Eight principles of branding

By Nick Foley, Landor

Successful brands are anchored in propositions that are desirable, distinctive, and credible in people’s minds. As Walter Landor once said: “Products are built in the factory, brands are created in the mind.” Following are eight pieces of advice that anyone working with a competitive identity will want to keep top of mind—a conversation starter. These concepts are key to developing a bond with consumers, which is the essence of branding.

1 Stand out
Having a differentiated, relevant product is critical to success. Distinctive branding stems from clear brand positioning—knowing who the brand targets, what the competition is and how to beat it.

2 Stake your claim
The majority of leading brands got where they are by staking out a distinct territory and capitalizing on it. The ultimate measure of success? Discovering that your brand name is generic for its category, like Band-Aid, Google, Kleenex, or Xerox.

3 Find the insight
Sometimes the simple difference at the core of a brand is an obvious universal truth that no one has acted on. Great insights couple human need or desire with a market opportunity.

4 Keep your promise
Brands that resonate strongly with consumers are typically motivated by the desire to exceed expectations. Living up to your word not only builds brand loyalty, it also encourages word-of-mouth promotion.

5 Get emotional
However important rational claims may be, they cannot touch the powerful connection created by anchoring a brand in the psyche of the consumer. Nor can emotional ties be easily replicated by competitors.

6 Begin at home
An engaged and passionate workforce should not be overlooked as a highly effective mechanism for driving brand awareness. Firms that empower their employees to carry out the brand promise develop a network of passionate brand advocates.

7 Own your media
Relying on your own media to carry your message not only makes great financial sense, it also speaks to customers more directly than advertising can. This is an area that your competitors can neither access nor influence.

8 Start a dialogue
Old-world marketing involves a one-way flow of information from brand to consumer. Today’s savvy brands open the door for two-way communication through digital platforms and interactive experiences that help consumers bond with and even influence the products and services they favor.


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