Re: Brand Identity

I'm so trying to prevent myself from writing about Target right now. Because I'm pretty sure that I already have in relation to branding. A million times in class. Maybe even multiple times here on the blog. I'm also tempted just to repeat things that have already been mentioned: Google, Disney, and Apple definitely came to mind. But I found it interesting that Ali's original post was about a brand that isn't so huge but is still consistent across the experience. And I don't often consider myself a brand loyalist, so part of the reason I haven't posted yet is because I've been really thinking about this--what brands do I really appreciate and go back to and why?

One is Modcloth, which I think I like because it offers a somewhat-unusual shopping experience, though I think it's less unusual than it used to be because other retail sites are trying to mimic them, in my opinion. It really was the first social community shopping site that I remember, and it has the niche of being vintage/vintage-inspired. It's also whimsical in a way that makes it seem like a fun place to be, mixed with a pretty strong basic design aesthetic that keeps the whimsy from becoming a manic pixie girl nightmare. Which also prevents me from feeling like I'm just too old for all of their clothes (though there are some sections I definitely feel too old for). I'm not a fan of their logo, but their attention to detail in their packaging and the consistency in their messaging, which is very customer-driven, making you feel important to them, is impressive. Their prices can be higher than what I would normally spend on clothes, but when I have the chance to splurge, I'm willing to do it with Modcloth because I can usually find something (read: many things) that I really love, and I have plenty of information to help me try to find the right size, and their return policy is pretty great.

For most people, I would think that attraction to strong branding is a bit subconscious. Like Kim mentioned, we often make choices based on associations with memory. I just found this article about a BBC production Secrets of the Superbrands, which argues that basically Apple, Google, Facebook, etc., all tap in to our most basic needs, and describes the opening of an Apple store in Covent Garden, which has a few parallels with religious experiences. The arched windows and the altars on which the products sit--they are designed to key in to people's previous experiences; while I don't know that many people understand exactly how a brand is working on them, I do think that people have some understanding of what branding is about, at least now, and especially younger people.