Introduction: Theatre of branding.
Branding does not have an ornamental aspect; it is the costume that businesses do to reenact their identity. Since the judgment of the audience is done within seconds, branding turns out to be the impression, the loudest voice, and the most memorable performance. Whereas professionalism is mumbled in common businesses, personality is melodramatized by unusual bosses. Branding is a necessity, therefore, it is not an option.
Weird bosses do not rest on their laurels to be invisible, but they make themselves bad. Hence, the fundamentals of branding do not consist of rules, their fundamentals consist of theatre.
Basic One: Establish Your Brand Personality.
Since identity is a source of belonging, any brand has to dramatize personality. Odd bosses overstate values instead of being behind products. Therefore, consumers flock around brands that are eccentric, theatrical and true to life.
Even though personality might be a concept that is very abstract, it is the basis of branding. Thus, companies need to determine their identity prior to making up their minds on what to sell.
Basic 2: Design an Unforgettable Logo.
Since visuals affect the feeling immediately, logos are turned into costumes. A logo is not a mere mark, it is an identity. This means that logos are easily remembered by the audiences even before they can remember product details.
The common logos dissolve, whereas strange logos remain. Thus, companies need to come up with logos that make personality more dramatic and magnified.
Basic Three: Select Colors Selectively.
Since perception is determined by color psychology, palettes make emotion dramatic. Blue brings in trust, red exaggerates urgency and green brings about growth. Therefore, colours are costumes that are put on by the audience in their minds.
Victorian colors can be looked at as something basic, but they have cultural significance. Hence, companies should select colors with care in order to theatrically represent identity.
Basic Four: Basic Typography as a Voice.
Since fonts create a dramatic effect of tone, typography is the voice of the brand. The screaming fonts are rebellious and the whispering fonts are elegant. Therefore, typography turns words into theatre.
Typography enlarges personality even though it has not gained much attention. As such, companies need to select fonts, which highlight their values.
The common logos dissolve, whereas strange logos remain. Thus, companies need to come up with logos that make personality more dramatic and magnified.
Basic Five: Not Facts, But Stories.
Dramatizing narrative is a must because emotion gets exaggerated in a story. Consumers do not recall specifications, they recall cinema. Storytelling, therefore, makes products an experience.
Whereas facts inform, stories hypnotize. As such, companies have to develop stories that romanticize their mission.
Basic Six: Be Consistent through the Platforms.
Due to repetition creating recognition, consistency increases the trust. Logos, colors, fonts presented on platforms warn the audience. This means that the customers trust the brand.
Even though inconsistency is chaotic, consistency is stable. As such, companies should have design and communication throughout all channels.
Basic Seven: Estound with the Oddity.
Shock impairs the brain, And weird branding lives on shock. Due to the expectation of routine by the audiences, strange bosses present strangeness. An example of this is the eccentric packaging or the loudness of advertisements, which enhances the memory of the product. As a result, the strangeness turns into authenticity, and loyalty turns into authenticity.
Oddness is controversial, but it is remembered. Thus, the oddness has to be adopted strategically by business.
Basic Eight: Develop Emotional bond.
Trust Through Design
Due to the power of emotion, design turns into the source of trust.
Authenticity as Magnet
Strange branding is real and reality makes contact.
Basic Nine: Build Brand
Storytelling Cross-Channel.
Social Media as Stage
Due to the amplification of reach through platforms, identity has to be dramatized in all places.
Content as Costume
All the posts, captions and campaigns are a part of the costume.
Basic Ten: Develop without Forgetting Who You Are.
Adaptation as Survival
Due to the dynamic markets, brands have to change.
Consistency in Evolution
Even though there is need to evolve it, identity should be identifiable.
Case Studies: The Basics of Branding in Practice.
Spotify: Sound as Identity
Spotify romanticized power by using loud green graphics and lighthearted motion graphics. Due to the recognition magnification through consistency, the audience believed in the brand as the universal soundtrack.
Airbnb: Identity of Belonging.
Airbnb romanticized community by its logo, Belo. Given that travel brands typically whisper in the logistics, Airbnb screamed belonging. The audiences, therefore, believed in the brand as a cultural movement.
Mailchimp: Quirk as Identity
Mailchimp overdramatized humor using hand-drawn illustrations and a yellow heavy palette. The fact that oddness increased the sensation of authenticity made audiences believe that the brand was friendly.
IKEA: Simplicity as Identity
IKEA sensationalized the accessibility using bright blue and yellow pictures. IKEA screamed simplicity, as the furniture brands usually murmur luxury. Thus, the viewers believed that the brand was helpful and effective.
Netflix: Drama as Identity
Netflix made the entertainment iconic with its red N. Since minimalism enhanced the effect of suspense, it is likely that the audience could rely on the brand as a worldwide platform to narrate stories.
The Structure: How to Implement Branding Fundamentals.
Define Personality First – Since branding has to dramatize values, begin with identity.
Logos That Stick Designs That, as logos are costumes, they must be unforgettable.
Apply the Rule of Color Psychology Wisely; thus, match colors and emotions.
Select Typography as Voice – Due to the dramatization of tone in fonts, be careful in choice.
Bold Storytelling – As such, the stories put people under hypnosis.
Be Consistent on Platforms– Since recognition is gained through repetition.
Use Oddness Strategically –Thus, unexpectedness enhances memorability.
Dangers of Forgetting the Basics of Branding.
- Excessive inconsistency is unintelligent.
- Generic images are non-existent.
- The wrong use of colors or fonts conveys a negative message.
The Odd Boss Philosophy:
Branding as Empire.
Bizarre bosses do not seek invisibility. On the contrary, they romanticize rebellion. Safe branding is predictable but odd branding is alive. Since humans are guided by energy, spectacle is empire.
The fundamentals of branding do not become failure. They are strategy. They are rebellion. They are theatre. When companies become quirky, they cease to talk in whispers and begin to dictate.
Summary: The Things to Know about Branding that Every Business Must Know.
Mission statements do not stick in the minds of audiences, rather, it is the logos. They do not repeat product specifications in their head, they repeat the drama of branding. The fundamentals of branding give you the thunderclap that shakes memory, the lightning bolt that burns itself into imagination, the tidal wave that sweeps away conformity, the earthquake that cracks open tradition, and the wildfire that burns out mediocrity.
Whenever companies adopt the principles of branding, they do not brand, they hypnotize. They do not simply convince, they have. They do not merely inform but they spark.
Branding is not decoration. It is the weapon. It is the crown. It is the empire.
