Branding / Corporate ID

These days, scores of companies have logos people remember: The McDonald's arch, the NBC Peacock and Target’s Bull’s eye to name a few. But along with a recognizable symbol comes a perception of the company’s values, and it takes more than a logo to seep into the public consciousness.

Many agencies stress the importance of a logo and stop there, but at TaylorMack, we know there is more to corporate identity. It’s called “Branding,” and it is advertising in its purest form. By creating an image and a brand identity, companies create customer loyalty and inspire consumers to choose your brand over the competitor's.

Think of it this way: Not so long ago, you bought chicken from your local grocer’s butcher shop, and never knew which brand you were buying. Now, when you need to stock up, you head straight for Tyson Foods chicken, and the logo is prominently displayed on each package you drop into your cart. With Tyson’s extensive branding and packaging strategy, the company revolutionized the industry.

Here’s a quick tutorial on popular “buzz” terms, according to Paul Temporal and his book, Advanced Brand Management. You have probably heard these terms, but you might be surprised to learn their definitions:

Corporate Identity: The visual aspects of a company’s presence. This includes, but is not limited to a company’s logo. Businesses usually work on corporate identity when they are modernizing their visual image.

EXAMPLE One: Pepsi has revised their corporate identity several times since its inception in 1898. After changing the company’s colors to red, white and blue during World War II, the Pepsi crown logo evolved into a serrated bottle cap. From there, the serrated edges were removed and in 1991, the word “Pepsi” went from normal typeface to italics to emphasize movement. Finally in 1998, the company unveiled a new look with a three dimensional globe against a light blue background, signifying world leadership in the new millennium.

EXAMPLE Two: Wal-Mart’s brand identity has changed with its new emphasis on environmentally friendly practices. We all remember, “Always Low Prices. Always,” but that slogan was replaced after 19 years. In late 2007, “Save Money. Live Better,” debuted. Television viewers watched the Wal-Mart Smiley Face roll back prices in the 1990s. Now, they see TV spots with mothers and children walking through fields, telling us that if all 200 million Wal-Mart customers replaced one regular light bulb with a compact florescent one, it would have the same effect as taking 11 million cars off the road.

Brand Identity: The promise a company makes to its customers. This promise can be conveyed in many ways – through design elements and colors in logos, advertisements and copy such as slogans. Brand identity can apply solely to one brand a company owns or the entire company itself.

EXAMPLE: Pepsi’s Gatorade brand began in the summer of 1965, when a University of Florida coach decided to investigate why his players were so dehydrated after practices in the heat. Since the drink’s debut, it’s touted as the premier liquid replenisher of carbohydrates and electrolytes. Their slogan has changed over time, but always emphasizes intake, to reflect the nutrients within the drink. First it was, “Life’s a sport. Drink it Up.” Now, we see television commercials with athletes sweating beads of Gatorade colors with the voiceover, “Is it in you?”

Brand Image: The total customer perception about a brand. This perception does not necessarily match the brand identity, as the identity is portrayed by the company, but the image is determined by the customer. Customer service, consumer education and even packaging can make a huge difference in how consumers view your brand.

EXAMPLE: McDonald's has been the world leader in fast food, specifically with its Quarter Pounder and Big Mac hamburgers. But as consumers become increasingly more aware of their diet, the company is retooling the brand, displaying nutritional information, introducing new and healthier products to supplement its mainstream income, and even offering incentives like workout Cds with the purchase of salads and wraps to divert attention from its fattier fast food alternatives.

Both Pepsi and McDonald's are constantly reviewing their brand image and devising ways to better teach consumers about their brands.

At TaylorMack Advertising, we stress the importance of a logo, but we know corporate identity alone isn’t going to change the way a company markets itself, its values or how the public perceives them. The total package is only achieved through a comprehensive branding overhaul. TaylorMack Advertising knows that the best way for a business to achieve that evolution in perception is to enlist professionals who have successfully done it for others. Let us show you what we can do for your image.