Branding Corporate Identity: Task 1

23 September 2024

23/09/24 - 11/10/23 / Week 1 - Week 3

Lin Chenyi / 0367008

Branding Corporate Identity / Bachelor of Creative Media Design (Honours)

LECTURE 

Week 1

Introduction

Branding

Branding aesthetics and brand identity are core elements in graphic design. Branding aesthetics are not only about visual consistency, but also about its uniformity across different platforms and creatives, from logos, colors, fonts to the overall style of the brand. This consistent performance can enhance brand recognition and trust. For example, some brand companies have a huge influence on the global market, such as Apple, Nike, Coca-Cola, etc. These brands have successfully established strong brand recognition and loyalty in different markets through a globally consistent brand image and cross-cultural communication strategies.

Lecture 01: BCI_1_Brand

A symbol moving to a larger identity involves a process where a simple visual element (such as a logo or icon) evolves to represent not just a product or service but a broader, more complex brand identity.

Fig 1.1 Pentagram's larger Identity , Week 1

Lecture 02: BCI_2_Brand

What is a brand? Brand comes from the Old Norse word "brand" (meaning to burn), and was first used to brand livestock to prove their ownership. This practice can be traced back to 4,000 years ago in the Indus River Valley. Branding gradually evolved, with farmers marking property, craftsmen declaring the fruits of their labor, and companies marking the superiority of their products. Historically, there have also been human branding, such as the branding of slaves and criminals.

Definition of Brand

A brand is not a statement made by the company itself, but a common perception of a product, service or person in society.

Brand Identity

Brand identity includes intuitive and visual images, which together help a company convey the right image to consumers. Brand identity is the overall image of a company that is conveyed to consumers through a series of elements.

Benefits of Branding

• Helps to stand out in a saturated market.
• Gives credibility.
• A clear brand lets you charge what you're worth.
• Customer loyalty.
• Returning customers and referrals.
• Consistency.
• Attract the ideal clients.
• Save money and time.
• Gives confidence in the business.
• Easier to introduce new products/services.
• Gives a clear strategy to move forward.

Role of Brand

Branding is a process that helps people quickly identify with a brand and gives them a reason to choose a product over a competitor. Ads like Diesel's "Be Stupid" and Benetton's "UNHATE" are all visual communication strategies that create unique brand perceptions and differentiation.

Branding methods

Branding includes brand definition, positioning, logo, advertising, design, customer service, pricing and other methods.

Benefits of branding

• Helps brands stand out in the market
• Increase credibility and customer loyalty
• Attract ideal customers and save resources

Role of designers

Designers in branding give visible form to content, strategy and information by researching and developing logos.

Lecture 03: BCI_3_Types of Trademarks

1. Logo
A logo is a general term referring to all trademarks representing a brand.

• Wordmark: A logo centered around a company's name or initials.
• Symbolic Logo: A logo focused on symbolic imagery or icons.
• Signature: When words and symbols are combined, also known as a combination mark. A "wordmark" typically only includes text.

Fig 1.2 Examples , Week 3

2. Monogram
A monogram is a pattern created by overlapping or combining two or more letters, often the initials of a person or company, forming a recognizable symbol or logo.

Fig 1.3 Examples of Monogram , Week 3

3. Heraldry
Heraldry encompasses the design, display, and study of coats of arms, initially representing families or organizations on shields and helmets. Modern logos sometimes originate from heraldic symbols.

Fig 1.4 Heraldry , Week 3

4. Mark
A mark is a stamp or imprint on something like paper, wood, or ceramics, indicating ownership or identity, often representing the creator's quality, skill, and commitment.

Fig 1.5 Mark , Week 3

5. Trademark
A trademark is a legally registered or established symbol, word, or phrase used to represent a company or product. Trademarks serve to identify and legally protect intellectual property. Unregistered trademarks are temporary, while registered ones are officially recognized by trademark offices.

Fig 1.6 Registered Trademark, Trademark, Service Mark , Week 3

INSTRUCTIONS

EXERCISE 

In this task, we are grouped in small groups to select a brand of our choice to analyze them. We are required to deconstruct the brand, with the help of a guideline given to us by our lecturer.

Task 1 - Breaking Brand

Assign tasks and ensure even distribution of tasks within the group.

Fig 1.1 Task allocation

This is the document our team has completed. Next we will create our own slides for submission. Below is the complete PDF slide file as my submission.

Final Submission

FEEDBACK

Week 1

In the first week, I showed the lecturer three jobs I wanted to do, travel photographer, coffee taster, and pet store manager. The lecturer thought the job of coffee taster was more unique.

NEXT PLAN OF ACTION

Make two mind maps before the second week, and complete the group research in the first week. Complete the slides that need to be made before the second week of class.

About mind map:

Business: brand logo, business sales purpose, brand value, etc.

Brand name: expand your imagination and analyse the name from multiple aspects.

REFLECTION 

Experience

Week 1: Breaking down a brand in detail to investigate how and what the company does. Through this process, I gained a lot of new insights and learned a lot.

Week 2: After completing all the research, it became easy to create individual slides and felt more organized.

Observation

Since the task was a group collaboration, the help of my teammates made it easier and faster for me to complete the task. The Chanel we chose is a well-known brand, so relevant data can be easily obtained online.

Discovery

Through this project, I deeply realized the importance of teamwork and the need for good resource organization.

Summary

In this project, I first deeply broke down the brand in depth to understand how and what it works, and gained new insights. Teamwork made the task more efficient, and the well-known brand I chose made it easier to obtain information. By utilizing Google and online tools, I was able to effectively find the information I needed and ensure the correctness of the citations.

FURTHER READING

《How to Style Your Brand》 by Fiona Humberstone is a practical brand design guide written for small business owners, designers and creative professionals.

Fig 2.1 《How to Style Your Brand》

Fig 2.2《How to Style Your Brand》

I learned that a brand is not just a logo, but a whole image displayed through packaging, colors, fonts, etc. Good packaging design can make a brand stand out in the market.

• Colors can convey emotions, such as soft colors give people a warm feeling, and bright colors convey vitality. The colors in the packaging should be consistent with the brand style to help consumers remember the brand quickly.
• The choice of font is very important. Different styles of fonts can convey different brand personalities. The fonts on the packaging should be clear and easy to read, and match the brand tone.
• Pictures or icons in the packaging design can help consumers understand the product and enhance the appeal and recognition of the brand.
• The visual style of the brand should be consistent in all aspects such as packaging and promotion, so as to establish a unified and credible brand image.