Does your company deliver on promise?

 Business strategy is brand strategy. When your employees are enthusiastic and committed to your brand, they will communicate the brand strategy to your customers. When your customers expectations are met, it will lead to customer loyalty and increased sales. When your employee experience matches your customer experience, then you will have brand alignment. In other words, when you do what you say you will do. When you deliver on promise you increase brand equity. 

Tetley revise their logo and packaging

 I notice that Tetley have changed their logo and updated their packaging. The tea brand have changed their logo ever so slightly. They have, in my opinion, softened the look by joining the "etl" within the logotype. This curvy approach is more informal and has a friendlier look and feel. Also, their packaging is now all card, which is a big plus for recycling.

What is the world's biggest brand?

 Is the world's biggest brand Apple or Amazon, Coca Cola or maybe Microsoft? A few years ago I would have said that Coca Cola was the biggest brand, but is Apple bigger? Certainly by market capitalisation Apple are the biggest at $2.73T, but are they the most popular brand? The brand equity of Apple has a premium appeal as a premium brand, but Coca Cola is affordable to almost everyone. Also, Coca Cola is ubiquitous where it can be found in the slums and in the boardrooms across the globe. By popularity, I would say Coca Cola is the biggest brand, but for how long? 

Next is a strong and trusted brand

 Next, the retailer will release an earnings report on the 21st of September. They expect profits to be ahead of expectations. The brand is well respected and has a very good reputation for quality fashion. They don't do many discounts, which has enabled them to enjoy a premium position in the market. In the book Brands and Branding, Tom Blackett says 'Brands that keep their promise attract loyal buyers who will return to them at regular intervals.' This is very much the case with Next. They have not joined the race to the bottom as the discounters have done. I believe Next is a quality brand and will be around for a long time.

Nestle update their packaging on Gluten Free Honey Flakes

 I noticed that Nestle have updated the packaging on their Gluten Free Honey Flakes. I think the new design is so different, people might think it is a different brand. They have gone very yellow instead of the predominantly white packaging. The overall design is more crisp and less fussy. It is bolder and has more impact. The Nestle promise is Good Food, Good Life. I think this wholesome image is reflected in the packaging.

Will the Castore brand be the next big thing?

 The Castore brand is gaining prominence in the UK. They now supply sportswear to Rangers, Newcastle United and Andy Murray. Their brand is now getting a lot of exposure and I can only see things getting better. They also have separate fashion lines that the public can buy. Their tagline is "better never stops" and I think they are going from strength to strength.

What makes a trusted brand?

 The stronger your brand, the higher your profits will be. A highly trusted brand is a strong brand. The role of the design team is to create branding that will convey trust. A consumers buying decision is motivated by a feeling of trust that they have for a specific brand. This appeal to the consumer is known as brand equity. A brand that is known for quality, integrity, innovation and if it delivers on its promise, it is a highly trusted brand.

Does your company have a Brand Strategy?

 If you want your business to have a competitive advantage you need to have a clearly defined brand strategy. The business objectives of your company should be clearly defined in a brand vision. Your vision statement should be a goal that your company aims to work towards. It should be a long term ambition. Google's vision is "to provide access to the world’s information in one click". Your company vision must be simple and clear. Your vision is just one part of a brand strategy. Branding is not just about a company logo or colour palette, but it comes from a unified coherent business objective that resonates throughout the company and be what the company or organisation stands for. 

If you require some branding advice about your company, click on the side link for Watson Consultancy which will take you to my website where you can get in touch and we can engage in some discussion about your brand.

Brand is more than the domain of the marketing department.

 In his book The Brand Gap, Marty Neumeier says "A brand is a person's gut feeling about a product, service or company". In essence a brand is decided by the customer. A company or organisation can try to influence how their brand is received, but essentially a brand is like a reputation.

In the book Brands and Branding, Rita Clifton says "Brands - whether product, service, retail or corporate, consumer or business-to-business - are demonstrably the most important and sustainable asset any organisation has". Brand is more than just marketing, it is the single uniform idea that must be the driving force behind the corporate strategy. The main business objective of a company is very closely linked to the marketing objective, but it is more than just about aesthetics, it is reflected in everything a company does, says and makes. If a company keeps its brand promise at the heart of everything it does, it will do business better.

Is the First Direct branding losing its bold simplicity?

 Since the bank First Direct started using a fingerprint-like image to accompany its logotype, I think it has lost some of its bold simplicity. Does this weaken their brand? Probably not. First Direct are always top of any survey for good customer service in the banking sector. As they have no branches and are only online, through an app or by telephone, then maybe they can focus more on providing a very good service. As a brand, I think First Direct is very strong. 

For many years their branding and imagery used within their printed and online materials has been very simple and clear. 

Virgin Money Branding

 I am not a customer of Virgin Money i.e. I do not bank with them, so I have no direct experience of the Virgin Money brand, but I am aware of their visual branding. The curly 'M' in the word 'money' and the Virgin logo replacing the 'o' in money. I think this works well as a sub brand of the Virgin parent brand. Virgin's purpose is to "change business for good" and an emphasis can be made on the word 'good' to be both forever and for the greater good. Virgin Money merged with Clydesdale Bank in 2019 and Virgin Money is now a trading name of Clydesdale Bank plc. The Curvy 'M' in the name makes for a quirky logotype and I think it carries off the message of the person who does business differently. Overall I think this is the strongest brand in the Virgin stable of brands and I believe it has the potential to be everlasting.

Why do brands need a Mission Statement?

 A company's mission statement should be a concise summary of what the aims of the company are. It should include why an organisation exists, what they do and what service they provide. Basically it is where, what and why do they do what they do. It should be a short explanation of what a company does and why. 

Coca Cola's mission statement is "to refresh the world in mind, body, and spirit, to inspire moments of optimism and happiness through our brands actions, and to create value and make a difference."

My mission statement for Watson Consultancy is "to create effective brand development for small to medium sized businesses. With my strong commitment to a high level of excellence, I allow businesses to reach their target audience with an accurate brand message."

Why do brands need a Mission Statement?
A mission statement acts as a guide for the company to stick to. It gives the employees focus, so that they have a guiding principle to follow. If the company finds itself veering away from its mission, it may damage their brand. A mission can be something to always refer back to. A mission is a guiding light.

Builders Logo Design

 I recently designed this logo for a builders company in Yorkshire. I also did letterheads and business cards. The client was very easy to deal with and agreed a design quickly.

Brand You

I am currently reading a book called 'Brand You' by John Purkiss and David Royston-Lee. I have found it fairly helpful in breaking down the areas you can build on to improve your brand image. One part that I found particularly helpful was the bit that goes: "The stronger your brand, the more people will value you. They will be pleased that you are working on their project and may pay extra for that feeling of reassurance." As I have been working on branding for other companies, I sometimes forget that I need to develop my own brand. When designing a logo, for example, I have found that I can do a better job if I takes just a few days longer designing. This creates a better design and I can then charge more for that design.

You are your brand

What people say about you is part of your brand legacy. If you focus on what skills or services you offer, and become more "visible", you can build a better brand for yourself. If your company needs a more comprehensive approach to branding, then Watson Consultancy can help. I offer reasonable rates for design of corporate identity and can establish the best media route to promote your brand. I can tailor a brand strategy that can be cost effectively implemented.