymous with Solidity and Reliability, and overall Safety!
The Swedish Sedans were a well-loved and renowned automobile the world over.
However, when in an attempt to appear more exciting, Volvo introduced a range of sportier, flashier motors to the market, the brand was weakened!
That comfortable feeling of knowing exactly what you were getting when you bought a Volvo was LOST!
So, you say, WHAT DO I DO? I need to expand my company, but how do I do it?
Answer:
You should only undertake expansion in circumstances that do not do damage to your core brand identity.
Given the fact that line expansion has proved to be the wrong way to go, an alternative route that has been tried is to launch Sub Brands.
However, these can be risky………………….
Law 13) The Law of Sub Brands
Take Holiday Inn.
Good Brand, well-established, loyal customer base.
Having taken the decision to expand and launch an upmarket hotel offering they went along the sub brand route.
The result: Holiday Inn Crown Plaza.
You see what they were trying to do?
Unfortunately, it simply didn’t work!
The clientele, accustomed as they were to a dependable level of experience, at an acceptable price, didn’t warm to the concept of paying more money for plusher surroundings!
Surveys revealed that the customer thought the pricing was a bit steep for a few nights at what was, in their opinion, essentially a tarted-up Holiday Inn.
So, the brand once lauded as the “Nations Innkeeper” went back to the drawing board and then relaunched its upmarket hotel chain under an entirely different brand identity!
Conclusion. If you want to succeed in the creation of additional brands, make them distinct!
Image: ihg
Law 14) The Law of Siblings
Like adult siblings pursuing their own lives, each brand should stand out in its own right and on its own merits
The publishing brand, Time Inc. understood and successfully adopted this “family approach”.
When they launched their business magazine, they called it Fortune. Now a well-respected read for the discerning entrepreneur!
What they didn’t brand it as was Business Time or Time for Business.
Similarly, when launching Sports Illustrated, the illustrious “must-read” for all sporting types, they resisted any temptation to go for Sports Time-(although I wonder if Sports Watch might have done the trick-sorry😆)
Law 15) The Law of Borders
International growth allows you to expand without undermining or diluting the power of your brand.
At last, an expansion strategy that does not have the potential to weaken your Brand.
Stick with your original (and best-no doubt) Brand offering but introduce it to overseas markets!
Risk-free as far as Brand Integrity is concerned. Just watch it go!!!!
Law 16) The Law of Shape
This law is the one concerned with Logo’s
A key component of any good Brand, some Logo’s are an integral part of our everyday lives. My kids recognised the yellow M of Mcdonald’s before they could talk!
Research has shown that when a logo is formed of a distinctive horizontal shape it is at its most effective. This is because it best fits the eyes of the person viewing it.
More specifically, to achieve the maximum visual effect, aim for dimensions around 2.25 units wide and 1 unit tall.
Avis, the car rental Brand is a perfect example of this.
Another key component to consider is typography.
Yes, it’s tempting to plump for heavily stylized lettering, but you run the risk of losing logo legibility.
It’s best practice to let the letters themselves do the work of making your Logo look great. Keep it as simple as possible.
Interestingly some of the best brands have been paring back their lettering in recent months. See VW and Audi as examples.
Law 17) The Law of Colour
Your choice of colour when launching a brand is a serious consideration.
It’s a first come first served situation, so the leaders in any market sector have the pick of the pastel, so to speak.
If you have this luxury, it’s a good idea to match your Brand colouring to your particular market sector or category.
Renewable Energy-Green
Health foods-Light Brown (or nutty)!
Healthcare-White
Luxury Brands-Purple
You get the idea?
Coca Cola getting in on the act first chose Red (obviously) to go with the hue of its beverage.
When Pepsi joined the fray, it was forced to go to great lengths to get its colour right!
We are all fine with the Pepsi Blue now, but it was hardly a walk in the park for them at the beginning.
Law 18) The Law of the Name
Brand names should be short, unique, meaningful, and different from the parent company name.
Arriving at a good Brand name is a vitally important step. In fact, it is pretty much the most important!
What you call your “baby” will shape how the world perceives your Brand!
Xerox is not quite so famous perhaps as it once was, but it’s stood the test of time. Since 1959 – 62 years!!! Xerox has been leading the pack in the photocopier market. It’s had its battles but it’s still up there and a good chunk of that success must be credited to its unique and memorable moniker!
(It’s been a name that has fascinated me since I was a kid!!!!)
Law 19) The Law of the Generic
This states that companies which settle on a generic name are doomed to failure.
(You couldn’t accuse Xerox of being generic)
The best way of illustrating this law is to point out some of the best brand names-in no particular order.
Nike
McDonalds
Walmart
Subway
Red Bull
L’Oreal
Lexus
Google
Avis
Exxon
Starbucks
Not a single generic name tag among them, and I haven't even included Amazon!
Contrast that to the likes of Natures Best, Natures Answer, and Natures Secret, all health food brands, and you see the problem.
None of them stand out from the others.
Consider Budget. A label that distinguishes this Car Rental Firm by encapsulating its ethos. A simple word is taken out of its normal context and elevated to a Great Brand Name.
Law 20) The Law of The Company
This law states that the name of the Parent Company and its Brand should be held apart to avoid confusion.
Proctor & Gamble does this very effectively. They label their products boldly with the brand and the P&G is quietly but reassuringly printed somewhere inconspicuous.
Have a look at the packaging on Ariel, Bounty, Fairy, Febreze, Gillette, Head and Shoulders, Oral B, and Pantene, to name but a few and you’ll see what I mean.
Law 21) The Law of Change
Reinventing a brand is only possible in the rarest cases.
If it’s all gone belly up, and your Brand has spectacularly crashed, then you might have to do something more drastic after all.
If it’s no longer cutting the mustard, or simply not doing it in the marketplace anymore you probably have no choice!
You’ve hit rock bottom.
The only way is up now.
Start over!
But do it right!
Read the market and the prevailing trends and react accordingly.
Do not do a Kodak!
In the face of a rapidly growing digital photography phenomenon, Kodak still thought that film would have its place. They, therefore, saw fit to invest inordinate sums of money in a new system APS.
The system required photo shops to install new equipment to the tune of £ millions.
The result was inevitable!!!!
I’m a camera buff (and old enough) so I remember APS (Advanced Photo System). I never used it.
Law 22) The Law of Mortality
Brands have a lifecycle, and in the end, they die.
In a way we’ve covered this already with Kodak.
Even if you can successfully evolve a brand you can’t do it forever.
Inevitably new and improved technology comes along, revolutionizes entire industries, and what once was the best of the best becomes a sad and sorry discarded memory (A nostalgic one if you’re lucky!!!!)
That’s how it is.
So, maximise your Brand while the going is good!
To sum up:
What this is really saying, I hope, is that perception really is everything!
It’s how the market sees you that matters!
Simply put, the Best Brands realise that to achieve maximum success you have to understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Great Branding is Narrow in Focus.
Great Branding Maintains Consistency.
Great Branding Stands Out.
Great Branding Makes a Lasting Impression.
Great Branding is Unique.
Perception is everything!
Image: Rolex
For further in-depth study, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al Ries and Laura Ries, is the definitive guide and authority on these precepts.
Published in 1998, it remains very applicable and relevant today.