Re: Brand Identity

I think, like many others in this program, I am drawn towards brands that really pay attention to detail. From unique packaging design to a full-blown experience like with Ted's Bulletin, we want brands that craft their goods and services with care.

After being sick for nearly two weeks, I've been buying a lot of tea. When I first approached the aisle in the grocery store - literally an entire aisle devoted to boxes of tea - I had some trouble deciding what I wanted. However, the one brand that really called out to me was Celestial Seasonings.

I find these teas to be comforting and trustworthy. Other teas had great design that was cleaner and simpler than these, but there was nothing that really pulled me towards them. As a child, I remember my mom had a cabinet full of different teas, and I was always drawn towards the ones with the cool illustrations. And my guess is if the company has kept this consistent branding for 20+ years, there must be others who feel the emotional ties to it as well. 

Some other brand loves of mine: IKEA, Under Armour, Southwest, and Target 

On the other end of the spectrum are the brands that fail to pay close attention to detail. These brands are far less likely to make it as household names, so I'm sure we will all have different examples. Right now, in Design-Business Link, we are working with Vehicles for Change, a non-profit with a mission to award donated cars to families in need, helping them to gain independence. It is certainly a great company with great goals. However, without someone to really be mindful of their graphic presence, it has become a hodge-podge of different logos, signage, advertisements and print materials. As they grow and create new divisions, they work with different people to come up with completely different materials, which is part of the problem. Hopefully, our class will be able to provide a uniform base for them to work with moving forward, so that they have a more unified image. 

I think that for most consumers, it is hard to articulate why they are attracted to certain brands and repelled by others, but I think that deep down they do have some understanding of it. For instance, many people love to wear Under Armour apparel that is literally branded all over with the UA logo and taglines. People recognize this brand and affiliate it with quality athletic apparel. They often like the bold colors, the textures, and the urban grunge feel of the stores and even the website. It provides a complete experience, from the second you walk into the store, down to every single time you wear the clothes. Not everyone will be able to express that when asked why they choose the brand, but they can identify some of the things that they like about it. They may even say that is why they choose Under Armour over, say, Adidas or Nike. 

So, overall, it is about attention to detail and crafting great experiences for your audience.