Thoughts on branding
I’ve been thinking about branding quite a bit lately and have been looking around the web for some insipiration. While searching I’ve come across a relatively new line called NKE6.0. It’s Nike’s latest brand offshoot that attempts to capture some of the youthful (and profitable) action sports market. The artwork is very well-done and the logo/characters are visually appealing. But as I mentioned in a previous post, a logo is not a brand and it certainly isn’t enough to ensure a solid marketing platform. Let’s take a closer look at NKE6.0 and branding as a whole.
Underwhelmed
When I look at the NKE6.0 web site or logo, I am not drawn to it. There is no knee-jerk reaction. Just a bunch of pretty pictures that I enjoy looking at but have absolutely no connection with. I realize that I might not be their precise demographic, but I am young with expendable income and I have an interest in action sports. And still, this site doesn’t say anything to me that all of its competitors haven’t already tried to shove down my throat. There is no differentiation, nothing that sets their name apart from the competition and nothing that speaks to me of their value. This is why branding is so important.
The business of YOU
In order for customers to buy into YOU, you must establish brand equity. This is a trust built over time that can only come from a strong brand image and a reputation that is earned through experience and relationship building. In order to initiate that relationship, your audience needs to have a reaction to your product that congures up a feeling. The longest lasting relationships come from an emotional association between you and your audience. If there is an underlying and unspoken bond that keeps your customers coming back to you, then you have done a great job of branding your product.
What? Lil’ old me?
Nike is a huge company with many competitors. Maybe not as many as there are freelance designers, hot-shot agencies, and Web 2.0 start-ups, but needless to say they’re being challenged everyday. If a multi-billion dollar company has a hard time distinguishing itself from its competition and garnering a reaction from its target audience, then what chance do I stand?
Even though my competition is fierce and becoming bigger everyday, I still feel like I have a pretty good chance. I think that it will be easier for me to hone my thoughts into a simple and meaningful result because my objectives are more precise. The product and service that I’m offering consists of me and my skill set. My services aren’t as detailed or consumer oriented as NKE6.0’s are. I don’t have point of purchase displays, supply chains or multi-million dollar ad campaigns. So what do I have? What do my services really consist of? Let’s think about this for a second:
- I build web sites.
- I build clean web sites.
- I build clean and functional web sites.
- I build clean and functional web sites using web standards.
There you have it. That’s all it takes. By being honest with yourself and getting to the core of your intentions, you are able to convey your message in a precise and obtainable way. When you eliminate the buzz words and start trimming away the fat, you get down to the meat of your identity. Knowing where you stand and what you stand for will help you develop every other outward sign of your brand.
So why not give it a try? What feelings do you want to convey with your company? When someone brings up your company’s name at a dinner party, what emotions do you want people to feel as they talk about you and your services? It’s as easy as starting with a simple statement and then peeling away the useless and confusing bits that get in the way. You’ll be surprised what happens when you have a clear and concise message to build your brand on. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some work to do.
I’ve been thinking about branding quite a bit lately and have been looking around the web for some insipiration. While searching I’ve come accross a relatively new line called NKE6.0. It’s Nike’s latest brand offshoot that attempts to capture some of the youthful (and profitable) action sports market.
Very honest and to the point. I witnessed this kind of design where technology meets users and not users never meet the brand. I still am amazed of how Nike would fall for some draggable elements in favor of the new branding strategy for new products!
Action, Sneakers, Jumping and Mud and then comes an envelope with files to drag?????? where’s the message? where’s the theme? how coherent is all that? I probably should ask Nike that.
I agree. The message seems to be lost in the hype. Yes the artwork is great, yes they are able to make a pretty nice flash web site. But if you are trying to establish a brand with a true message, there needs to be substance behind it. The substance and feeling is definitely lacking with their online presence.
That site gives me the feeling of a computergame of some sort… something like Medal of Honor or Call of Duty or something. It’s goodlooking in my opinion, but doesn’t make any sense in addressing the people who supposed to be attracted to it.
You’re right Joram, it’s got a great look but the content is lacking. Sure, you can have some hot shot designer throw a cool flash site together, but does it help the brand? Everything that is designed should be a reflection of the brand’s core, not the other way around. It seems that they have put the cart before the horse and hope that their users can pick up the slack.
:-) Cool websites usually attract visitors, which then only come to the website because of its looks, and not its content.
But I have to say; it usually works too. I saw a website from Icetea, which had absolutely nothing to do with Icetea itself. But the website was so cool and fun, that they’ve had tons of people visiting. I think if a website is thát good, it doesn’t really need to be related to the product. Advertising can be done in many ways. If a website is cool enough, it can make people feel that the brand behind it is cool too.
that’s how i got our tagline.
“we build websites”
to
“we build intelligent websites”
(which was lame, since intelligent means nothing)
to
“we design websites, applications & identities”
i only left out the standards aspect of it since 70-80% of my clients don’t know what that means and the confusion was putting potentials off, since a lot of new leads come from people that don’t know about standards (but get schooled if they work with twothirty).
the first tagline got a LOT of traffic from google tho, and still keeps my site pretty high up in page rank.
@Joram -
I think you hit the nail right on the head when you say that people will be drawn in by a great looking site but will only stay if there is quality content. These days the need for accessible and relevant content are at a premium and people won’t stick around for long if they can’t find what they’re looking for and in a timely manner.
@paul -
A clear message is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Concise and to the point, there is absolutely no question about what services you offer. As for the web standards bit I agree with you. The blank stares that follow “I build with web standards” takes some getting used to. However, I enjoy educating potential clients on their benefits and usually get a good response after I tell them more.
* I build web sites.
* I build clean web sites.
* I build clean and functional web sites.
* I build clean and functional web sites using web standards.
That’s good reductive logic, except it describes hundreds, or even thousands of companies. Perhaps defining your brand by the desires of your customers rather than what you care about would differentiate you better. Your brand description assumes that those qualities are an end in themselves, but clients don’t really care about clean, functional, standards, etc. They care about engaging visitors, building brands, improving sales and increasing market share.
“…the website was so cool and fun, that they’ve had tons of people visiting.”
This is where many clients (and designers) go wrong. Attracting visitors only solves HALF of the problem. Sadly, tons of hits does not always translate into tons of sales, which is the other half of the reason for having a site is all about (at least for Nike)
“Cool” sites may only attract people looking for design inspiration, not the intentded core user/consumer base.
I’m with Matt on this one. Build the brand… and they will come (back).