Branding
Fri 25th Sept 2020
What is a Brand?
Source:https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/brands
A brand is a name given to a product and/or service such that it takes on an identity by itself. A Brand name can create and stand for loyalty, trust, faith, premium ness or mass-market appeal, depending on how the brand is marketed, advertised and promoted. A Brand differentiates a product form similar other products and enables it to charge a higher premium, in return for a clear identity and greater faith in its function. A Brand is also likely to survive linger than just an undifferentiated product.
Each brand has its own instinct brand that as soon as people see the brand they know what company it belongs too. For example Apple, Apple is one of the most successful brands of our generation. Everyone has either thought about getting an apple product or even own a apple product. Everyone has heard of their brand and they associate it with high-end products, unique design and bright stores. Another instinct brand is coco-cola, this company has its branding everywhere and with that from the beginning of the company coco-cola have always had strong marketing and a strong advert. This has carried the company through numerous decades and has made them one of the most recognisable companies out there.Moving on the next main company is Starbucks, Starbucks is well known to produce a lovely cup of coffee and with that they have a strong logo too. The logo can be identified from a mile away the instinct circular shape and green colouring makes it hard to miss. Starbucks really emphasise the classy design, cosy atmosphere, custom-made coffee and fast service. Finally, we have Zara, the company has succeeded in taking over the competitive market with the secret of copying high-end fashion and making it affordable for customers they entertain. Each shop is designed to be free and open therefore providing the customers with a real luxury feel.
My Own Brand
My own brand is an interesting one because there are so many areas that I am interesting in exploring. But there is one main area and that is reselling high end shoes and clothes. I have recently got into this and oh my is it exciting. The rush you feel when waiting to see if you have been awarded the shoe or not is amazing. The reason I have decided to further my knowledge into this area and create my own brand. Is because I see so many new upcoming small companies doing the exact same I am but I have no brand to label myself with. This is why I have decided to create my own company using the recourses I create on this section of my course. I want to create my own brand because it is something I am interested in when it comes to the future. When I am older I look to create my own company in the area of graphic design, I see myself using this brand as experience and an understanding of what it is like to create my own company. Also lets me see the potential mistakes that can be Made and how I can avoid them when it comes to creating my own company in the future. Furthermore it will help me to understand how to please the client/customer as at the end of the day they are the ones who are going to spread the word about my brand. Also if I provide them with a good customer service they would feel happy to come back to me again.
Target Audience
For my brand I aim to please as many people as possible, but as we know not everyone is going to have the same love for what my brand will be displaying. Therefore making a target audience will provide me with a smaller amount of people that I can aim to please. My target audience is aimed at people aged 16+, and I know your probably thinking well this isn't really a in depth look at the target audience. But my reason behind choosing this Is because as soon as I get a high end shoe for example the price of this shoe almost doubles instantly. Therefore making it harder to find people who actually want to buy the shoe for this price. This is where the target audience comes into play, most 16 year old have jobs and most 16 year olds like to own expensive things, therefore they have a need to own expensive shoes, for example the shoes that I am selling. They look at the shoe and think I really like that shoe I'll see if I have the money to buy it and if they do I have a 50/50 chance of selling them the shoe I have. Furthermore the reselling business is up and coming, meaning a lot more people are using it to make money. But in this madness there are collectors of the shoes that I am selling, these people can be from any age above 16, normally the older portion of my target audience have more money which means they will spend the money to get the higher end products. As well as each shoe doubling in profit straight from receiving the shoe, overtime the shoe gains value for example last year there was a shoe that released at £175, this shoe to date is now priced at £2000, and I know your probably wondering who would ever spend this much on a shoe but there are people out there who do and that is why my target audience is ranged from people aged 16 and above.
Competitors
Unlike many other brands I could have decided to create, this area of brands doesn't have a high amount of well known reselling brands, below is 3 reselling brands that I have found via instagram. As you can see each of brands has their own logo and short description of what their brand entails. This would be the layout that I would pursue but obviously change the logo into mine and make my own short description. With smaller brands like this it gives me the opportunity to grow my own brand and hopefully have similar amount of customers as these pages do below. The bottom image shows a reselling brand that I am currently involved with, therefore it has given me knowledge on how to run a successful reselling brand as well as answering any customers needs and concerns when it comes to each shoe. What I like about each brand is that their logo is easy to read and easy to distinguish what brand is what. This is a key component I want to include in my new brand design, I want people to be able to tell that this is my brand and they know whenever they come to my page they are going to get treated with respect and know that all information shared will be kept secure.
What are brand style guidelines?
Source:https://venngage.com/blog/brand-style-guide/
A brand style guide is a rule book containing specifications on everything that plays a role in the look and feel of your brand–everything from typography and color to logos and imagery. It lets everyone know exactly how to present your brand to the world. It guides the design for all your content, from blog posts and presidential office spaces and business cards.
Why are they important to brands?
Source:https://www.forbes.com/sites/propointgraphics/2016/07/24/brand-style-guides/#607341d861a5
A brand style communicates a companies design to their whole organisation. Having this document to reference for expected standards wake the designers life a lot easier, it will provide them with a solid framework to use as a starting point for their work. Style guiders can be support marketing initiatives by ensuring all messaging is relevant and related to your brand's goals. Referencing a brand style guides ensures that content distinguishes a brand from its competitors, and is cohesive. This cohesion is important because it helps establish a strong brand voice that resonates with the audience, that the company have obtained.