Member Article

Smashing Brands

Establishing a strong visual brand identity is key to the success of any business. But what is a strong brand identity and how is one achieved?

When discussing branding or corporate identity, many people think first of the logo. While a crafted, well-considered logo is of great importance, it is only one of many elements that make up a great brand identity. In fact, one of the ways of testing the effectiveness of any brand communication, be it a website, a brochure or a poster, is to cover up the logo. With the logo covered up, can you still tell who the communication is from?

This thought is sometimes expressed by the term ‘smashable’, which dates back to 1915, when the Coca-Cola company wanted a Coke bottle that would be recognized as such even after having been smashed against a wall. Think about it; if your magazine ad was ripped to shreds by your would-be customer’s three-year-old or your packaging chewed up by their pit-bull, would the soggy, sorry remains be recognizable as a piece of communication from your brand?

The word ‘identity’ is appropriate here, and ought never to be translated as simply ‘logo’. Think about the things that make up a person’s identity. I’m male, white and from North-East England. I’ve also lived in Germany and Scotland. I’m a husband and a father. I like Counting Crows (the band – I’m not an ornithologist) and Smashing Pumpkins (again, I’m referring to the band). All of these, plus a thousand other things; my political and religious views, the food I enjoy, the school I attended and the family in which I was raised, come together to form the enigma that is David Burdon.

So it is with brand identity. Brands can be soft-spoken and polite or cheeky and boisterous. They can be cold and corporate or warm and fuzzy. They can have a nationality, speak with an accent or be consciously international and inclusive. Most have a history and all have a place within the wider context of their market. These attributes and values can be expressed through the informed use of colour, typeface and typestyle, graphic elements, styling, photography, illustration, layout, format, materials, language and tone of voice.

The best branding agencies are able to help you with a bit of self-discovery by working with you to identify your brand’s most appealing personality traits. The creative work that follows, needs to harness all of the elements previously mentioned (colour, typestyle, use of photography, tone of voice etc.) to support and underpin the brand values. When done well, the result will be a ‘smashable’ visual system of communication that is uniquely yours and that expresses the very best that your brand has to offer. When done very well, it will be so appealing that no-one would ever want to smash it against a wall in the first place.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by David Burdon .