This is the first of a three part series of discussions from the reading of “Designing Brand Identity” by Alina Wheeler. The first section of the book explains what brands and branding are and what goes into them.

A number of components go into creating a successful a brand, the following are a few of the more important ones.

Positioning Statement
“Positioning breaks through barriers of over-saturated markets to create new opportunities.” - Lissa Reidel, Marketing Consultant

Positioning is about businesses showing what they have to offer over other companies.

Positioning Examples
Henry Ford told customers they could have any color car they wanted, as long as it was black. Then General Motors came along and offered an array of colors and took Ford’s customers away. General Motors positioned itself above Ford by giving the customers something that Ford either wouldn’t or couldn’t.

Staying on Message
When creating a brand, it is important to be consistent between what your company is about and does and what the brand says about what your company is about and does.  Names and Taglines can help to keep messages congruent as well as reinforce what you’re attempting to say about your business.

PRINCIPLES OF STAYING ON MESSAGE (developed by Lissa Reidel)

• Use language that resonates with meaning.
• Aim for clarity, brevity, and precision.
• Polish and cut as if you were a jeweler.
• Cut through the clutter to produce soundbites that acquire a vibrant identity whenthey are heard again and again.
• Edit out modifying phrases, adverbs, and extraneous conversational text and what remains is the distilation.

NAMES

“Just by naming a process, a level of service, or a new service feature, you are creating a valuable asset that can add to the worth of your business.” - Jim Bitetto, Keusey Tutunjian & Bitetto, PC.

Giving the right name to your company is close to the most important step in the process of branding. If the wrong name is chosen, it can hurt marketing through miscommunication or misunderstanding, create legal issues for the company, and even alienate market segments. Finding a good name is challenging but it’s better to put the work in at the beginning of the process rather than have to redo it later on.

Some qualities of effective names to consider:

• Meaningful
• Distinctive
• Future-Oriented
• Modular
• Protectable
• Positive
• Visual

TAGLINES

“Taglines sum up the sell, and the best of them evoke an emotional response.” - Jerry Selber, LevLane

Taglines are often found alongside the company logo and help reinforce the big idea. They also change more often than the logo. Taglines are usually catchy only a few words long and help viewer to remember the company.

Some essential Characteristics of taglines include:

• Short
• Differentiated from competitors
• Unique
• Easy to say and remember
• No negative connotations
• Can be protected and trademarked
• Difficult to create

Tagline Examples:
Company Tagline
Hewlett-Packard    Invent
Target                   Expect More. Pay Less
Dairy Council         Got Milk?

Using Brand Marks
“A mark should embody and imply the client’s business goals and positioning, and address the end user’s needs and wants.” - Joel Katz, Joel Katz Design Associates

Brand marks are the visual representations of the of company. The look of brand marks spans from literal to symbolic and word-driven to image-driven. Different types of identities use different types of marks,Wordmarks, Letterforms, Emblems, Pictorial Marks, Abstract/Symbolic Marks.

WORDMARKS
These marks use an acronym, the name of the company, or the name of a product to convey the brand or positioning.
Examples
Google, IKEA

LETTERFORMS
This uses a uniquely designed letterform(s) that act as a mnemonic device for a company name.
Examples
IBM, UPS

EMBLEMS
These marks use a pictorial element to connect the viewer with the company.
Examples
TiVo, Elmer’s Glue-All

PICTORIAL MARKS
These marks use simplified, stylized imagery to allow viewer to recognize the company or product immediately.
Examples
Apple, Twitter

ABSTRACT/SYMBOLIC MARKS
These are symbols that convey the a big idea and are often abstract and ambiguous.
Examples
Target, Herman Miller