experience design - Nathan Shedroff

" one aspect of an experience that can make it surprising and amazing is that of confronting one's beliefs"

"Data is not information."

"Information is the beginning of meaning"

"Information is data put into context"

"We all create information on some level, though most of us aren't consciously aware of doing so."

"We feel a difference when we feel understood, and frustration if we are not."

"A definition of knowledge cold be "sufficiently generalized solutions gained through experience".

"Knowledge is increasingly personal" and easy to access.

"Knowledge also builds upon itself, making it increasingly easier to acquire more knowledge."

"The Persuaders" a Timeline documentary

- In terms of advertising and how exposed we are to new messages and symbols everyday, we are definitely experiencing a "clutter crisis". The more ads, slogans, posters and other "flashy" material around us, the more immune we become to them. We stop paying attention, and advertisers have to create more clutter, in their attempt to keep us focused. The more messages they create, the more they have to follow that up with new messages, to keep us to reach us. It is a vicious circle of clutter. Most attempts to break through from the clutter, results to more clutter. They have blurred the line between programming and product. It is not about the quality of a specific brand, but on the amount of time we are exposed to it. It reminds a bit of brainwashing. So we have this battle of so many promotional material, fighting for our attention. Again, most attempts to break through from the clutter, fail; they become part of the clutter! (Song airlines example)

- When a culture becomes advertising friendly, there is no culture at all. Advertising does not want to fill the atmosphere with branding, but wants to become the atmosphere.

- Brands nowadays communicate on another lever, beyond the self explanatory. In the 50's and 60's it was about what the product did. ("cleaner", "brighter", "better"), while in the 90's it started to be about what the product meant. The creation os "Superbrands" was the result. (what was it about? Benetton / Nike / etc.). Marketing was engaging a pseudo-spiritual sense)

The brand manager had to create and maintain a whole meaning. There are examples that some marketers studies the dynamics and characteristics of cults, and applied them to brands. (sense of belonging, joining in, family). (Saturn homecoming example). That lead to emotional branding. A brand was inviting people to a whole lifestyle (iPod, white earphones etc.)

- Nineties - Kevin Roberts of Saatchi & Saatchi claimed that he had the magic solution for successful and always profitable brands. He created the term "lovemarks" for brands whose followers show "loyalty beyond reason". These brands project a sense of mystery, sensuality and they live in an iconic place within our consciousness. And any marketing, design and advertising effort can build a mystery as long as they believe in it. We are moving from brands to experiences.

- TV ads are staring to become a less popular platform of brand communication. We do not like neither do we see a lot of ads anymore; we can even customize our TV cable providers not to show ads. So the ad business had to find new ways to penetrate their messages to us. That happened through product placement in entertainment shows, and marked the beginning of a business venture between the branding world and the a advertising business. (Absolut vodka / storyline behind it / integrate products into TV programs). Branding executives even have access to the pilot scenarios of TV shows, so they know in advance in what TV show and when, their brand would look good and become more profitable. But the public is not always convinced with these techniques and does not always consider them dignified. The key to successful integration of branding in entertainment is that it has to be seamless and look natural. The next step was the creation of a hybrid between ad and movie, the "webisode" that was artistically great and made a good impact. It had a "to be continued" feel and was distributed online (BMW example). Consumers want to be entertained!

- Consumers want to get what they want and that is why brands are starting to exercise the technique of listening. Data analysts know what people want and what they will probably want in the years to come (Acxiom example). But now the providing of information is passed on the consumer. This will give him a voice, and a feeling that brands need him. We need to feel useful and smart. And by giving us "voice", we get attached to brands and become loyal followers.

Public Branding

Seth Godin's "Brands in Public", (a website that allows consumers to make comments about brands, and where brands have their own individualized "hubs" within the site) and Microsoft's reaction. We are always talking about brands, but what happens if everyone talks in public?

Something to consider: People are talking about the products and services; the vital parts of a brand. Do consumers care about design?

The Information Revolution and the New Consumer

With the Internet providing a mass amount of free information, there is a question on what the future of traditional media companies would be. If we can access online newspapers and magazines, an other information websites (like user generated content websites like Wikipedia) for free, why would we buy traditional print media and even books. Students are using less the library facilities available to them, in favor of the Internet, where free information is in abundance. This information revolution is also seen in the visual aspects of branding and advertising. All the information a consumer needs about a brand or a product is online. The website is undoubtedly the main information provider. A brands presence in print media, radio, television, outdoor branding etc., has to be purely connotative. It has to attract attention, and once this is gained, the customer candidate will collect all the information regarding the product or brand online.

HTC is a mobile device company that does exactly the same. The new TV ad focuses on attracting the public's attention through personalized features and common experiences people face when opting to use their mobile phones. All the information is on their website.

Branding and simplicity

Maybe an element of future branding, simplicity can have two meanings. Our brand does not scream, it focuses on the substance. But, although it may look strict and non personal. If a brand needs to be relevant to peoples lives, it has to contribute to the easing of the busy and loud branding world, and leaves room for customization.
Maybe brands will need to quiet down and listen.

"When designed correctly, the brand experience should feel completely seamless and natural for its audience" - Steve Liska

Brand as a standard, as an authority.

Big brands claim their success as being the leaders in a market. Starbucks is the authority of coffee, Coco Cola of soft drinks, Dell of personal computers and so on. The public will trust them, due to their expertise, and let us not forget that it feels good to follow the leader! But the public gets easily bored. Maybe the most popular becomes a usual commodity. Consumers will need a refreshed version. Being underground, especially for young consumers, is desirable. Especially in big city centers where the need for differentiation is evident, the outsider may be considered more "hip" and modern. A fresh approach that contradicts the well known, established brands. It is all about the "anti-standardization" of brands.

What people think.

What do brand users think and what relevant to their brand. When you know what people need, desire and thing, that you can be a top designer and creative director. Design is a combination of creative thinking and an obsession to observe what people are doing, needing and how they function. The brand essence and experience is all about buying more that just product. It s about attaining status, security, self esteem, etc. Brands have tangible and non tangible assets. (Mac example). As design analyst Denise Anderson would say: "There is no brand experience without design".

The New Brand Experience

Brand design, creating brand identities, brand experiences and visually integrated campaigns are created by graphic designers, creative and branding companies, advertising agencies, interaction and motion design firms. But with the marketing world switching towards a more consumer based, open dialog with the companies, will brands consider to form groups of consumers so they would, consciously or subconsciously, form a branding experience. The brand target group becomes a fan club that not only inform other consumers to follow their brand, but advertise a unique attitude. Aspects of the above are seen today as well. Designers create a specific language style, visual context, even color palette. They deliver this mysterious brand package to the public, and let the brand grow through its fans.

Types of Branding

consumer / corporate / digital / organizations, cause related / global, cultural / branded environment.

Branding process:
- Strategy
- Concept
- Applications
- Implementation

The audience has to come face to face with a positive experience when coming face to face with the brands:
- Brand Identity
- Television presence
- Tagline
- Print ads
- Website
- Web banners
- Annual reports
- Radio
- Outdoor ads
- Viral marketing
- Unconventional advertising
- Direct marketing
- Branded environments
- Public relations
- Intranet
- Sponsorships
- Telemarketing
- Training manuals
- Promotions
- Sales force
- Publicity
- Buzz ("word of mouth")
- Signage
- E-mails
- Ephemera
- Events / happenings

(Reference: "Designing Brand Experiences" by Robin Landa)

- As industrial growth continued, branding was a necessity for effective advertising and marketing. Products and services today are entities with their own names, visual identities and aesthetic systems. Anything that is branded today, from cars to financial services, from food to people and personalities, are accompanied with a sensory experience. A potential consumer sees the shapes, colors and specific typography of their trademark or logo, visits their corporate spaces, touches their packaging and feels their identities, values, personas and styles. Designers are the bridge between the producers or manufacturers and the public, the potential buyers. They cooperate with advertisers and marketeers so that the brands can be heard.

- With the rise of mass media, the role of branding and communication design became more complex. A unified visual identification system, not only communicated a specific brand, but united the character of the company behind the brand in a professional manner, creating a corporate identity. New magazines and plenty of newspapers, radio and television, called for a new design approach to branding: A cohesive and consistent visual system image is essential for every respectful brand. With print, now being just a part of a broader communication platform, the vision of the first American advertising agency, N.W. Ayer & Son, became a reality: up to this day designers and communicators are striving to create successful "integrated branding experiences".

- "Products are made in the factory; brands are created in the mind." - Walter Landor

- What are the "ingredients" of a traditional brand:

----The characteristics of a brand (product, name, physical features, emotional assets, cultural associations.)

----The brand identity (design issues, visual and verbal assets, integrated design materials, memorable public face)

---- The audience's ongoing perception of the brand (the consumers, global, national or local that receive the experience). The audience decides which brand to consume. Brands create brand promises. Nowadays, the audience has more power than before, through communication skills, internet, consumer communities. So, brands are focusing more and more on the public's opinion.

Interesting Job in Social Marketing

(From Marty Collins blog)

Windows community manager. To work within the Windows Consumer MVP program.

Evangelizing customers.

"The consumer is important and louder than ever."

The desire system behind the brand.

(Information from the book "Brands and desires" by Bernd Kreutz and Hatje Cantz.)

What distinguishes a brand from just names and products is desire. "Desire is the prerequisite for and the key to every form of brand-building". (By desire we do not mean that the audience desires but cannot buy a product due to financial reasons; this is the aspirational brand.)

A brand promises something and we want it!

Apple is a religion.

Milka and the purple cow.

Ikea is the transformation of the outsider to a trend brand.

Marlboro promises freedom.

Picasso was the first artist who marketed himself, his art and his personal life in a that he created a vitality promising brand of himself. (David Beckham is a similar example.)

Camper promises an easy-going lifestyle.

Brands create desires. The consumer wants a product, he/she buys it. It becomes a commodity, consumer gets bored. The next step is to customize it.

THESIS OUTLINE

This thesis presents the hypothesis that in the near future, brands will not consist of fixed products and services, but will be constantly evolving, according to the financial and social needs of consumers. Predictability is what describes today's brands, both in terms of aesthetics and purpose (i.e. a common visual approach applied to a fixed product line). In contrast, the public's tendency and ability to hyper-customize what it consumes, demonstrates a desire to create unique and personal brands. Such a hypothesis suggests that the future of branding lies in an open dialogue between corporations and consumers, that will lead to the co-creation of constantly evolving products and services, designed by and for the public. Traditional brands might be replaced by invisible "brands in motion", with the designer carrying a mentoring and coordinating role.


1) INTRODUCTION
Experiencing today's brands.

Which brands are considered successful and the recent branding trends. (1-2 examples, Apple & Starbucks)

The relationship between brand and consumer today. (brief mentioning of interactivity , 1-2 examples)

The need to envision the future of branding. (short speculation, customizing trends, technologically inclined public.)


2) BRANDING AND DESIGN
General information about the relationship between branding, advertising and design.

From Fine Art to Illustration to Graphic Arts to New Media.


3) BRIEF HISTORY OF BRANDING
a) Antiquity - Medieval Times - Renaissance
b) Industrial Revolution (examples)
c) 1950s - 1960s (integrated branding - examples)
d) 1980s - 1990s (brand image & brand experience / iconic branding and the /
aspirational brand / "No Brand" brand / brand extensions, "the corporation is the brand", sponsorship / examples) / brands as authority

4) 00s BRANDING AND BRANDING 2010
a) Designing an experience (A new brand experience)
b) Digital branding
- online brand communities
- interactive brand platforms
- invisible design (design items and branding elements have no actual substance. (mp3...)
c) The Underground Brand (branding the outsider / from corporate to social)
d) Social marketing / Social design (new Microsoft windows 7 example /
designer for NGO's, sustainability etc.)

e) Branding communication and advertising after the Information Revolution. (when all the vital information about a brand is online, a brand's visual communication aims at familiarizing the public with the brand, attracting attention using "catchy" slogans and visuals. The brand's strong media presence is more important that the communication of information. All the necessary details are online.)


5) TODAY'S CONSUMER / "I CUSTOMIZE THEREFORE I AM"
a) Social networking sites and branding
- branding of oneself (mySpace, YouTube, blogs)
- corporations on Facebook
b) Customization platforms (design competition platforms / white label platforms)
c) Information revolution (consumers do not need advertising to collect information about the products they use. Interacting within online brand communities and consumer blogs, the public can gather all the information needed. Todays consumer is trained and able to find the information he needs and even have control and contribute on the online content (i.e. Wikipedia).

6) THE FUTURE BRAND
a) Aesthetically - even more abstract / focusing on everyday experiences
b) Conceptually - a flexible entity, a group of people, thoughts and experiences, rather than a fixed product line with loyal followers.

c) "A quieter brand" that will stop screaming, and start listening


7) CONCLUSION: THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNER WITHIN THE FUTURE BRAND

(Design and branding are two interconnected disciplines. How have traditional design methods changed with the evolution of branding, and what will be the role of design in future branding?)

- The designer in a coordinating, analytical, research role. The actual designing, will be determined later based on the needs of communities and consumers. Finding real problems through research, interactions with communities in need, and sharing of information, is replacing the creation of "problems" and new consumables.

- Will brand design become so invisible that designers will only create customizable "white label design" platforms, so that the public can do the rest?

- Will the public's customization opportunities broaden the dialogue with brands and will consumers be able to be in charge of a companies product line?

- On the other hand, with the use of new technologies, that bring corporations and consumers closer, brand may face the danger of becoming commodities with no mystery and appeal? In a Western society where social and financial needs evolve and change rapidly, will brands have to avoid consisting of fixed products and services? Will brands become mysterious entities, challenging the public to guess their next move will be?

- Will designers be responsible of creating experiences and leave it to consumers to determine visual details, language and style of brands? Will designers design elaborate visual "baits" so that the public can visit the brand's online resources?

- As brands will be even more interested in overall customer experience, integrated campaigns will expand to different media and forms of expression. The designer might have to take on different roles (designer as artist, film maker, engineer, producer, author).

Further historic research...

(From the book "Designing Brand Experiences" by Robin Landa)

The idea of Branding did not start with the industrial age in Europe. Since the time people created goods to trade or sell, or owned cattle and property, there have been trademarks, signs and symbols, to denote origin or ownership. Cattle were branded with paint, tar or even hot iron. Even people were brands for various reasons. Slaves were branded to designate ownership, slaves to signify disgrace. To explain the kind of goods they traded, merchants in ancient Greece and Egypt used symbols and pictures on the surfaces of their containers or the facades of their stores. Writing was also used, mainly for advertising puproses, as evidence have shown on walls of the ancient city of Pompeii. Dating back 3000 years ago, imagery was used in trade fairs in ancient China by hawkers to inform the public about their wares.

After the Medieval times and with the decline of feudalism, trade, arts and crafts were revived. Merchants started to use imagery and symbols to advertise their goods, make their businesses identifiable and attract customers. Chinese and Korean printing technology flourished, a fact that resulted to early signs of advertising and brand identity.

With the invention of the printing press in 1448, distribution of information accelerated and by within the next 100 yrars the advertising and announcing possibilities became standardized.

"By the 1700s governments saw the need to institute patterns, trademarks and copyrights as incentives to encourage development and progress science, technology and the arts."

The Industrial Revolution in the mid 1700s, and in the United States by the beginning of the 1800s, boosted mass production, and the advertising possibilities reinforced branding. Not only were goods more and versatile, but they started to become affordable as well. The formation of the middle class, an important consuming power, persuades the advertisers to become involved in mass advertising of goods and services. The market "spurred the growth of visual identity systems." Visually bold and contextually melodramatic slogans, titles and headlines fortified the ever growing branding attempts.

Packaging strengthened the branding approaches of the time and offered new challenges to design. Before 1880s people used to buy portions of goods from large containers. An individual package that would carry the name and origin of the product was more practical, and a platform for even more branding and design opportunities. A commodity in a small box gave it more value and a brand name and visual identifier, projected multiple times in stores and markets. Medicines and tobacco were pioneers in unique and lavishly decorated packaging. Branding provided value to products, before they were bought or consumed! As manufacturing of goods intensified, so did the brands. Advertising and design efforts intensified, introducing several new brands, "each vying for a larger share of consumer market."

New design roles

Design can be used to generate social impact, make a difference and encourage commercial success. Designers today are starting to express the opinion that their collaboration with NGOs for the resolution of critical environmental, social and humanitarian problems, has to become a routine process. An initiative by the Rockefeller Foundation, brought together designers from several disciplines and from all over the world, on a discussion panel in Italy in July 2008, in order to strategize and share ideas about the successful future of the NGO/design collaboration.

“We have to stop this dichotomy that says: We do these kinds of projects because it’s our way of ‘giving back.’ Instead, think of it as being a way of learning, of having impact, that will also provide other forms of value for your firm.” - Larry Keeley, Doblin Group

Most of the ideas and steps suggested to accomplish a vital cooperation of the design firms and NGOs, were focusing on administration, open communication and transparency between designers and research. Sharing information could be accomplished by the formation of a "Knowledge Bank", where every designer can retrieve case studies and success reports on sustainability projects. One can even tap into the bank with further information and experiences.

Furthermore, creating a bridge between the NGOs and the design world would make their cooperation more mundane, self explanatory. The creation of a Design NGO (D-NGO), would reinforce the above, and foster more creative action and interaction.

Finally developing an operating system for social impact, would provide designers with more useful feedback and information. According to the participants of he Rockefeller Foundation meeting, the mentioned system would allow more designers to become involved in social projects, lower the cost of the production of such projects, provide a greater impact on the work, elevate prestige and visibility.

Maybe this is an example of the designer in a coordinating, analytical, research role. The actual designing, will be determined later based on the needs of communities and consumers. Finding real problems through research, interactions with communities in need, and sharing of information, is replacing the creation of "problems" and new consumables.

Research outline

FIRST OBSERVATION

There has been a tendency over the past ten years for brands to aproach the public in a different way. Branding has started to become more human. The first visual sign of that approach is the logo, the identifier of a brand. Taking as an example the new “refreshed” logos of companies like Wallmart, Discovery Channel, Kraft foods, Cheer and Sysco, we are witnessing that corporate visual identities nowadays are becoming “warmer” and “fuzzier”. Curvy, organic shapes, lowercase letters, warmer color pallets, green “environmental” details and three dimensional effects, that create the illusion of movement, are some of the elements that show that companies seek to re-brand themselves as more “human”, sensitive to the public’s needs and caring towards the consumer. The financial recession has affected the visual result as well, as brands need to find ways to attract the consumers attention. And what better way than to identify their image and value with the consumers. Undoubtedly, traditional branding has evolved to a more empathetic and engaging discipline that focuses on peoples experiences and feelings.

BRIEF HISTORY OF BRANDING - EXAMPLES

The branding of goods, from the ancient years and through its evolution, always served the public's needs. Consumers needed to identify what they were buying, merchants had to make their products recognizable, large groups of people had to access information about the goods and services available to them. We see that Branding was born out of simple everyday need. As societies progressed, especially from the Industrial Revolution onwards, branding was not a pure information provider, but an identifying factor of a specific vendor or manufacturer. Competitiveness created a need to make ones products not only recognizable, but distinguished as well. Branding was a key advertising tool. As corporations progressed and the manufacturing process provided Western societies with an abundance of consumable products, the need for advertising campaigns and integrated marketing solutions became evident. In the twentieth century branding has evolved to a necessary marketing tool, always in need of design.

In the 1950's branding was associated with the actual physical product, i.e. a magazine, a service, an ice cream. Emotional attachment with brands and labels started to emerge in the 60's. We are starting to witness similar products that have their own team of followers (i.e. Coca Cola and Pepsi). In the 80's big corporations spread their brand in more than one product. They demonstrated their power through sponsorship. The corporation was the actual brand. Furthermore, in the 90's, branding became even more powerful. The holistic aspects of branding are starting to show. The visual and sentimental part of a brand, makes it even stronger that the actual product.

BRANDING OF TODAY
This leads us to today's branding trend, where experience and customization is far more important that the product sold. Brands are approaching the human needs of belonging and experiencing even more. An open dialog between brands and consumers may be just around the corner. Customization allows brands to invade in anyone's personal world. Finally, a holistic approach to branding is what we already starting to experience as consumers. Brands will take the public's feelings and senses (vision, sound, smell, taste, touch) a lot more seriously. Starbucks, with its "sensory uniqueness" can be used as an example. "We are not in the coffee business serving people, but in the people business serving coffee", are the words of Howard Schultz, the pioneer and Chairman of Starbucks. Brands have became iconic, interactive and part of a whole attitude; they evolved around people, their individuality, habits and needs. They create a strong Belief System around them. Visual identities are designed to provide a whole atmosphere, rather than informing the public about the product. As information is available to consumers more than never before (through the interner), branding has to act as a strong visual and contectual reminder Brands like Starbucks, Apple, Google etc, have become iconic brands, focusing not only in the brand image, but the brand experience as well.

THE UNDERGROUND BRAND: FROM CORPORATE TO SOCIAL - EXAMPLES

Branding has evolved from being a corporate issue, to a holistic communication approach, relevant to social issues. In the beginning of the 21st century, we have witnessed the emerging of the Underground Brand. The interesting parameter of underground brands is that (unlike conventional brands that “attach” lifestyle ideas and an atmosphere, to existing products) they use a lifestyle idea, an aura or a statement as a starting point, and create products or services to communicate that. It is not about the product. The product is the medium to communicate an idea. The creation of underground brands and the tendency of "branding the outsider" is not new. Many brands have started out as being small family businesses with vision, but at the same time authenticity. Branding has evolved them in "household names" and of course profits have risen. Cosmetic companies like Kiehls and The Bodyshop have followed the same path, with the later having endangered its credibility, authenticity and public trust.

DIGITAL REALITY AND BRANDING

In a digital world where our attention span is limited and the aesthetic part of design is becoming invisible, designers are challenged to catch the audiences eyes with alternative aesthetic and conceptual tools. Another element that has lately emerged in branding is interactivity, maybe an outcome of this new digital reality we live in. The Internet has given Brands the opportunity to interact with the public. Ergonomics, psychology and user experience is one the main focuses of Branding today. Aspects of play, reward and surprise must be part of any successful brand in order to attract and maintain the attention of the consumer. Design has become invisible, so brands need to focus on feelings rather that visual components to communicate their products and values.

SOCIAL MARKETING - EXAMPLES

Social and environmental ideas and values, alongside with the tendency to "do the right thing", within a community, has brought social marketing to the center of attention. This idealistic approach is shown in the aesthetic and conceptual aspects of today's brands.

THE ROLE OF THE CONSUMER AND CUSTOMIZATION

The role of the consumer has evolved as well. Nowadays, the public has the tendency and the ability to customize products and services. This shows a desire to be unique and free from fixed products and patterns. Social networking spaces on the Internet provide customizable templates, so each user/customer can create a new brand out of himself. Clothing lines have included customizable options to their customers, while other corporation use tools like customization contests in order to attract buyers. Now that the public has a clear voice and can communicate with the brand it consumes, we are experiencing the creation of on-line brand communities, where anyone can show support or comment on specific products and services.

that consumers are the main source of information about the validity and progress of a brand. Blogs and websites where people share their opinions and experiences with consumable goods, have become very popular over the past 5 years, and the reason is simple: "I would rather inform myself about the advantages of a product from an actual consumer, rather than a TV ad, created to pursue me to buy. Companies and brands today, instead of conveying messages about their products, they let the public speak!

THE MICROSOFT WINDOWS 7 EXAMPLE

Microsoft is among the brands that have invested in a dialogue with the consumers. Windows current and potential users are invited to express their thoughts, ideas and comments about the products and services they use (in the specific case, Microsoft Windows). And that is not only a TV promise; in the Windows website, there is a live countdown of the postings that people are making through Twitter, Facebook and other online networking tools, grading and commenting about the new Windows 7 software. In terms of design, the simple and overall clean aesthetics, in combination with the small sized logo on the top left side of the page, does not give an overpowering sense of branding. Furthermore, the page is constantly being filled up with "windows" of people's postings, an element that reminds tha viewer that "this is happening right now!!!".

THE CONCEPTUAL AND VISUAL ELEMENTS OF THE FUTURE BRAND

So, it is obvious that traditional, dogmatic branding moved forward towards a more interactive, human approach. What lies in the future though? The main questions that will form the brands of the near future are the following:

- Design and branding are two interconnected disciplines. How have traditional design methods changed with the evolution of branding, and what will be the role of design in future branding?

Will brand design become so invisible that designers will only create customizable "white label design" platforms, so that the public can do the rest?

- Will the public's customization opportunities broaden the dialogue with brands? Will consumers be able to be in charge of a companies product line?

- Will new technologies, that bring brand and consumer closer, transform brands to commodities with no mystery and appeal? In a Western society where social and financial needs evolve and change rapidly, will brands have to avoid consisting of fixed products and services? Will brands become mysterious entities, challenging the public to guess their next move will be?

CONCLUSION
With the evolving technologies of the past 15 years, the public shows a tendency to customize. We have the option of customizing our Facebook profiles, our insurance plans, our clothes, our food. The more options a brand offers, the more flexible and desirable it becomes. If a brand can customize its products, it offers the consumers a lot of options. But if it can customize its product line, then the options are unlimited. Brands will become evolving stories. Not only we will be constantly asking "What's next?", but we can be the ones who determine it! Brands and their product lines will need to evolve and even mutate.

The above brand new ads are examples of Microsoft's new approach to social branding. The company has opened a dialog with the its consumers. Windows current and potential users are invited to express their thoughts, ideas and comments about the products and services they use (in the specific case, Microsoft Windows). And that is not only a TV promise; in the Windows website, there is a live countdown of the postings that people are making through Twitter, Facebook and other online networking tools, grading and commenting about the new Windows 7 software.

In terms of design, the simple and overall clean aesthetics, in combination with the small sized logo on the top left side of the page, does not give an overpowering sense of branding. Furthermore, the page is constantly being filled up with "windows" of people's postings, an element that reminds tha viewer that "this is happening right now!!!".

Branding - "stamping" goods

Kellog's is approaching a new branding strategy. It's main factory in the UK will start applying the Kellogg's logo to every single corn flake!

Customization in toy brands

DIY meets customization in a market that has to be personal and traditional. BuildAbeaR allows kids to customize teddy bears! On the outside, and the inside as well!

problematic branding

Trying too hard.

if only...

"I am not going to create another brand, then spend a fortune in marketing so I can convince you to consume it. YOU are going to create the brand you need. And even if you don't need another brand, another product, another service in your life, do not worry! You can change the ones you are already using."

Facts and History

Some facts and definitions of brands and branding :-)

KEY FACTORS

- Brands are not just trademarks and visual identifiers of products and services. They have grown to become cultural and financial entities, representing societies visual perceptions and economic situations. In other words, the visual parameters of a brand, at a specific point in time, reflects the social, cultural and financial parameters of that period.

- There are two ways in which a brand can have an impact on people:

The brand image, which is more symbolic. It represents all the impressions and connotations that the visual aspect of the brand provokes to the public. For example, the brand image of Coca Cola. The red color, packaging and look of the drink itself, in association with the look of some TV ads and promotional material, contribute to the creation of an aesthetic explanation of what the Coca Cola brand stands for.

The brand experience is a more experimental aspect of the brand. It has to do with the actual human experience that someone has when consuming a specific product or service. It has a broader and less rigit sense. Every successful brand nowadays, has the ability to approach consumers touch points, to create a more personal relationship with the target audience.

- Branding must be the creator of added value. Modern consumers are not buying the actual product, but the brand as well. The added value produces more profit. A branded T-shirt for examples costs 40 dollars (while manufacturing it costs 4 dollars).

- Brand parity is the perception of the customers that all brands are equivalent.

- Attitude branding can also be described as "experience" branding. It is more about representing feelings, a whole experience, a "larger feeling".

- Iconic branding is interesting. They target not only on the consumers experience while consuming them, but on their personal expression and personalities. This kind of branding strategy started to emerge in the beginning of the 00's. Ritual like behaviors are included when buying or consuming the brand. The brand becomes a myth. According to Douglas B. Holt, "There are four key elements to creating iconic brands (Holt 2004): 1. "Necessary conditions" - The performance of the product must at least be ok preferably with a reputation of having good quality. 2. "Myth-making" - A meaningful story-telling fabricated by cultural "insiders". These must be seen as legitimate and respected by consumers for stories to be accepted. 3. "Cultural contradictions" - Some kind of mismatch between prevailing ideology and emergent undercurrents in society. In other words a difference with the way consumers are and how they some times wish they were. 4. "The cultural brand management process" - Actively engaging in the myth-making process making sure the brand maintains its position as an icon."

- "NO BRAND" brands :-).

Deriving from the anti-branding movement, (Starbucks branding example at the end...) these brands (i.e. Japanese brand MUJI), spend little or no money on marketing and advertising. Their success lies in their reputation and "word-of-mouth" of the public. Still, the MUJI example is somehow branded, as one of the first "No-Brand" brands. (Corporate ethics is important for successful branding).

- Brand extension is the expansion of a company's product line with other non relevant products, that compliment or "accessorize" the initial product. (Adidas produces perfumes, Ferrari manufactures some clothing as well, etc.)

Online Brand Communities

In their article, Patrick Hanlon and Josh Hawkins are describing the role of online social media as powerful tool towards successful branding. Companies have started to take advantage of the public's ability to use social networking system, and have invited consumers to share their vies and thoughts online. Whether within the boundaries of a companies website, or an independent source (like the Consumerist blog), corporations are engaging people in a constructive dialogue about their preferences and dislikes. The consumer market has evolved into a large group of online brand communities. Branding executives have realized the self explanatory: that consumers are the main source of information about the validity and progress of a brand. Blogs and websites where people share their opinions and experiences with consumable goods, have become very popular over the past 5 years, and the reason is simple: "I would rather inform myself about the advantages of a product from an actual consumer, rather than a TV ad, created to pursue me to buy. Companies and brands today, instead of conveying messages about their products, they let the public speak! It is a new way to identify what the consumers demand, desire and are not pleased with. As the writers of the article put it: Social media outlets provide "powerful new opportunities for company to revisit their origins". "Reaching out conveys confidence, accessibility respect and authenticity..."

Examples of companies like Apple, Haagen Dasz and DuPond are mentioned in the article.

Hypothesis

This thesis presents the hypothesis that in the near future, brands will not consist of fixed products and services, but will be constantly evolving, according to the financial and social needs of consumers. Predictability is what describes today's brands, both in terms of aesthetics and purpose (i.e. a common visual approach applied to a fixed product line). In contrast, the public's tendency and ability to hyper-customize what it consumes, shows a desire to create unique and personal brands. Such a hypothesis suggests that the future of branding lies in an open dialogue between corporations and consumers, that will lead to the co-creation of constantly evolving products and services, designed by and for the public. Traditional brands might be replaced by invisible "brands in motion".

Minds in Motion - Brands in Motion

We are being distracted and constantly bombarded with information. As a result we get easily bored. Brands in the future, should adjust with the public's mind in motion and become Brands in Motion.

A Better World by Design Conference

At the "Better World by Design Conference", held in Providence, Rhode Island on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of October 2009 (and organized purely by students of the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University), artists, designers and students expressed interesting thoughts and ideas regarding the role of design in solving social and environmental issues. It seemed like the beginning of a movement towards the establishment of design as a social discipline. Among the lectures, panel discussions and workshops, the following opinions were also related and could be applied to branding. If design is moving to a more human and social active direction, so can branding. In other words, branding can be influenced by movements that we see today in design.

-- Taking into consideration that from the 6.7 billion people in the world, 4 billion actually have a mobile phone, Nokia Research Center is constantly examining human behavior and experience regarding mobile devices. (Nokia sells approximately i billion phones per year and owns the 40% of the mobile phone global market.) Research teams are "hanging out" (usually for a period of two weeks) with communities all over the world, living with them, understanding their environment, examining their habits, behaviors and needs when using a mobile device. Coming closer with local people and comprehend attitudes and behaviors gives Nokia a better understanding of what people need. The places where the most research is being done are described by Jan Chipchase, the principal researcher at the Nokia Research Center, as "in between places", countries and cities in process of development. For Nokia, the uncertainty of the future is actually an opportunity for new, better things. By penetrating in actual communities and living with them they get the "full picture" of what people need. In addition, in order for designers to design for the future they need to assume what the future will be like. So, for brands to survive in the future, they will have to understand what people really need.

-- "Project M", a movement that started in the Rhode Island School of Design, recruits designers from various disciplines in a commitment for design for good causes. "Talent used for good". The creation of a dynamic collective of creative thinkers aims to break the conceptual bias and orthodox patterns of corporate thinking and design. The radical approach of "letting loose" unleashed creativity (described by the Project "M" people as "ThinkWrong") may lead to revolutionary ideas. Again, through working with communities, the designers can discover what the public really needs in terms of design and branding.

-- At a discuss panel called "Urban Arts", engineers, art educators and designers presented their initiative of creating education and activity centers in the cities they live in. Taking into consideration facts and assets that the communities already had they formed small institutions in order to educate people and make them progress. For example, in a community with many children, artists can collaborate in the creation of a creative activities center. Another example is the initiative taken by Clay Rockefeller in Providence, Rhode Island. His project is called "Steel Yard". It is based in an actual, old steel yard and it "offers arts and technical training programs designed to increase opportunities for cultural and artistic expression, career-orientated training and small business incubation." All the projects were about making a community recognize what they have and work on it. We witness a tendency for designers and artists to act as mentors. Can the above become applied to branding? Instead of "brand as trendsetter" can we move to a new branding vision called "brand as mentor"?

-- Emily Pilloton is the founder of Project H, "a charitable organization that supports, creates and delivers life-improving humanitarian product design solutions."

-- An intersting aspect of Teddy Cruz's speech (focusing on the formation, social issues and impacts of suburban communities in the US borders with Mexico) was the contrasts between the unit and a system. When mentioning the need for sustainable waste, he used the example of the used tires from San Diego, that are used as a building material in poor communities in neighboring Tijuana. The creation of systems from units used in design. What can the definition of a future "brand system" be, and what units would form it?

- Emerging Future Lab founder and new market strategist Nitti Bahn, focuses on "the bottom of the social pyramid", (developing countries and poorer communities) in order to provide groundbreaking solutions that would help new ventures and services.

Digital branding...

The evolution of Branding.

http://www.slideshare.net/karllong/brief-history-of-branding-presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/paulsjr/brief-history-of-branding

An interesting powerpoint presentation, posted on slideshare, makes an interesting analysis about the evolution of Branding.

The first branding activities were spotted in ancient years, where there was a need for identification of products within the common packaging solutions (vases etc.) of that time. The same objective (of identification) was seen in branding during the Industrial Revolution. Mass production of more and more products called for identification and trademark systems. As the market grew and plenty of goods were available to the public, industries started to use more creative visual approaches while branding their goods. Their aim was not pure information ("what is in the bag"), but familiarization of the consumers about the origins and the quality of the product ("who made what's in the bag", "why is it the best!").

In the 50's branding was associated with the actual physical product, i.e. a magazine, a service, an ice cream. 

Emotional attachment with brands and labels started to emerge in the 60's. The presentation uses Coca Cola and Pepsi as an example; two similar products having their own team of followers. "Consumers tend to drink the label".

In the 80's big corporations spread their brand in more than one product. They demonstrate their power through sponsorship. The corporation becomes the actual brand. 

Furthermore, in the 90's, branding has become even more powerful. The holistic aspects of branding are reinforced. The visual and sentimental part of a brand, makes it even stronger that the actual product.

This leads us to today's branding trend, where experience and customization is far more important that the product sold. Brands are approaching human needs of belonging and experiencing even more. An open dialog between brands and consumers may be just around the corner. Customization allows brands to invade in anyone's personal world. Finally, a holistic approach to branding, according to the creator of the slide show, is what we already starting to experience as consumers. Brands will take the public's feelings and senses (vision, sound, smell, taste, touch) a lot more seriously. Starbucks, with its "sensory uniqueness" is used as an example. "We are not in the coffee business serving people, but in the people business serving coffee", are the words of Howard Schultz, the pioneer and Chairman of Starbucks. Brands became iconic, interactive and part of a whole attitude; they evolved around people, their individuality, habits and needs.

What will brands do in the future to enhance the "Belief System" around them?
("Belief System" - term used in Patrick Hanlon's book, Primal Branding)

Future Brands

How are Brands and Nationality related?

Is the future brand going to be about experience and not about consumable products?
(instead of BUY ---> PRODUCT ---> FEEL, it is going to be about BUY ---> FEEL.)

Facebook is selling feelings and notions like companion, gossip etc.

(PRODUC)RED example

(from wikipedia)

Product Red is a brand licensed to partner companies such as American Express, Apple Inc., Starbucks, Converse, Motorola, Gap, Emporio Armani,Hallmark, Microsoft, and Dell. It is an initiative begun by U2 frontman Bono and Bobby Shriver of DATA to raise money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Each partner company creates a product with the Product Red logo. In return for the opportunity to increase their own revenue through the Product Red products that they sell, a percentage of the profit is given to the Global Fund.

Product Red has been criticized for not having an impact proportional to the advertising investment, for being much less efficient than direct charitable contribution, and for having a lack of transparency with regards to the amount of money going to charity as a percentage of every purchase.

Don Ryun Chang - Place branding

Don Ryun Chang is a designer, brand strategist and professor at Hongik University in Korea.

In one of his lectures on place branding, he mentioned some interesting facts that involve a more

interactive and outgoing form of branding, focusing more on feelings and people.

- Design must be relevant with contemporary issues, and branding is a holistic media 

communication approach, and not just a corporate issue.

- "Brand", as a word derives from norwegian language. It means "burned". (I the past people used to

mark animals or object with burned stamps, in order to identify them.)

- When the city of Bilbao had financial issues, in order to get out of the crisis it had to transform

itself to a cultural Mekka. That is when the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao was built.

- Corporate experience can be part of a city's tourist experience. For example in New York,

retail shops like the Apple store and Abercrombie&Fitch have become tourist attractions.

So, is it possible to create a corporate experience into a cultural one?

- Media coordination can be a key factor for successful branding.

- The co-existance of the old and the new in an urban environment can be described

as cultural / identity sustainability. The new must not overpower the old. Both need to interact.

(In terms of human relationships, Facebook must not overpower actual human contact.)

- Can a platform be created so that people tell their experiences about their home town?