The Complete Graphic Designer

145

“

Products are made in the factory,

brands are made in the mind.

”

—Walter Landor, founder, Landor Associates

Branding

Chapter 6:

Branding is about perception—the perception of a

company, its products, or services. Connections and

emotional appeal must be made between a com-

pany and its customers through the consistent use

of graphics. For some, a brand is about social status,

convincing customers that they can afford a certain

lifestyle or that they can appreciate luxury. For

others, brands are about attitude and individuality.

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The Complete Graphic Designer

146

Brands have the power to make customers identify

with a product or a service, to feel as though they

belong to something important. They affect pur-

chasing decisions, persuading a person to buy one

product over another, often to spend more money

in the process.

The sheer power of branding on an audience’s psyche

is a complex, creative challenge for the graphic design-

er, one that goes well beyond the traditional identity.

Brands are much like corporate identity in that they

require visual consistency. However, the application of

a brand extends well beyond two-dimensional, printed

collateral; it includes the entire customer experience,

everything from the logo and packaging to customer

service and the retail environment. The packaging

communicates to the user how a product looks, what

it feels like when he picks it up, and how well it works

or tastes; all these elements work together to help the

user form an opinion about the company, its product,

or service. This is known as the “brand experience.”

Sports team brands help identify

players on the fi eld of competition,

but to be truly effective, they must

be marketable as both memora-

bilia and merchandise. They evoke

spirit and unity among the team,

fans, and community.

Design:

Hornall Anderson Design Works

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