Brand Corporate Identity - Task 2

 

08.05.2024 - 29.05.2024 (Week 3 - Week 6)

Amirah Akbar Ali / 0361001

Brand Corporate Identity 

Bachelor of Design in Creative Media 

Lecture 04 | Brand Ideals

A brand ideal represents a higher purpose for a brand or organization that extends beyond the products and services they offer. It is the inspirational reason for the brand's existence and serves as a larger goal. The most effective leadership team operates with a shared intention, as this unity is essential for connecting with the target market. An ideal is an ongoing process.

Brand values foster genuine engagement and guide a brand toward achieving better status with consumers. These values act as a "true north," steering the brand toward market success. Therefore, they should be consistently maintained and followed. Effective brand values resonate with consumers' ideologies while aligning with the brand's passions.

"A brand ideal is a higher purpose of a brand or organisation that goes beyond the products or services they sell."

Every brand's ideal is based on its principles. Values are regarded as a brand's cornerstone. It makes it possible for the brand to achieve its goals. Some examples of ideals include:

• Vision
• Having a vision takes courage and the ability to think creatively. It's not enough to just have ideas; action must follow. A clear vision is crucial for defining a brand's identity.
• Meaning
• Meaning develops over time and isn't usually immediate. Designers need to visually translate this meaning so it can be easily understood and communicated.
• Authenticity
• Authenticity involves knowing a brand's identity, strengths, and expression. Authentic brands are trusted by customers because they feel genuine and reliable.
• Differentiation
• Brands constantly compete for consumers' attention and loyalty. It's important not just to be different, but to stand out significantly from the competition.
• Sustainability
• Sustainability means maintaining longevity in a constantly changing environment, adapting to future changes that can't be predicted. 
• Coherence
• A brand should feel familiar to consumers, which helps build trust, loyalty, and satisfaction.
• Flexibility
• An effective brand identity allows a company to adapt and grow with inevitable changes.
• Commitment
• Everyone interacting with the brand should be fully motivated and dedicated to its success.
• Value
• The brand's outcomes must support its sustainability. A brand is an intangible asset that holds significant value.

Lecture 05 | Positioning

Brand positioning involves placing a brand in the minds of consumers, often referred to as positioning strategy, brand strategy, or brand positioning statement. While some argue that strategy refers to a long-term plan that influences a brand's positioning, the essence remains the same.

Strategies for Effective Brand Positioning:

1. Compete Directly with Market Leaders: Aim to outperform the leading brands by excelling in their domain. This is viable in markets without a clear leader but requires substantial time and resources. An example is the rivalry between Pepsi and Coke.
2. Target a Niche Market: Focus on a specific segment within a larger market that is underserved. Catering to these unmet needs can create a strong position.
3. Reframe the Market: Use new terminology to make competitors' highlighted benefits seem irrelevant or dull. This approach works best for innovative products or services.
4. Be a Market Disruptor: Introduce a completely new market category. Examples include Uber and Xerox. The challenge here is that competitors might quickly copy the idea before the brand is firmly established.

To create a successful positioning strategy, a brand's uniqueness must be identified. Some questions that can be asked include:

• Who are you?
• What do you do?
• Why does it matter?

Steps to Clarify Brand Positioning:

1. Assess Current Positioning: Understand how the brand is currently perceived.
2. Identify Competitors: Recognize the direct competitors in the market.
3. Analyze Competitor Positioning: Determine how each competitor positions their brand.
4. Find Your Uniqueness: Compare the brand’s positioning with competitors to find what makes it unique.
5. Develop a Unique Value Proposition: Create a distinct and value-based positioning idea.
6. Create a Positioning Statement: Craft a clear brand positioning statement.
7. Test the Positioning Statement: Evaluate the effectiveness of the brand positioning statement.

Essential Elements of a Positioning Statement:

• Target Consumer: Define the key characteristics and demographics of the target market.
• Market Definition: Identify the category your brand competes in and its relevance to consumers.
• Brand Promise: Highlight the most compelling benefit your brand offers compared to the competition.
• Reason to Believe: Provide strong evidence that your brand delivers on its promise.

After answering all four questions, craft the positioning statement:

"For [target market], [company] is the [market definition] that delivers [brand promise] because [company] is [reason to believe]."

INSTRUCTION

Fig 1: MIB

Task 2 (A): Logo Research & Analysis

For Task 2, we were assigned to find do an analysis on 28 existing logos/Brand.

Here are the Logos/Brands i have chosen for this analysis:

1. Amazon
2. Apple
3. Burger King
4. Converse
5. Krispy Kreme
6. Lacoste
7. Lays
8. Baskin Robins
9. Pepsi
10. Adidas
11. Cotton On
12. Walt Disney
13. Onitsuka Tiger
14. Rom&nd
15. NARS
16. Sephora
17. Royce
18. Loréal
19. Ferrari
20. Shein
21. Nivea
22. Kelloggs
23. Reddit
24. Spotify
25. UniQlo
26. Colgate
27. Daiso
28. Kaison

 

  Fig 1.2: 28 Logo Analysis, slide,PDF

Task 2 (B): Logo Design

Ms Lilian instructed us to brainstorm and list three ideas for our brand. Below are the prompts we were asked to use for this exercise:

 

1. Your career / business

• Ceramic / Pottery studio
• Art Therapy
• Florist Greenhouse

2. What service(s) / product(s) are you providing?

 

2.1 Ceramic/ Pottery studio

• Product: Production of ceramic
  

• Service: Conducting a pottery class
  

• Selling: Marketing sculpture tools and quality clays
  

• Target audience: Art and craft enthusiasts
  

2.2 Art Therapy

• Service: Painting/ art & craft classes
  

• Product: Canvases and art supplies
  

• Selling: paintings
  

• Target Audience: kids age 7 - adults age 50’s
  

2.3 Florist Greenhouse

• Service: Painting/ art & craft classes
  

• Product: Canvases and art supplies

• Selling: paintings
  

• Target Audience: kids age 7 - adults age 50’s

3. How do you differentiate yourself from others? (uniqueness of career) 

Most of my idea of career options has the similarity of hands-on craft and skills along with a service to create and bond with people and allow anyone to express their artistic side in the free space provided.

4. Who will be interested in your product(s) or service(s)?

• The target audience that I am aiming for would be anyone from all ages. 

• Art Enthusiast

• Young children

5. Name & Rationale

 

1. Art Therapy

Art therapy leverages the therapeutic potential of creative expression to support mental health and well-being. By engaging in artistic activities, individuals can explore and communicate their feelings, thoughts, and experiences in a non-verbal manner. This process can help uncover and address underlying emotional issues, reduce stress, and foster self-awareness and personal growth. Art therapy can be particularly beneficial for those who struggle with traditional talk therapies, providing a safe and supportive environment for self-exploration and healing.

 

2. Pottery Studio

 A pottery studio offers a hands-on, immersive experience that promotes creativity, mindfulness, and fine motor skills. Working with clay provides a tactile and meditative experience that can be both relaxing and rewarding. The process of shaping, glazing, and firing pottery pieces allows individuals to express their creativity, improve their concentration, and achieve a sense of accomplishment. Moreover, pottery studios foster a sense of community, as participants can share techniques, ideas, and inspiration, making it an ideal space for social interaction and collaborative learning.

 

3. Florist Greenhouse

A florist greenhouse creates an inviting and tranquil environment where individuals can connect with nature and engage in the art of floral design. The greenhouse setting allows for the cultivation and arrangement of a wide variety of plants and flowers, offering therapeutic benefits such as reduced stress and improved mood. The act of nurturing plants and creating floral arrangements can enhance creativity, provide a sense of accomplishment, and improve overall well-being. Additionally, a florist greenhouse can serve as a hub for community engagement, educational workshops, and the promotion of sustainable gardening practices.

Final Decision:

1. Pottery studio
   

• Product: Production of ceramics/ pottery
• Service:Conducting a pottery class
• Selling: Marketing sculpture tools and quality clays
• Target audience: Art and craft enthusiasts
• Brand Name: Blob & Pot

Mindmap breakdown:

Fig 1.3: Mindmap

Idea Sketch:

       

Fig 1.4-1.7: Logo ketches

Digitisation:

Fig 1.8: Digitise Logo 1

Fig 1.9: Digitise Logo 2

Fig 2: Digitise Logo 3

Fig 2.1: Digitise Logo 4

Fig 2.2: Digitise Logo 5

Final Submission:

 

  Fig 2.3: Blob & Pot, Task 2, PDF

 

  Fig 2.4: Blob & Pot, GIF

FEEDBACK

WEEK 4:

Sketch more on the idea of the logo. Perhaps by exploring the composition of the font and the word 'BLOB' to create a balanced logo design. After deciding the final idea of sketch, proceed to digitising the logo in black and white.

WEEK 5:

Although your exploration is very focused, essentially there is only one idea. Even if said idea is somewhat altered by removing ‘pot’ between hands of mascot and another iteration which is to

place mascot on pottery wheel. Overall, the wordmark ‘POT’ must have the same attention as the wordmark ‘BLOB’ as your brand name is both BLOB & POT. Hence, do considering choosing other more heavier san serif typefaces (ie. thicker strokes, bolder family, etc.) to be placed alongside ‘BLOB’ lettering to balance it off. Will work with digital version 2 (no pot between mascot hands). Do consider making top of mascot more POT like (creating cleaner form without lumpy bulges to visualise the ‘POT’ idea that the mascot can eventually become hence a combination form for the mascot). Consider where the ‘&’ can go as your brandname is blob AND pot. Also the type setting for the word ‘STUDIO’ needs better consideration. It’s almost as if you are tying to hide it? It should be visible, scaled with proportions of brandmark in consideration but be less forward than the brandname ‘BLOB & POT’.

WEEK 6:

Find a more suitable typeface for the word " and POT". Explore the different type family on your chosen typeface. Try not to hide the wordmark 'STUDIO'. Create about 2-3 choices of colour scheme to avoid confusion. Complete the PDF construct slides for the final logo and create  a GIF of your logo.

REFLECTION

Observation:

This subject involves a meticulous analysis of 28 different existing logos, each representing a distinct brand identity. This analysis required a deep dive into the visual elements, such as colour schemes, typography, shapes, and overall design principles, to understand how they communicate the brand’s values, ethos, and market positioning. Section B shifted from analysis to creation, where I embarked on developing my own brand logo. This process included initial sketches, digital refinement, and the creation of a dynamic GIF to showcase the logo's versatility.

Experience:

In my experience of analysing 28 logos was profoundly educational. Each logo served as a case study, revealing the subtle yet powerful ways brands establish their identities and connect with their audiences. Through this analysis, I developed a keen eye for design elements that effectively convey a brand's message and differentiate it from competitors. Transitioning to Section B, the creative process was both challenging and exhilarating. Starting with sketches allowed for freeform exploration of ideas, which were then meticulously digitised to refine the design. The final step of creating a GIF added an interactive dimension, demonstrating how the logo adapts and responds in various contexts.

Findings:

From the analysis Task 2 Section A, I found that successful logos share common traits: simplicity, memorability, and relevance to the brand’s core values. Logos like Apple’s and Nike’s are iconic due to their minimalistic yet powerful designs. In Section B, the practical task of creating my own brand logo underscored the importance of iterative design. Initial sketches often led to new insights and refinements during digitisation. Additionally, the creation of a GIF highlighted the significance of flexibility in logo design, ensuring it remains effective across different mediums and applications. Overall, the combination of analytical and creative tasks enriched my understanding of brand identity, emphasising the strategic role of logo design in branding.