global marketing strategy

When developing a brand it is easy to get lost in the superficial.

How does the logo look?

What should the tag line be?

These are common questions people ask when thinking of branding. Unfortunately these questions only focus on a small fragment of the overall brand image. They are reflections of the brand, not what the brand is. To understand the fundamentals of branding think about all the different ways you as a human perceive the world.

As a human we all have five senses. We see, hear, touch, taste and smell. We have all these special abilities that give input to our brain of what is around us. We then use these inputs to make decisions, to learn and to understand. Through this process we also tie-in a sixth-sense of sorts, feelings or emotions. When developing a brand you need to develop it so that your customers perceive it with each of their senses.

• What does your brand look like? I’m not talking about your logo or the design of you product. I’m talking about all of it, together. What other things–not related to your product–could be associated with it?
• What does your brand sound like? Sometimes this can be difficult especially if your brand has no audible qualities. What song fits your brand? What sound effects relate to your brand? What instrument best fits your brand?
• What does your brand feel like? Again, this is difficult to convey with many brands. Is it soft? Is it rough? Is it smooth, silky, slimy?
• What does your brand taste like? If you are not a food then get creative? Does you favorite car brand taste like chicken parmesan? Or beef and broccoli? Is it sweet, salty or savory?
• What does you brand smell like? Is it a sweet like a flower? Or a candy? Does it smell like a fresh cut log or fresh cut grass?

So let’s look at these questions with a real brand. I’ll use JetBlue as an example. I’ll use this because it is fairly hard to define in many ways, but I’ll try my best. Hopefully something difficult like this will help you see how to shape your own brand.

• JetBlue is a clean brand with a modern look, it’s not rough. It has straight lines and bold colors. It’s base color is blue, which conveys relaxation. While the lines present precision. But it also has some playful and fun imagery.
• JetBlue sounds light and playful as well. Not too strict or serious. When comparing JetBlue to other airlines I get the sense of it being more about having a good time, while also being efficient and effective at what it does. An upbeat song would fit JetBlue well, like a song from The Beatles.
• I get the sense that JetBlue is a smooth brand. It is polished. This polished image fits with the clean overall look of the brand, it creates cohesion between the elements of the brand.
• The taste of JetBlue would have to be natural, like fresh fruit. It is refreshing, not like its competitors. It is up-to-date. Rather than an orange that is tangy and sometimes sour, JetBlue is like a strawberry. Very sweet, pure and authentic.
• JetBlue’s smell would have to be natural as well. Maybe not like strawberries, but clean and refreshing. A warm beach smell may fit nicely.

The final sense is that of feeling or emotion. Once someone has perceived your brand with all available sensory perception he or she will start to tie-in emotion. The psychology of emotional ties to decision making is concrete. As humans we make decisions based off of the emotional connections we have created. These connections can also work in reverse. The important and difficult thing here is making an emotional connection that is consistant for everyone that comes in contact with the brand. Once you have done that you can consistently offer messaging that everyone relates to and understands.

I hope this helps you in thinking about your brand. Once you have figured out how people perceive your brand using all their senses you will better be prepared to convey everything the brand means.