Branding

Week 7

Your brand, your brands’ brand

Webcasts, ted talks, and books are devoted to the importance of creating your own personal brand and for business and organization’s there are agencies devotes to solidifying and building their brands. 

This week we listed to Rory Sutherland. He devoted a Ted Talk discussing the advertising revolution in brand identities, designing cutting-edge, interactive campaigns that blur the line between ad and entertainment.  Brand management has become one of the most critical aspects of business strategy. Brands are often a central organizing principle of successful organizations. They guide decisions and actions. 

When developing your personal branding one must remember that it is your legacy and your reputation that are on the line.  You want to control the way you are seen.  It is also important to understand how to position yourself against others.  One thing to ask yourself is – How did you get to where you are at? Did you design it or did someone direct it? Many times, you may find yourself in position that you just fell into not that you necessarily wanted.  When you think about your own brand you can stop where you are at and answer where you want to be going forward. Developing a strategy to help make decisions.  Always remember that just because you can does not mean you should. You must decide whether you want to have a reactive career or a proactive career. There can be a lot of judgment in personal branding.  It can take some time but you have to think what you stand for and what you desire. Ask yourself what your desired reputation looks like.

For businesses and non-profits every brand has a personality and character.  Branding is about open and communication with user.  People will have strong feelings about the product or company.  Successful brands need to optimistic. Consumers want to be feel good about a product and over time it even becomes apart of their personal brand.  Creating a logo is very important. Your brand could be recognized just by your logo alone. This could be what makes someone pick up a product over a different one.  Story telling and tone of voice are essential in branding. What message are you telling.  Remember, typically people don’t fall in love with companies they fall in love with the brand experiences, everything high quality products to excellent customer service. Brand recognition indicates how easy it is for audiences to identify your brand without hearing or seeing the brand name.

Traditional brands 

I love Tiffany – I can recognize the blue color and box from afar. Ironically, I have no Tiffany pieces in my jewelry box but I recognize the exquisite product and the iconic customer service. When shopping Tiffany and Co. in the Middle East you have to pass through a velvet rope and the security personnel often don white gloves, It feels luxurious.  Just this week it was announced “Lebanese superstar singer Nancy Ajram has been named Tiffany and Co.'s new brand ambassador, becoming the first Arab to hold the post.”  The iconic brand seeks out stars to represent the brand. Name recognition times two.  For the Super Bowl Tiffany and Co.  handcraft the Vince Lombardi trophy. The also craft 65 other trophies each year at the Tiffany & Co. hollowware workshop in Cumberland, Rhode Island (TCA. Feb 21, 2023).

One local brand in Colorado Springs is The Broadmoor Hotel.  In a recent article The Broadmoor, they said, "has no corporate brand, just three families passionate about a very special place."   The owners have continued to build on the legacy of Spencer Penrose with 61 years as a Forbes 5-Star Award property and the AAA Five-Diamond Award since 1979 (Navarro, 2021).  When you go to the property you understand that you are part of the culture of the west, mixed with history, and class. The experience is luxurious but friendly. They pay attention to the details whether you are an on-site guest or just stopped in for a coffee. The valets are dressed in top hat, gladly offer an elbow to assist with a step, and a golf umbrella in in climate weather. No one talk negatively about The Broadmoor in my company.

Land Rover is a very classic brand and recognized worldwide.  For decades, Land Rover and Jeep dominated the market for go-anywhere, off-road vehicles, and the luxurious Range Rover had no real competition. The Rover is king. Pop songs have sung about them, they are in 007 high speed chases and carry Indiana Jones on his adventures. That, of course, has changed, and the Range Rover especially is seeing more and more competitors inch onto its turf, as other luxury brands such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Maserati and Cadillac roll out six-figure SUVs. (Trutt, 2022) Car enthusiasts tend to be Brand snobs. Advertisers hone in on the brand identities and speak to the consumer.

When I fly on Emirates airlines, it is gives me a feeling that I am going somewhere big and great people are coming with me. It is an experience. When I see the Fly Emirates logo and tagline, I am in.   Coke is just soda but most people recognize it and have a very specific opinion about it.  Andy Warhol incorporated the brands in his art and created additional recognition.

Levi’s are just jeans but most people can relate this brand to an event or memory. I have a friend that only washes their favorite pair of Levi’s once a month to make them last longer. 

If someone talks bad about your brand it is almost as if someone is insulting them and they will adamantly defend it.

Always be aware of why you like a certain brand. We have connections to brands, and it becomes a pillar of our identity.  I love many outdoor clothing brands. But recently some became very political, and it made me like them less, which is horrible because the quality is amazing

“Patagonia has been a longtime champion for environmental issues, so in the most recent election cycle, it endorsed four senatorial candidates from Arizona, Maine, North Carolina, and Montana who were “over whelmingly focused on taking the climate and ecological crisis seriously” (Morse, 2020).

Not sure how that makes me feel as a consumer.

But I can speak with my wallet if I need to change.  

References

Nancy Ajram Becomes Tiffany & Co.'s First Arab Brand Ambassador. TCA Regional News, Feb 21, 2023 

Morse, B. (2020, December 22). Patagonia’s Guide to Politics. Inc, 42(5), 18.

Navarro, L. (2021). How the Broadmoor Became 'the Grande Dame of the Rockies'. TCA News Service, Dec 16, 2021.

Truett, R. (2022). Off-Road Rovering Builds Customer Loyalty: Land Rover Retailer Gives Customers Chance to Play on Rough Terrain. Automotive News 97, no. 7063 (Nov 07, 2022): 15.