Branding +
Interactive n e w s l e t t e r
Volume 24/Number 7
For more information on Makovsky + Company’s Branding + Interactive practice, please visit www.makovsky.com/branding_interactive
the power of specialized thinking
StrategiesPublished by Makovsky + Company
Let’s say Superman and Spider-Man got mad at each other and decided to duke it out in the street. Who would win?
On the basis of their superpowers, it’s a no-brainer. Super strength, super speed, super senses and, of course, the power of flight would easily defeat mere web slinging and wall climbing.
But what if they decided to slug it out in the marketplace?
The answer is not so clear cut. In fact, Spider-Man’s superior branding system gives him a decided edge over
Superman’s generic logotype.
ID does not equal identity.
Originally, brands were nothing more than ID tags (the word “brand” is derived from the Old Norse brandr, meaning “to burn,” referring to the practice of burning a crude symbol onto a piece of property). The intent was simply to indicate that a certain object belonged to a certain person: This is Einarr’s cow. This is Thorvald’s axe.
But as the industrial revolution
transformed agrarian societies into industrial cultures, a brand’s primary purpose evolved from identifying an object’s owner to identifying an object’s manufacturer: This cup was made by Cellini. This beer was made by Löwenbräu.
Still, the object was just identifica-tion. As such, commercial brands were generally signified by a logotype, the company’s name or initials in a proprietary typeface.
Superman’s famous red “S” is a classic example. What does it mean?
Superman vs. Spider-manHow to give your brand identity super powers.
Contact Timothy Kane, eVpBranding + [email protected]
Nothing, really. The colors are bright, and the pentagram badge is kind of cool. But there are no cues to his powers or his commitment to truth, justice and the American Way. It’s just an “S” for Superman.
The brand has been identified. But it has no identity.
The power of symbols.
By the middle of the 20th century, with the explosive growth of mass market culture, brand identities had to take on an added responsibility: To give consumers an idea of the brand experience — before they experienced it.
Faced with a crowd of seemingly interchangeable alter-natives, prospective customers and clients naturally gravitate towards brands that provide the strongest symbolic cues. Not just typography, but iconography and colors that resonate on a physiological as well as psychological level.
Of course, the logotype school still has many adherents, particularly with mature companies and categories that, like Superman, date back to before the 1940s. But it’s the symbolic approach to branding that packs the strongest punch in today’s marketplace.
In the world of superheroes, nobody does it better than Spider-Man. According to the story, Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider, and as a result, acquired the powers of a spider. So his branding system includes that famous arachnid icon, webbing and other cues to his powers, origin and general approach to crime fighting.
The undisputed champion.
The growth of symbolic branding is not just a packaged goods phenomenon. There are just as many technology, financial and professional services companies employing symbolic branding to strengthen their positions: Cisco. Citibank. Lucent. Accenture. Thomson Reuters. And the undisputed champion of brand symbolism, Apple.
Interesting factoid: The first Apple logo was actually a picture of Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. It
wasn’t until 1977 that the now-famous apple symbol was introduced. As former Apple executive Jean Louis Gassée described it:
“An apple, bitten into, all crossed with the colors of the
rainbow in the wrong order. You couldn’t dream of a more
appropriate logo: lust, knowledge, hope and anarchy.”
Your brand as superhero.
So what kind of brand identity do you have? Are you a Superman or a Spider-Man? A big red “S” — or a spider-based branding system?
If your company is a well-established market leader, with universal name recognition and high brand awareness, it may not matter. But if you’re a start-up, a challenger, or anyone else who needs to strengthen their presence in the marketplace, here’s some advice:
1. Lose your secret identity. It might make sense for Superman to disguise himself as mild-mannered Clark Kent, but the most powerful brands offer strong visual cues. Don’t rely on your name or initials alone to convey your brand message.
2. Focus on your true powers. What do you do for your customers? What problems do you solve? The clearer you are about what you offer prospects, the clearer you’ll be about what you should look like.
3. Find your spider. Like Spider-Man, an evocative, provocative icon can become the foundation of your entire branding system. It won’t be easy to find — but it’s well worth the effort.
Above all, remember: Your brand identity is not just something pretty that you stick up at the top of your letter-head. It’s your company’s superhero, guarding the organiza-tion, projecting your values and vision, and protecting against your competitors and other evil-doers.
About Makovsky + CompanyFounded in 1979, Makovsky + Company (www.makovsky.com) is today one of the nation’s leading independent global public relations and investor relations consultancies. The firm attributes its success to its original vision: that the Power of Specialized Thinking™ is the best way to build reputation, sales and fair valuation for a client. Based in New York City, the firm has agency partners in more than 25 countries and in 37 U.S. cities through IPREX, the second largest worldwide public relations agency partnership, of which Makovsky is a founder. Makovsky is co-founder of Interraction, a consortium of experts working together to address the risks and opportunities presented by climate change.
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