Branding and design mean different things to different people. At their most trivial we could talk about colours, typography and company logos. In such a case, a ‘brand refresh’ involves nothing more than a bit of tinkering - redecorating the living room and rearranging some of the furniture. That’s one approach, and you may see some benefit from this surface-level activity. But there's a lot more to brands than this.
EMOTION TRUMPS LOGIC
Whilst our rational brain likes to sift data and weigh options, our emotional brain runs riot, stirred by an endless stream of conscious and subconscious influences.
Punchy headlines, imagery, music and ideas — all can unbalance our rational decision-making machinery, tilting us this way or that. Our subconscious minds make emotional connections to things, people, spaces — and brands — in split seconds, often without the conscious mind even being aware.
But by then, it’s too late. You’re standing in the kitchen wondering why you just paid £3 for Brand A of toilet cleaner instead of just buying the own-label version for 65p.
This is the power of branding. It makes us defy logic and make decisions based on emotion — then uses logic to retrospectively justify them.
A brand that can emotionally connect with its audience becomes almost unassailable. These rare businesses occupy an enviable place in the hearts and minds of their adoring customers. Unearthing these deep truths and insights about what really drives customer decision-making is no easy task. But that’s what’s required to develop brands powerful enough to sink an unsinkable ocean liner.