Go Logo! A Handbook to the Art of Global Branding

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Determinant 9

Persuasion:

Black Can Be White; Roses Can Be Blue

From Chambers Concise Dictionary:

Persuade: to induce by argument, advice; to bring to any

particular opinion; to convince

Persuasion: the act, process, method, art, or power of

persuading; an inducement

9

This men’s body spray by Right Guard defies the branding mold by

using a unique packaging design. Nonetheless, the creative design is

masculine enough to attract its buying audience—young, athletic men.

(Design: Wallace Church)

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Go Logo! A Handbook to the Art of Global Branding164

I

f asked to provide the simplest explanation of the branding function, the one-word

answer would be “persuasion.” In a bricks-and-mortar retail store, staffed with sales

associates trained to persuade you about the attractions of many brands, the sales pitch

can become a sociable dialogue about a single brand’s many attractions, because you

specifically asked about it, or the dialogue can quickly segue to friendly advice on other

models or other brands, as well.

It is far harder to be persuasive when the

selling effort is via more conventional

media, but that will be the challenge most

often faced by the majority of creative brand

warriors. The Internet can be a very effec-

tive medium for “pre-shopping,” offering

opportunities for extensive research, even

for the everyday products sold on big box

grocer or pharmacy shelves. In these selling

environments, where collateral and packag-

ing must do their jobs, you, as a creative

brand warrior, must consider how your

design can best engage each shopper in a

personal dialogue. The commercial persua-

sion message that you must create through

your design has many built-in limitations,

not all of which are concerned with size,

copy, or number of units and shelf place-

ment in a crowded and competitive envi-

ronment. Creating a unique concept and an

intriguing package design is only part of the

equation. The biggest obstacle for the best

brand-oriented product and package design-

ers is to develop a provocative and winning

case with the client. Basing a presentation

on design principles or solely on issues of

shelf impact, or even side-by-side compari-

sons with competitors, is not enough.

The persuasion techniques best used

here are all psychologically focused.

Understanding the likely mindset of the

client, the distribution channels, and the

consumer is paramount. And successful

brand warriors recognize that getting the

opportunity for a dialogue with the con-

sumer depends entirely on how effective

they are in persuading the client that he or

she made the right choice. (I’ve never, ever

worked with a client who wasn’t a packag-

ing expert.)

Whatever aspect of the brand’s overall

commercial persuasion program you are

involved with, the essential issue is to un-

derstand all the factors revolving around the

brand’s current strategic positioning and its

agreed selling proposition. Always remem-

ber that the story of the brand is a con-

tinuing saga. If the brand is a major global

player, it will have much received wisdom

surrounding it. Think, for instance, of Coke

(and I need not add Cola for recognition)

as a famous Shakespearian epic. The plot

might not change, but the staging, the inter-

pretation, and, most important, the players

involved can vary quite dramatically. In fact,

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