(or…  lighten up already)

Tell me, just who does your brand relate to?

Good branding is subjective.  “A good brand” is completely based on the perspective of its target audience.

One group of people can stand in a room and rip a brand from head-to-toe for everything from disconnected positioning, to poor logo design to poor packaging design.  While, at the same time, another group standing the room next door, can praise the brand for touching some place in their hearts - moving them to tears, changing their lives for ever.

Understanding that, shouldn’t we really be focusing on those that the brand is trying to target? Who really cares about the nay-sayers in the first room?  The brand is obviously positioning itself for those in the second room.  It RELATES to them.  The strategy was crafted for them…

Some of you are saying, yeah…  well, duh! Well, I’m thinking that some others out there aren’t listening so much to the subjective aspect.

There’s a lot of brand hate going on out there.  And for what reason?  Because it doesn’t relate to you?  Well my question is, “Who are you?”

Honestly, if I didn’t like the husband of my wife’s best friend, would it be smart to go through the trouble to write a post or tweet about it?  Would I run down the street yelling, “So-n-so’s husband is a pock-faced, ignorant, toothpick of a man and has no right to be married to her!”

I think not.  Not only would it be unwarranted, but it would reflect VERY poorly on my personal brand as to be labeled a shallow “hater.”

Humph…

Why do you think “Relevant” is the second required criteria of the TRUE Branding process (besides the fact it helped spell “True”…)? TRUE Branding is simply a framework for brand discovery.  It’s a list of conceptual criteria that we should judge every brand against.  If a particular brand isn’t TRUE to you, it may not mean that it’s not TRUE to others.

So, lighten up already.

Before you start criticizing a brand for “missing the point,” maybe you need to check to see if YOU were actually the target.

Also, as so appropriately Tweeted by our friend @RendaInDSM this morning:

“Tigger is all right, really,” said Pooh lazily. “Of course he is,” said Christopher Robin. “Everybody is really.” -A.A. Milne

Food for thought.

Keep Cooking (TRUE, objective perspectives)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

There’s been a small, increasing storm rising from across the pond. It’s a bit like watching a cold front bustle across the corn fields in my back yard – with the rolling sound of thunder and lightning flashes – and it’s starting to frighten me.

On June 5th, the new logo for the London 2012 Olympic Games was unveiled for the world. And from what I can tell, the response has been nothing but complete disdain and hostility toward the $800,000 brand mark. Many of the malicious responses center around the hideous, abstract design and the color scheme - similar to the pop culture graphics from the mid-1980’s. Check out Seth Godin’s remarks. He and his readers make some pretty good comments.

Now, I grew up in the 80’s, so I have a certain appreciation for the innovation and discovery that took place then. From an image standpoint, we were introduced to logos and icons with lasting vision and value like Apple, and Nike. On the other hand, even Apple has changed with the times.

So what happened to the design team and committee that was developing this tripe?

I’m saddened when I think of the world’s athletes that have put so much effort and time into achieving the honor of competing in the Olympics having to walk around the Olympic Village slathered with a logo that looks like they just got back from a Duran Duran concert. What will the medals look like – Swatches? (c’mon, I had at least five… and wore them all at the same time!)

My heart goes out to weightlifters, boxers and the sort… Maybe you’ll get Duran Duran’s Greatest Hits in your gift baskets – or maybe a cool “bangs flip” hair-do makeover…

Take a look for yourself. Think about how Seb Coe describes the “vision” behind their new brand mark… And then let me (and the world) know what you think.

Keep Cooking!
Andrew