Brand Corporate Identity - Task 1

24.04.2024 - 08.05.2024 (Week 1 - Week 3)

Amirah Akbar Ali / 0361001

Brand Corporate Identity 

Bachelor of Design in Creative Media 

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LECTRURE

First week of class Ms Lilian introduced us briefly through the MIB for this semester. She begin to also brief on our Task 1 and Task 2 so that we can prepare on what to delegate in our tasks.

LECTURE 1 - Introduction

What is BRAND?

Branding is the process of creating a unique identity and image for a product, service, or company in the minds of consumers. It involves developing a distinct name, logo, design, and messaging that sets the brand apart from competitors. Effective branding not only makes a memorable impression but also communicates the company's values, mission, and promise to its customers.

Key elements of branding include:

1. Brand Identity: The visible elements of a brand, such as color, design, and logo, that distinguish the brand in consumers' minds.
2. Brand Positioning: The strategic process of defining how a brand is perceived in comparison to competitors, often articulated through a brand's unique value proposition.
3. Brand Equity: The value and strength of the brand that results from consumers' positive perceptions and experiences with it.
4. Brand Loyalty: The extent to which consumers repeatedly purchase a brand's products or services, often influenced by their positive experiences and emotional connections to the brand.
5. Brand Communication: The various channels and methods used to convey the brand's message, including advertising, social media, public relations, and packaging.

Branding is essential for building customer recognition, fostering trust, and establishing a loyal customer base. It helps businesses communicate their story and values, differentiate from competitors, and ultimately drive sales and growth.

History of BRANDING: 

Branding and labelling have an ancient history.A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers.Brands are used in business, marketing and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and store value as brand equity for the object identified, to the benefit of the brand's customers, its owners and shareholders. 

Branding probably began with the practice of branding livestock to deter theft. Images of the branding of cattle occur in ancient Egyptian tombs dating to around 2,700 BCE. Over time, purchasers realised that the brand provided information about origin as well as about ownership, and could serve as a guide to quality.

Fig 1.0: By H. Dressel (1845—1920) - Unknown source, Public Domain

Fig 1.1: By Museo Civico Goffredo Bellini, CC BY-SA 3.0

BRANDING Evolution:

The evolution of branding from product identification to immersive experiences reflects broader changes in society, technology, and consumer behaviour In this journey, the most successful brands adapt and innovate, finding new ways to connect with their audiences on a deeper, more personal level.

Example of BRANDS:

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LECTURE 2 - Brand

What is BRAND Identity ?

Brands are often expressed in the form of logos and graphic representations of the brand.

It refers to the unique characteristics that influence a brand’s perceived personality, appearance, and behavior. A brand’s identity encompasses tangible and intangible elements, including its history, name, personality, and visual identity.To understand brand identity, it helps to think about what comprises a person’s identity. Individuals are a combination of elements such as their name, origins, personality, values, beliefs, story, and physique. Brand identity works similarly.

What is Corporate brand identity?

Brand identity is a collection of individual components, such as a name, a design, a set of images, a slogan, a vision, writing style, a particular font or a symbol etc. which sets the brand aside from others.

 For a company to display a strong sense of brand identity, it must have an in-depth understanding of its target market, competitors and the surrounding business environment.

Brand identity includes both the core identity and the extended identity.

The core identity reflects consistent long-term associations with the brand; whereas the extended identity involves the intricate details of the brand that help generate a constant motif.

Why is it important to define a clear BRAND Identity?

Companies often overlook the importance of creating a well-defined brand identity as part of their overall marketing strategy, but it’s a crucial step.

Constructing a brand identity is an opportunity to personify a brand, bring it to life, and establish strong emotional connections with its audience.

By creating a unique and distinguishable identity, a brand can differentiate itself from its competitors and build a lasting reputation.

A clearly defined brand identity brings several benefits, such as:

• Uniqueness: A deep understanding of a brand’s unique qualities and how it sets itself apart from competitors.
• Personification and emotional connection: An opportunity to build an emotional connection with target audiences.
• Consistency: Consistent communication and marketing efforts can lead to better brand recognition.
• Clarity: A distinction between core, unchanging brand elements and ones that can evolve.

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LECTURE 3 - Type and Mark

Each type of mark plays a unique role in building a brand's identity and can be chosen based on what best represents the company's image and values.

Several terms used to describe symbolic marks:

• logo
• monogram
• Heraldry
• mark
• letter
• hieroglyph
• ideogram
• token
• badge
• stamp
• trademark

1. Logo: A graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark, or abbreviation, often uniquely designed for ready recognition. 

2. Monogram: A motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol, commonly used as a recognisable emblem.

3. Heraldry: A system by which coats of arms and other bearings are devised, described, and regulated. Often used to create symbols with historical significance.

              

4. Mark: A broad term referring to any sign, symbol, or logo that distinguishes a product or brand in the marketplace.

5. Letter: A single character from an alphabet used in logos or monograms, often stylized to represent a brand.

6. Hieroglyph: A character of the ancient Egyptian writing system. In modern usage, it can refer to any pictographic writing symbol.

7. Ideogram: A written character symbolizing the idea of a thing without indicating the sounds used to say it, such as numerals or Chinese characters.

8. Token: A symbol or sign used to represent a brand or concept, often used in the context of authenticity or validation.

9. Badge: A distinctive emblem worn as a mark of office, membership, achievement, or as a brand symbol.

10. Stamp: An official mark or seal indicating authenticity or approval, often used in branding to signify a guarantee or certification.

11. Trademark: A symbol, word, or words legally registered or established by use as representing a company or product.

These terms encompass various types of symbolic marks used in branding, each with distinct applications and connotations.

MIB 

TASK 1 - Exercise

We were assigned to work in a group of 3 to discuss on an existing brand and do an analysis writing about it. 

After choosing our group members, we decided on a fast fashion brand called ZARA.

We were given a list of what to write about and delegated our parts to breakdown parts of the sections. Everyone was assigned to continue our individual research tasks, compiling our findings into a shared document.

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A) BRAND PROFILE

1. Description
1.1 Summary Description 

1.2 Target Market/Audience 

1.3 The Offer
1.4 Specific Benefits

2. Brand Value
2.1 Retailer's Perspective

 2.2 Customer's Perspective

3. Brand Positioning
3.1 Why This Brand & Not Competition

3.2 How it positions itself towards the target market

 3.3 Who are the Competition

4. Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

B) EXPANDED BRAND PROFILE

1. Description
1.1 Founder
1.2 Location
1.3 Logo/Logo evolution

 1.4 etc

2. Benefits

3. Target Market/Audience

3.1 Geographic Segmentation 

3.2 Demographic Segmentation 3.3 Psychographic Segmentation

 3.4 Behavioural Segmentation

4. Competitive Differentiation
5. Pricing
6. Distribution

7. Brand's Positioning Statement 8. Brand's Voice

8.Brand's Voice

9. Brand's Communication Strategy

After compiling and confirming all the data as a group, we all did our respective individual slides with the information shared through the documents.

Final Submission:

Breaking Brand - Group Documents, PDF

Breaking Brand - Individual slides, PDF

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REFLECTION

FEEDBACKS:

Week 3:

Re-update the research analysis slide on ZARA brand logo which has to be  corrected. Brainstorm more on the idea for you BLOB & POT logo sketch by week 4. PLease watch the provided lecture and update your blog.

EXPERIENCE:

By working together with the group was an enriching experience, as it allowed us to combine diverse perspectives and expertise. Each member contributed unique insights into the historical context, design principles, and market impact of ZARA's logo. Individually, delving deeper into ZARA's branding strategies provided a comprehensive understanding of how the brand leverages its logo to communicate its identity and values to consumers.

OBSERVATIONS:

Through our group research on ZARA's logo and brand identity, we observed that ZARA has successfully established a strong, recognisable brand through its minimalist and elegant logo design. The logo's evolution, particularly the recent redesign in 2019, reflects the brand's adaptability and modernity while maintaining its core values of sophistication and simplicity.

FINDINGS:

For my findings, ZARA's logo is more than just a visual identifier; it is a strategic tool that reinforces the brand's positioning in the fast fashion market. The logo's clean lines and timeless font convey a sense of luxury and exclusivity, aligning with ZARA's commitment to delivering high-quality fashion at accessible prices. Furthermore, the consistency in branding across various touch points ensures a cohesive brand image, enhancing customer loyalty and recognition. This analysis underscored the importance of a well-designed logo in building and sustaining a strong brand identity in the competitive retail landscape.