A friend, who is currently looking to change careers, recently forwarded me a link to a site about branding yourself with color during the interview process, and it made me think about not only the way that I brand myself, but also how products are branded—how consumers connect and remember a brand.
Although I think my signature color to be green, I don’t readily denote that synergistically from interview garb to resume to follow-up notes (although I think it’s a cool idea). Instead, I market myself via a variety of online profiles, and of course, this blog. Hopefully these items attribute to my professional ability, skill set, and interests in the online marketplace to reach my target audience – professionals and other advertising enthusiasts…and anyone else who’s listening (Hi Dad!).
For products, brands are usually denoted with logos. Nike’s swoosh, Coca Cola’s distinctive script, and Michelin with their puffy/marshmallow Michelin man are all examples of how brands’ mark their products as unique and connect them with advertising messaging. Logos allow consumers to recognize a brand product line and bring to mind the unique selling proposition in the marketing message when faced with a purchase decision.
I recently saw a display banner for Kleenex brand tissues. The copy, read:
Brand Identity Theft. Kleenex should be always be be followed by a (R) and the word "Tissue." Kleenex: Help us keep our identity ours.
As a consumer, I use the term ‘tissue’ and ‘Kleenex’ synonymously - or rather, when I ask for a tissue, I'm really asking for a Kleenex brand tissue. Kleenex cementing their brand identity in the minds of consumers by associating the word "tissue" and the brand name "Kleenex"--asking consumers to use the two together so that when one asks for a tissue, they're asking for a Kleenex brand tissue. Another example of this is the use of the term ‘coke’ to refer to a carbonated and caffeinated beverage from 'Coca-Cola.' These two examples show the importance of branding—two completely different brands have become synonymous with the products that they advertise.
Branding is an important part of advertising strategy. Not only is it is a visual link between the consumer and product, but also allows consumer to distinguish brands from one another, build loyalty and choose a preferred brand, and allows for price leveraging based on real or perceived brand benefits.
References:
http://excelle.monster.com/news/articles/3975-how-to-brand-yourself-with-color
About Me
- eckramer
- Growing up in Atlanta, GA, I moved to New Orleans, LA to achieve my BBA in Marketing and Management from Loyola University New Orleans. After being displaced by Hurricane Katrina, I spent a semester at Georgia State University, but was able to return to New Orleans to achieve my degree. Following graduation, I returned to Atlanta to pursue a coveted career in advertising. Currently, I am working as an assistant traffic manager at a prestigious advertising agency. I am a self-motivated, organized, detail-oriented, advertising professional with a strong sense of project ownership and proactive approach to issue resolution. Although my background has been primarily focused on online media, I have the ambition to learn and master new technologies, processes, departments, and other innovative facets of the advertising industry including broadcast and print production, public relations, communications, and strategy. I interact with a variety of people, personalities, and overcome unique challenges on a daily basis in a highly-dynamic environment under strict deadlines. I am always looking to increase success for myself, my agency, and our clients.