By Martin Lindstrom
1. Branding is what goes on in one’s mind.
2. Brand is not a logo. Test is that if one removes the logo, will one still be able to recognize the brand!
3. Traditional communication no longer works because we are being over-communicated to.
4. What appeals to as many senses will be remembered.
5. The story goes that challenge given to Coca-Cola was to create a bottle that if smashed could still be recognized from its glass pieces. Therefore, the meaning of ‘Smash your Brand’ is that one needs to look at all small pieces which the brand can be broken into and see what brand can make its own.
6. Brand wheel is a tool which indicates portions of real estate which a brand can optimize and own viz. Picture, Colors, Shapes, Name, Language, Icons, Sound, Behavior, Service, Tradition, Rituals and Navigation.
7. Orange has appropriated a color. Absolut branded ‘spelling error’. So, it’s variants are Rasberri, Vanilia, Kurant and so on. Brand needs to own something else besides the logo. Absolut has also branded the shape of its bottle.
8. Icon of the ‘Idea’ brand is ‘Sumo Wrestler’. So if one removes the logo and keeps only the Sumo Wrestler the brand ‘Idea’ will be recognized.
9. Brand creates community and belonging.
10. Louis Vuitton was renovating its store in Paris. To do that it created a façade in the shape of its luggage bags and accessories. People remembered the façade. In fact, they identified with it. To the extent that when it was going to be pulled down after 2 years when renovation was complete there was a demonstration outside the store.
11. Tiffany Box is trademarked. Shade of Pantone color used for Tiffany box is owned by Tiffany. Therefore, one needs to get permission from Tiffany if one wants to use the same shade of color.
12. Branding is about consistency.
13. Today Pepsi owns the color ‘blue’. Pepsi took it away from IBM. If one wants to secure ownership then one needs to stick with it.
14. Peuguot car has branded the ‘0’ in middle of its car plate numbers. Story goes that the creator of Peugot car used to experience breaking the number in middle into 2 pieces for using crankshaft to get the car started. Because the crankshaft had to pierce that number. So, he thought that if crankshaft had to be inserted into a ‘0’ then there would not be any breakage of a number into 2 pieces. And so, all Peugot cars have ‘0’ in middle of their car plate numbers.
15. Ipod now has extended its branding to even its earplugs. By seeing a person with Ipod earplugs one can recognize an Ipod user.
16. There are certain words which are owned by Disney and are recognized by people as being associated with Disney Brand. These words are: Fantasy, Dreams, Magic, Smiles, Happy, Creativity. Personnel in Disneyland use these words. These words are built into the lyrics of Disney songs. And so on.
17. Colgate owned the smile but it has gone to Disney and Mcdonald’s.
18. One needs to create a difference in the mind.
19. We are too focused on visual aspect of branding. We need to see how we can brand ‘sound’.
20. James Bond movie theme song. In fact, James Bond has branded so many things around it. The logo, ‘Bond, James Bond’, ‘Shaken not stirred’, gadgets, vintage scenes, title introduction, character names, gun, topic, filming and so on.
21. Olympics today are no longer about the 4 rings but about rituals surrounding Olympics like carrying and lighting of flame, opening ceremony and so on.
22. Strong emotions are generated by rituals. Brands need to create rituals around themselves.
23. We need to ask ourselves the following questions: vWhich signal do we own vWhat would we like to own vIdentify top 3 vTake it to the extreme vSecure ownership vEstablish a brand manual which is human and not legalistic vBe patient v Test for ownership
24. By the age of 65 a person in USA would have watched 2 million commercials. This is equivalent to seeing TV commercials 8 hours each day for 7 days a week for 6 years.
25. TV commercials don’t work anymore. Recall level of ads has decreased from 34% in 1965 to 1.5% today. TV spends keep on growing. 20% would own a TiVo by 2007 in USA and 14% around the world. Murdoch will shortly be launching a set-top box which would be able to store all the movies ever produced in any language.
26. 83% of all information which people receive is visual. Visual is over-communicated. Branding is about all 5 senses. Benjamin Franklin said “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I might remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.”
27. We recall best what we smell more than what we see. Sense of smell emotionally affects human beings upto 75% more than any other sense.
28. Gradation of sensory importance shows that after visual there is smell and then audio, taste and touch.
29. Sense of taste and smell are one where laboratory is mouth and nose is chimney.
30. We don’t have a name for those who can’t smell or taste.
31. In an African village people didn’t have names. They knew each other on the basis of individual smell they had.
32. 90% of Japanese population have no underarm odor. Through research it has been found that Japanese are more sensitive to senses than US/UK.
33. Purex Tabs is a floor cleaner. It was a very effective product but smelt very badly. New marketing manager felt that it would be better to change the smell to a more pleasant one which he did. Sales went down by 42 %. Smell was changed back to the original. Bad smell was associated with its effectiveness.
34. Our senses are finely tuned to pick up signals that warn us of danger. Jack Holly, a US Marine stated “I am alive because of my nose. You couldn’t see a Commie bunker if it was right in front of you. But you can’t camouflage smell. I could smell the North Vietnamese before hearing or seeing them.” We need to brand our daily touch points.
35. Crayola Crayons have a patented smell. So when Chinese imitated Crayola Crayons including packaging it was very difficult to distinguish the original from imitation except through smell.
36. No.1 recognizable smell in USA is coffee. No.2 is peanut butter. And No.18 is Crayola Crayons.
37. We have been given our senses to understand our world. According to Prof. Gerald Zaltman (Harvard Business School) the brain processes smell more quickly than other senses. Metaphorically from nose to brain would require 3 to 4 jumps while for touch would require around 1000 jumps. Our sense of smell registers in our emotional brain where judgments are made. According to Helen Keller “Smell is a potent wizard”.
38. We also remember smells according to the time when we were born. Before 1930 people would remember smell of hay, pine, horse and meadow. After 1930, smells remembered would change to J&J Baby Powder, Crayon Crayola and Vanila.
39. Smell triggers memories and affects brand perception. McDonald’s smell is greasy and associated with stale oil. It makes you feel fat even before you enter outlet. Smell creates brand associations. Burger King is associated with smell of ‘grilled’. Smell of fresh popcorn is used to draw people into cinema halls. Smell impacts purchase decisions. A new car has a distinctive smell. Smell can’t be turned off.
40. Within Barclay’s Bank they brew coffee so that the customer may feel at home.
41. Smell of a new car comes about with car being sprayed 2 hours before it leaves factory. Rolls Royce has broken up its trademark smell into 800 odor components and created ‘Eau Rolls Royce1965’ which is sprayed into every new Rolls Royce. Post 1965 the sales increased.
42. Singapore Airlines patented the smell of its ‘hot towels’ in 1995. One can get Singapore Airlines smell while one is on the aerobridge and about to enter the aircraft. Cosmetics used by airhostesses are patented Pantone shades viz. SIA face color, eye color and lip color. Way the plate is placed in front of passenger is determined. There is a brand manager on every flight who notices if there is any infringement regarding any aspect of Singapore brand. If there is any infringement then person concerned goes back to Singapore brand school.
43. In an experiment conducted in Las Vegas it was found that by spraying a particular smell people gambled more and revenue earnings of casino increased. In a Nike experiment, 84% preferred pair which was sprayed with a smell than pair which did not have any one on it. And they were willing to pay extra for pair with smell. Similarly, it has been found that in part of the store where a particular scent has been sprayed people spend more time and money than in any other part of store which does not have any scent sprayed.
44. 82% felt that Coca Cola tasted better from a glass bottle than from a can. Tactile experience too is important.
45. Vodaphone owns the red color and not Coca Cola. Coca Cola has not been consistent. Coca Cola’s new colors are green, yellow and many other different shades in different countries of world.
46. In the area of sound Microsoft Windows has become the owner of its signature tune. 62% are aware of it. Similarly, Nokia has patented its own tune which is easily recognizable. It was invented 7and1/2 years ago. It takes approximately 9 seconds to locate one’s mobile phone and therefore on the basis of receiving on an average 500 calls per month, one can say that one is hearing the tune 15 hours per year. And, Nokia is making people aware of it without spending any money. Today, there is a 41% awareness of the Nokia tune against a 56% awareness of Intel tune but only after Intel has spent $320 million on advertising it.
47. Sound generates mood and memories. It promotes brand awareness. Sound also communicates brand quality. For instance, the sound of car doors closing. It builds brand recognition and builds brand familiarity.
48. We now have an advertisement in ‘People’ magazine that sings an Elvis Presley number. Ads on paper are now talking and singing.
49. According to a research done by Millward Brown it was found that sensibility to sight increases as education increases. With High School education it is 30% while with Graduation/Post Graduation it increases to 45%.
50. Sensitivity to smell is higher among women (28%) than men (19%). But recall data shows that both sexes are equally affected.
51. Memories get activated and drives brand choice. Our memories are like an untidy, overstocked cupboard. Everything is recalled at once. Senses are the keys to unlocking cupboard. Experience creates and confirms expectations.
52. Positive experience alone is not enough. Distinctiveness and differentiation also matter. Brand success is more than just a great experience. Components of brand success are: Leader, Clarity, Great experience and business model.
53. Emotion plays a role between senses and brand effect. Emotion drives attention and brand processing. Taste is most likely to create the feeling of satisfaction. McDonald’s creates a more cheerful feeling than Burger King.
54. Even among regular users there is a huge difference in loyalty. The more all of the senses are associated the more loyalty is experienced.
55. Structural Path Model is based on senses interacting and creating Leadership, a great Experience and Clarity which leads to Choice.
56. Each Brand can be mapped on which senses it is strong or weak. For instance, Dove has been shown through research to be balanced on all the senses. While Irish Spring depends more on the sense of smell. Research is now attempting to put financial values on the senses and thereby arrive on the total financial value of brand.
57. Vision is incredibly important for brands. It gives one the mandate to go beyond the normal. To do something which requires true inspiration and guts. Apple’s vision is “Man is the creator of change in this world. As such he should be above systems and structures and not subordinate to them” The Credit Lyonnaise Bank’s vision is “You can only be a partner with someone you think of as an equal.”. Vision is not enough. If at the end of vision statement one crosses one’s brand or company name out and puts competition’s name instead and one finds that there is no difference then throw the vision statement out. There needs to be a tangible difference.
58. At airport one has these racks for ensuring that only bags of a certain size are carried into the plane as hand baggage. On these racks is usually written all the pertinent legal jargon in fine print which the passenger can hardly read and hardly ever does read. Virgin Airlines thought of this as a branding opportunity in keeping with its Vision and Values. What is written on a luggage rack of Virgin Airlines is “You can have a huge ego but only a bag this size.” This is not bland branding. Need to be provocative and add a sense of humor. This becomes branded jargon vs. legal jargon.
59. We should expect enemies and we therefore need to cut off competition. Even if one’s budget is low one can do something innovative to achieve this. There was a pizza owner in Australia who had a budget of just $700. He used this amount to purchase time on a radio station and the radio spot said the following: “Take your Yellow pages book and tear out all the ‘Pizza pages’ and bring them to his outlet and get a pizza free.” Today, he is the biggest pizza owner in Australia.
60. B to B is the same as B to C. We are all human beings and therefore the principles which apply to B to C need to be applied to B to B.
61. The world’s most boring product ‘Roller Bearings’ produced by SKF whose vision statement is “Reduce friction to move the world forward.”
62. If you want to get ahead you don’t have to follow the leader’s tracks in the snow. One needs to benchmark against companies who are the best in the world and not necessarily in your industry. Optimize every touch point and compare with other companies in world.
63. We need today more and more to look at brand alliances and partnerships. For instance, Time-Warner creates content for GM cars. United Airlines serves only Starbucks coffee. DoCoMo, the telecom service provider in Japan identifies for instance people and their friends if they happen to be in same vicinity and invites them to have a tete-a-tete at nearest Starbucks outlet. This is contextual branding.
64. It has been found that no matter which brands team up viz. whether one brand is strong while other is weak or both brands are strong and so on, both will win. We need to think complementarity.
65. When products are more generic in nature it becomes essential that they team up with other brands viz. Nutrasweet with Coca Cola. Intel with the PC.
66. Create your own story and make your own presentation.
67. We need to look at evolution of branding through the following phases viz. USP (Unique Selling Proposition) in 60s to ESP (Emotional Selling Proposition) in 70s, to OSP (Organisation Selling Propostiion) in 80s, to BSP (Brand Selling Proposition) in 90s, to MSP (Me Selling Proposition) in 2000, to HSP (Holistic Brand Proposition) which is happening now with trying to sensorialize brand.
68. Brands are being used by parents to name their kids. Today there are 121 kids with name ‘Nike’, 92 kids with name ‘Canon’, 12 kids with name ‘Starbucks’ and 19173 kids with name ‘Harry’ as a result of Harry Potter phenomenon. People are getting obsessed with brands. In a research, it was found that 18.9% would like to have a tatoo of Harley Davidson, 14.8% Disney, 7.7% Coca-Cola and 6.6% Google.
69. 10 major elements of ‘religion marketing’ are the following: Sense of belonging, Clear Vision, Power from Enemies, Authenticity, Consistency, Perfection, Symbols, Mystery, Rituals and Sensory appeal.
70. Let’s see how brands have applied/not applied these elements. Vision creates community. Every brand needs a public enemy no.1. Coke and Pepsi. When one makes a choice of a brand one is automatically making a clear statement of what one is not. Coca-Cola has not been consistent and has therefore lost the ownership of its red color. Harley-Davidson stresses perfection to the extent of creating a detailed manual showing how a Harley Davidson is to be cleaned. Coca Cola formula or 7X has a mystery created around it. Opening the Champagne bottle with a pop is a ritual. It is very easy to replace the cork with an aluminium cap but the whole ritual with the traditional popping sound will be missed. James Bond ritual of wanting his Vodka Martini ‘Shaken not stirred’. The Olympics are full of rituals which have become more important than Olympic rings. How to pour beer into a glass is a ritual. Corona beer which has to be drunk with a slice of lemon is a ritual which was created by a bartender in Los Angeles to see how fast a ritual spreads. One can invent one’s own rituals and own them.
71. Today’s kids through research, are seen to be more religious than ever. More than 50% state that having religion is more important to them. They are also an Interactive generation. And, control $1.88 trillion through their influence in the purchase of brands.
72. Today kids don’t experience ‘information overload’. In multi-tasking kids outscore adults. While kids can handle on an average 5.4 channels at a time, adults can on an average handle just 1.7 channels. They are the instant generation.
73. Kids grow old young (KGOY). 44% prefer Internet. Next is Gaming and then TV. 20% have purchased products online. 20% find new friends online. Computer game titled ‘Everquest’ has 1.1 million members who spend 28 hours a week playing the game. It needs to be played continuously. So that ‘Avatars’are created. It takes 6-8 weeks to build an avatar. One can’t take a break for too long. The players earn an adult virtual salary. They then take their avatar and sell it on Ebay. There is an ‘EverQuest’ widows club. Wives divorced because the game engrossed their husbands. Entropia is a game where one purchases real estate with virtual cash. In certain games one finds that one can become a franchisee of McDonald’s and run it earning virtual cash which one can exchange for real cash on Ebay. So a kid of average age 9 years learns how to run an outlet profitably. Contextual branding is becoming more and more important. By 2010, it will be worth $1 billion. Hollywood is sourcing its ideas for films from Gaming.
74. Kids today are driven by fear because everything in their world is uncertain. More than half of today’s tweens feel stressed and can’t comprehend their daily life. More than half of the world’s tween population is concerned about terrorism. They find the past secure. They want stability, humor, mastery, fantasy and love. And, that is why sometimes one finds the old fashioned brands becoming popular. The retro effect. They are also continuously into ‘upgrading’.
75. Kids today deliberately distort language. 70% of all tweens change their language on purpose when chatting or texting. 30% of all tweens text several times a day. 15% prefer to text even if they are sitting next to one another.
76. Kids are becoming primary decision makers and therefore Toyota is targeting kids. They have become primary decision makers in upto 80% of all cases. 60% decide car brand. 58% decide clothing brands. 57% decide mobile phone brand. Kids are likely to become just as influential decision makers in households as their parents within 5 years because half of world’s married population are divorced and therefore kids will take on responsibilities earlier. They are substantially more exposed to advertising and media.
77. Kids are now broadcasters. They have their own website. They have become brands.
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