Brand Sweden: reasons to Visit Sweden.

Have you ever thought about where popular brands like H&M, Absolut Vodka and Skype come from? Well they come from a country with a name that just rolls of the tongue, Sweden. Sweden is the largest country in Northern Europe and the third largest country in Western Europe, and 53% of it is covered in forestry. In charge of the Swedish brand is an organisation called ‘Visit Sweden’. Their objective is to promote Sweden as a country and tourist destination. I often perceived the Swedes to be smug, cold, extremely self-disciplined and socially closed from what I observed on TV and in the newspapers. This might be attributed to an ancient Swedish proverb, which I found they still hold in high regard to this day, which goes “Talking is silver, silence is gold”. Here are some interesting codes of conduct I found they live by:

·         Do not look directly at another person in the eyes – Apparently doing so is considered cheeky, rude, aggressive, and sexually suggestive.

·         Do not sit next to a Swede – In the theatre, subway, bus etc. If there are empty seats , this arouses suspicion as to your intentions and is seen as an intrusion of personal space.

·         Do not greet a Swedish stranger – Swedes do not normally talk to nor do they take kindly to strangers talking to them unless it is a dire situation.

Judging by the above statements made by a Swede, it is understandable why Visit Sweden would be needed to work on changing the cold exterior that the country projects to its counterparts. A rebranding is just what the country needs. So what were your first impressions of Sweden?

Reference:

http://thougtforce.hubpages.com/hub/What-characterizes-a-Swede-and-the-Swedish-mentality-some-unwritten-laws-on-how-to-behave-in-Sweden

http://www.visitsweden.com/sweden/brandguide/The-brand/The-Platform/A-platform-for-the-Sweden-brand/

http://www.thelocal.se/20111108/37232

http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Business/Reading/10-Swedish-companies-shaping-the-world/

Subculture alert: Black Diamonds

South Africa has many different subcultures across all nationalities that live in the country. A subculture is defined as a group within a larger culture which differentiates itself by status, ethnic background, religion, or any other factors that unify a group which acts in a certain manner collectively. Subcultures also act as a way in which to brand people and classify them. By monitoring a person’s behaviour you are able to get an idea of their interests and disinterests leading you to classify them with people who act in the same distinctive manner.

I had a brief at school where I had to pick a South African subculture and represent it with a font extended into a booklet in celebration of Heritage day which takes place annually on the 24^th of September. After much deliberation the subculture I chose to represent was Black Diamonds, one which is unique to South Africa. The term Black Diamonds was originally coined by the TNS Research Survey (Pty) Ltd and the UCT Unilever Institute to refer to a fast-growing, affluent and influential black community. This growth was accelerated by Affirmative Action, act which was introduced in South Africa in 1998. Many black people who benefited from the act got involved in South Africa’s lucrative gold and diamond mining industries, this involvement is what contributed to the term Black Diamonds being coined.

What started out as a term meant celebrate the arrival of a people soon turned into one defining a black elite middle class plagued with a love for material possessions, power, status and money. My 16 page booklet chronicles the evolution of the Black Diamond from what it was to what it is now. The font is inspired by diamonds and the clasps which hold the diamond in place on a ring. Feel free to leave a comment or any suggestions you might have on how I can make the booklet better.

 

 

Reference: 

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/subculture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Diamonds_(racial_term)

Launching a brand: What you should consider revising.

So you have a brand in place and you have gone through all the necessary implementation steps and you want to share it with the world. You are sure that it will capture your consumer’s imagination, as it should because that will be the determining factor of whether your brand sinks or swims. Before you launch your brand there are a few points which you need to check repeatedly to ensure the successful launch of your brand, and they are as follows:

1.       Brand Identity

Does your brand inform your consumer about what it is and the position it is assuming? Or is your consumer left to decipher what your brand is trying to communicate. Your website and social media outlets must have a strong design which reiterates your brand identity. Some good questions to ask yourself when composing your brand identity are “what do you want to say”, “who do you want to say it to”, and “where do you want to say it”?

2.       Social Media:

Social Media when used right is guaranteed to be a brand’s best friend. You can use twitter and facebook to build anticipation around your brand launch even asking subscribers to spread the word.

Lastly the set design of the brand’s launch has to look absolutely amazing and captivating. Real thought process has to go into making it appealing. New and existing brands design elaborate sets and displays for their event launches. Here are a few designs I came across:

Although there are more these points I just shared are what I think has to go into consideration when launching a brand or a brand product. If you have any more you are more than welcome to share with me. Do you think an event launch is important to the success of a brand?

Reference:

http://www.workingmums.co.uk/working-mums-magazine/top-story/7420347/how-to-launch-your-brand-and-products-successfully.thtml

http://www.britopian.com/2013/10/20/top-3-considerations-launching-brand-advocacy-program/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=top-3-considerations-launching-brand-advocacy-program

http://www.pamlloyd.com/case-study-launching-brand

Brand Promise: The good, the bad and the ugly lawsuits.

Imagine you are driving back home from a long day at work or school and the day has rendered you tired and thirsty. You pass by a billboard for a popular beverage like Liquifruit with a tagline that goes something like “Refreshes like nothing on earth” naturally you would be compelled to buy it right? Or you wake up in the morning and the first thing you do is look at yourself in the mirror, and all that you can see are the imperfections on your face e.g. pimples, wrinkles, uneven skin tone. Then your mind flashes back to an ad you've seen by skincare brands like Olay, Neutrogena, and Vaseline for Men etc. With a model who has flawless radiant skin supposedly achieved by religious use of the product. Naturally you would gravitate towards considering or buying the product right? Let us take a deeper look as to why that is.

To lure consumer interest companies utilise a little trick in the marketing sphere referred to as a ‘brand promise’. A brand promise is when a company makes a statement using images, copyright or both as to what you can expect from interacting with their product/ service. It is most effective when addressing consumer needs whether they are to look younger, quench a thirst, support a cause, feel secure etc. And the promise is often gets associated with the company name, logo and products/services.

Most of the time it works out well for the companies in that it garners brand loyalty and support. As long as consumers believe and experience a brand’s promise they will stand behind it. There is also a dark side to a brand promise such as what happens when a brand does not live up to it. Olay experienced the failure of a brand promise with their ‘Definitive Eye cream’ when female consumers did not achieve the same results as the products former model Twiggy. Dannon’s popular Activia brand yoghurt had consumers paying more for its product under the premise that it had more nutritional value that most. It was later found that Activia was as plain and ordinary as any other brand of yoghurt. Dannon ended up having to pay $45 million dollars in damages to consumers who had filed a lawsuit against the brand.

A brand promise can be as beneficial as it is damaging to a brand. So have you ever supported or bought a product/ service based on the brand promise only to be let down? Do you know any brands that actually live up to their promises?

Reference:

http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/brand-promise

http://www.businessinsider.com/false-advertising-scandals-2011-9?op=1

http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2013/08/19/when-a-brand-promise-backfires/2/

Brand Canada

I was looking at the NBI (Nation Brand Index) recently and something on the list jumped at me, Canada is rated as having the second best nation brand in the world. It even surpasses arguably the most well known country in the world, America, which now sits at number eight on the list. This was kind of weird to me as I have known Canada to be the subject of a lot of degrading jokes in a string of American films and TV series. Anyway back to the Canadian brand and what makes it tick. Canada’s image got reworked back in 2004 by CTC (Canadian Tourism Commission) in order to change the outdated perception people had about it. The brand’s logo is basically a stylised version of the leaf found on the Canadian flag. Them using the leaf as their symbol makes perfect sense to me as it is what comes to mind when someone mentions Canada to me. The catchphrase they went with is “keep exploring”, this phrase ties in with their brand’s selling points perfectly.

The Canadian brand has five selling points which it emphasises in its marketing campaign in order to appeal to a domestic and international audience. These selling points are:

1.       Vibrant cities on the edge of nature

2.       Personal journeys by land, water, air.

3.       Active adventure among awe-inspiring natural wonders.

4.       Award winning Canadian local cuisine.

5.       Connecting with Canadians.

Although they are nothing new (even they admitted it on their website), the angle at which they are marketing them is refreshing. This leads me to think that if the Canadian brand can be ranked second on the list after only nine years of having established itself, bear in mind that it wasn't even on the top ten list when the NBI started out in 2005, then why can’t South Africa do the same? Especially after knowing that South Africa had a two year head start on Canada with Brand S.A. being in business since early 2002. I would love to hear your thoughts on Canada taking the second spot on the list, are you as shocked as I was?

Refference:

http://www.globalbydesign.com/2005/06/22/whats-your-nation-brand-index/

http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680768/the-15-leading-country-brands-of-the-future

http://en-corporate.canada.travel/resources-industry/canada%E2%80%99s-tourism-brand

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/what-is-canadas-brand/article4327235/

Does your logo represent your brand well?

There is a wide variety of companies out there which cater to an even wider consumer base in the world; there is literally a market for every single age group. So narrowing down your target market in order for your brand to communicate effectively is essential. And this is where the Graphic Designer comes in, my goal is to consider a company’s values, target market and what it is trying to communicate and try to encapsulate all that in a symbol. This symbol is commonly referred to in the business world as a logo and takes time to culminate, and when done properly it will resonate with the client’s consumers.

A logo is a graphic mark or emblem used most commonly by businesses, organisations and even individuals to gain public recognition. Their origin can even be traced back to religious symbols, such as the Christian cross, which were used to express the moral values of a society and its teachings. They are also most effective when they appeal to intellect and emotions. Symbols are also known to suggest an image, idea, belief or action. Joseph Campbell suggests that “A symbol is an energy evoking and directing agent”. So in essence when a logo is created it has to be created with the intention of taking on a life of its own. Why you may ask? Well simply because it’s going to exist in the real world and its going to require that you extend it into your corporate identity.

Some of the most successful companies and organisations in the world are in their position because of a solid logo which extends into their corporate identity and products/services e.g. Coca Cola, Samsung, Google, LG, Lego, BMW, Walmart, Pepsi etc. The colours, line weight, and shapes each one of them used is specific to their markets and the extensions they have. The simplest of brands can require the longest time to perfect. I think that quite a lot can be learnt from well branded companies.

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_identity

http://www.famouslogos.net/images/famous-logos.jpg

Proudly South African Campaign

 Figure 1: Proudly South African logo/icon.

 Figure 2 & 3: Proudly South African product advertising.

Proudly South African is a multi-million rand initiative by government. It was first conceived in 1998 at the Presidential Job Summit under the leadership of former South African president Nelson Mandela. After much refinement the campaign was officially launched in 2001 with assistance from government, Organised Business, Organised Labour and Organised Community. 

To ensure public awareness and increase visibility Proudly South African launched a thirty million rand campaign, and it secured thirty two million rand in sponsorship from Eskom, Old Mutual, Telkom, and SAA for its first three years in business. Bearing the Proudly South African logo offered companies a chance to stake their claim as being a product of South Africa. Not just any South African company could qualify though, there is a bar test of high standard that each and every one of them has to pass first. They first have to show that at least 50% of the production value of their products (including labour and marketing costs) has been incurred in S.A. They must also practice fair labour and adhere to environmental standards. This method of weeding out companies ensured that consumers not only got the best value for money, but also that the products and services are of international standard. Companies that did pass to bear the mark gained recognition and favourability among consumers over foreign brands competing with them. Proudly South African promoted loyalty to brands bearing the icon by emphasizing the benefits of buying products and services from these brands. One of them was that by buying a Proudly South African product or service the consumer was helping to create jobs and therefore alleviate hunger in poor communities. This lead the consumer to feel good about supporting these brands which meant they were continually purchased, quite clever actually.

The Proudly South African initiative was and still is a brilliant concept to me. It meant that government could boost the economy while inspiring patriotism among its citizens. The campaign’s drive has been slow recently as I have not come across any advertising or promotional material, which is kind of odd since it was in every South African citizen’s face via media outlets. Its little disappearing act is quite sad really, especially when you think of its success and potential to grow. I vividly remember during its heightened moments how I would check that every item I picked from the grocery aisle was Proudly South African or not. So what do you make of the Proudly South African campaign, was it or is it still a success on your eyes?

Reference:

http://proudly.co.za/proudlysa-co-za/6/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proudly_South_African

http://www.pbmr.co.za/index2.asp?Content=180

http://www.proudlysa.co.za/consumer-site
http://www.info.gov.za/events/2001/proudlysa.htm
http://www.proudlysa.co.za/about-our-logo

Brand Brazil

Brand Brazil is one which has recently emerged as a top player in the nation brands. The Country is the world’s 5th biggest online market, a fact which comes as no surprise since the country has a lot of buying power when it comes to digital media. This can be attributed to the fact that in 2007 the Mayor of Sao Paulo Gilberto Kassab banned all forms of outdoor advertising in the city, which happens to be Brazil’s largest city and the world’s 7^th most populous. This all happened after the Clean City Law was passed to the disappointment of many brands.

Another major boost that the country’s brand is that it will be playing host to two of the world largest sporting events consecutively, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. Successfully hosting these two events should do wonders the increasing the country's Soft Power and moving it up the ranks on the Nation Brand Index.

 Figure 1: Brand Brazil logo

Brazil’s brand logo speaks volumes about the country and its values. The logo is fun and vibrant with flowing secular lines which communicate happiness. It is also very colourful, looks friendly and inviting. The logo in essence also reflects the countries key attractions; the beaches of Bahia, the beautiful Amazon forest and the countries playful culture exemplified by the mammoth festivals held there annually e.g. Carvanal in Salvador, Reveillion party on Rio’s Copacabana beach, Belem festival on the River Amazon etc. Even the logos created for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games look like brand extensions of the nation’s logo, which for me is a feat on its own. I like how they look different to each other and relevant to their own cause, but they can still be traced back to the same family with their aesthetic and emotional appeal.

Figure 2: 2014 FIFA World Cup Logo.

 Figure 3: 2016 Olympic games.

In my opinion Brazil is one of the most well branded countries in the world as their brand identity speaks of who they are and communicates what we have come to know about them. They are a colourful, fun, loving and happy people. I’d like to know what you think of Brazil’s branding and extension thereof. Is it checking all the branding boxes for you?

Reference:
http://www.google.com/think/articles/branding-brazil.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/brazil/travel-tips-and-articles/68292
http://www.logodesignlove.com/images/sports/world-cup-logo-2014.jpg
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eglg45gdjd/risky-but-less-than-you-think-2/

Propaganda Branding

Brands have the ability to influence a person’s perception about themselves and the people around them. They do this by using repeated imagery/symbolism to make a point, one which the consumer is meant to accept on a conscious or subconscious level. Some brands, especially nation brands, create a following by exaggerating facts to the point where the receiver accepts them as the whole truth. In this case, more often than not, we refer to their tactics as propaganda branding.

Propaganda is set communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community towards some cause or position by presenting one side of an argument favourable to the sender. It utilises various forms of media repeatedly to get its message across. Propaganda presents information to influence an audience. It is also used to further a religious, political or commercial agenda. For it to work there has to be a careful selection of facts, usually blown out of proportion to further an agenda. Propaganda works exceedingly well with visually engaging imagery and to prove this I have provided an example of one nation branding campaign which used propaganda to sway people into believing a certain ideology.


Figure 1 & 2: German Nazi propaganda posters

Hitler was a master of manipulation with his Nazi campaign. He was able to convince an educated German population that annihilating other cultures in and around Germany, which didn't fit his perfect blue eyes blonde hair mould, was the only way to go in building a bigger stronger Germany. How was he able to do this you may ask? By presenting the population with carefully tailored facts which furthered his cause in the form of books, pamphlets, posters, banners etc. He had the symbol (swastika), he had the phrase “final solution” and he had acquired different mediums in which to further his cause on a national scale.

You may be asking yourself, “Don't brands of today use the same vices to get their message across?” The answer is yes and no. Yes brands have a symbol, message and various media forms which they use to market themselves, but they don’t use guilt in their branding to elicit feelings compelling you to accept their argument, and that is where propaganda steps in. as you can see there is a silver lining between the two when defining them individually. So what do you think of propaganda branding, should nations utilize it in their branding strategies?

Reference: 
http://brandingmumbojumbo.com/is-propaganda-branding/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda
http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/posters/dove.jpg