Unit 5

VISUAL AND ONLINE BRANDING

What is visual branding?

Visual branding helps communicate your company’s personality via visual elements. It’s an
essential part of a well-curated marketing strategy to help you reach and engage your target
audience from the get-go.

Your visual branding identity consists of several design elements, like a color pallet, shapes,
typography, graphic elements, and more. Your visual identity encompasses your brand’s personality
and values, while visual branding communicates it with different design components. Visual
branding can also be part of brand storytelling, where you’re using emotion-evoking narrative
techniques (including visuals) to establish a connection with your target audience.

The goal of visual branding is to create a close connection between the company and its customers.
By using specific colors, shapes, fonts, and other visual elements, the brand creates a unique
experience for its customers and strengthens its recognizability.
You can experience visual branding everywhere you go – online and offline. Whether it’s social
media, billboard advertisements, product design, or company logos, visual branding is everywhere.

Types of visual branding identities / components of visual branding

In visual branding, first impressions are everything. When a customer first encounters your brand,
you want them to get a sense of your brand’s personality right away. You want to create a
connection and communicate what your business is all about in the first few seconds.
Typography, color, logo, Graphic elements and imagery are the 5 visual branding essentials you
need to get right to create a unique and easily recognizable visual identity.

1. Logo

Logo is an umbrella term that describes all visual elements used to identify or represent a brand.
However your logo looks, it should be a unique signifier that introduces or reinforces your business
name and brand personality. Consider it the “face” of your brand. Whether you hire a graphic
designer or use a free logo maker, be sure that the design matches your brand messaging.
When you’re thinking about how to represent your brand visually, keep in mind that there are
several different types of logo elements you can play with.

A wordmark or logotype is one that is primarily composed of text, and usually features the brand’s
name in a stylized font. For example, the cursive Coca-Cola logo and boxy FedEx logo are instantly
recognizable wordmarks.
Another possible component is a brand markor logomark, a pictorial image used to represent the
brand. Think of the Target Bullseye or the Nike Swoosh.
Of course, some logos combine a wordmark and brand mark. Target’s use of bright red Helvetica
text is just as memorable as the Bullseye brand mark. These two elements can be used together or
separately, depending on the application.
You might also choose to add a tagline to your logo to explicitly state what your company does,
where it’s located or when it was established.

Here, you can see variations of the British Airways logo. It’s made up of the wordmark spelling out
the airline’s name and Speedmarque brand mark. Like the Bullseye and Swoosh, the Speedmarque
is often decoupled from the company name and used to reinforce the brand’s identity during various
customer touchpoints.

2. Typography

When your brand has something to say, the way your text looks on the screen or page will add an
additional level of meaning beyond the words themselves. Big, block letters will convey strength
and stability; a swirling script might communicate elegance and tradition. That’s the magic of
typography.
Typography is a science and visual art form related to the display of text. In terms of visual
branding, it’s the specific brand fonts you choose and how you use them.
Graphic design experts often recommend pairing a sans serif font with a serif font to distinguish
headers from body copy. The little tapering lines known as serifs can add an air of distinction to the
text. But their absence can create a sleek, modern appearance. When used in tandem, both styles can
give your brand messages a balanced feel.
British Airways embraces this technique, with a serif font used in the word mark and variations on
Mylius Modern, a sans serif typeface, for other text. (Note the use of the Speedmarque here as
well.)

3. Color Palette
The color palette you select for your logo and other visual content will evoke an emotional response
and contribute certain qualities and characteristics to your brand. In the language of colors, verdant
greens can represent balance and nature, cool blues evoke a feeling of calm and sunny yellows
suggest warmth and optimism. The colors you use, and how you combine them, will really set the
mood.
Your core color palette could involve just a primary and secondary color, or several different hues.
British Airways uses specific shades of blue, white and red as perto the Union Jack.

4. Graphic Elements

Additional details that feel true to your brand can add dimension to your visual identity. When
creating marketing collateral and other pieces of design, you can incorporate graphic design
elements like:
•Shapes.
•Patterns.
•Textures.
•Negative and positive space.
•Linework.
•Icons.
•Formatting.

5. Imagery
Finally, thephotos and illustrations you include across your branded content should reinforce the
same look and feel as the rest of the elements we’ve covered. Whether you use stock photography,
original shots or custom graphics, these can help evoke your brand’s personality and values.
Each picture speaks a thousand words — so be sure that the people, places, products and props you
feature communicate the right message.
As outlined in the British Airways brand guidelines, the airline prefers “epic panoramas” that evoke
“the romance of travel.” It also encourages realistic product photography that clearly and
realistically illustrates the function of a particular travel accessory.

Online branding- meaning and usage

Definition-Online branding is defined as a brand management technique that uses online channels
as a powerful medium to position a brand in the target market. You may also call it as internet
branding or online marketing.
It can also be understood as a digital-centric method for developing brand presence and
conversions. As the online platform is advancing, internet marketing channels have become the
opportunity for expanding the identity online. It uses search or social platforms to grow businesses.

No matter what is the specialization of the business, the internet can prove to be beneficial for every
niche. Most of the companies have now chosen to expand their brands by making an identity online.

Key Factors/usage of Online-Branding

1.Customer– The branding on the web starts with the customer. Your customers’ inclinations,
age, gender, availability, etc are crucial for designing an effective branding strategy.

2.Brand identity – Branding is also associated with the kind of identity a brand has.
Accordingly, different visual elements of branding like logo, taglines, etc play a crucial role in
sharing the brand voice with the target audience. It is useful in creating curiosity, interest,
affinity, and relations with prospects.

3.Competitors– Analysis of the competitors is essential for designing an effective brand strategy
on the web. It guides about the relevant channels, strategies, and practices, plus it suggests
better ways to stand out from the competition.

4.Online Messaging – How a brand shares its messages with its customers is very important in
branding campaigns online. Messaging should support brand vision,product, service, and
customer value.
 5.Location – Deciding where your business should be based, analyzing where audiences live,
the kinds of language they speak, sorts of location-specific details are the deciding factors of
branding campaigns.

6.People– The way people or employees working for a brand understand and deliver the brand
promises is crucial for ensuring success for a brand. Therefore brands should be educating,
training, monitoring, and recruiting the right people in the organization.

7.Product or Service – The kind of product or service that a brand offers is also central to the
effectiveness of the branding campaigns. How a product or service is adding value to the lives
oconsumers is integral in optimizing the branding on the web.

- Rebranding
Rebranding is a marketing strategy that involves changing the logo, name, concept or design of an
existing brand. This change is made with the clear intention to make the brand look so fresh and
new that it changes its image and helps it gain back the trust and interest of the target group and the
investors.

Rebranding is the process of assigning new characteristics and properties within and outside an
already established organisation or offering to give that existing brand a new identity to help it get
recognized differently or develop a totally new brand image in the market.
In simple terms, when the brand characteristics like name, design, logo, etc. of an already
established organisation or offering are changed or altered with an aim to change its existing brand
image or make it get recognized differently than before, it is rebranding.

Reasons for rebranding /Why companpanies rebrand ?

1. Mergers, acquisitions and demergers

For the most part, changes of business ownership, such as mergers, acquisitions and demergers,
result in an immediate rebrand. The aim here is not only to make the change visible, but also to
comply with legal requirements. In the case of demergers, the party that has split off is obliged to
develop its own brand. This makes it clear that it no longer forms part of the organisation. When it
comes to mergers and acquisitions there are several possibilities; the new company may develop a
completely new brand, or as with other cases, the name of one of the parties is used. The Swedish
company, Vattenfall, who took over Nuon (a Dutch company) a few years ago. They changed their
brand name and corporate identity from Nuon to Vattenfall where positioning the brand identity in
the correct way became of great importance. Another example is Nouryon, who recently adopted a
completely new brand name and brand identity, following its demerger from Akzo Nobel.

2. Repositioning

If implemented properly, a change to the brand positioning and brand promise of a company can
have major consequences for the organisation. Everything is adapted in line with the organisation’s
new strategy and promise; its products or services, HR policy, customer contact, corporate identity
etc. Rebranding makes this change visible for all stakeholders. An example is the lingerie brand
Hunkemöller that had a solid, but also an old-fashioned image. To be considered more as a ‘high-
end’ fashion brand, Hunkmöller carried out a thorough rebrand.

3.Internationalisation

In some cases, a change is necessary so that a brand can also be used internationally. This may be
because the brand name is specific to a particular country. In certain countries a brand name may
also conjure up the wrong associations. Organisations that sell the same products in several
countries, but under different brand names, are also increasingly opting to use one international
brand. Famous examples of this include the rebrand of Jif to Cif, Smiths to Lay’s, Raider to Twix
and Postbank (which was only used in the Netherlands) to ING (a brand that is used
internationally).

4.Changing markets

For some companies, changes in a market situation mean that their very existence comes under
threat. The digitisation of society, in particular, is making it necessary for certain sectors to reinvent
themselves. Different requirements call for different products. Some fashion brands have closed
their physical stores to only sell clothes online, and websites like Amazon.com have evolved
incredibly over the last few years by becoming a completely digital department store.

5.Bad reputation

An environmental scandal, hidden data breach or a lawsuit can all be reasons that lead to a bad
reputation. In some cases, such a bad reputation can have serious impact on a company’s results. A
rebrand can, after time, reduce or even eliminate negative associations with a brand. What’s
important here is that not only the ‘exterior’ changes, but that the change is also implemented
through all other aspects of an organisation. With the current need for transparency, people are able
to see through cosmetic changes and want to see a real change in approach or brand promise within
an organisation. This is the only way that a rebrand project can remove any negative associations
with the brand and therefore be successful.

6.Conflict with stakeholders

Developing a brand may in itself also lead to a rebrand. This may be because the new style is too
similar to an existing brand. Such a situation was faced by Multimate (a Dutch construction
company), which, following its rebrand, lost a lawsuit against IKEA as the two brands had become
too similar. Multimate had to make sure that its logo was removed from visibility, across any
touchpoint, within a period of six months. Another reason is that a rebrand can sometimes be
negatively received by internal and external stakeholders is that it stands in the way of the
organisation’s success. International clothing company, Gap, decided within the space of a week
that it would revert back to its old logo after all.
7.New CEO

A new CEO often brings a new lease of life to an organisation. This may result in major
organisational changes that also influence the course of the company. In the case of Apple,
and following the return of Steve Jobs in 1997, the business realised it had to change to survive.
Jobs himself took the responsibility of choosing a new logo, one which went from a rainbow-
coloured apple to a more modern metallic variant.

8.Outdated image

One of the most common reasons for undertaking a corporate rebrand project is modernisation.
Trends mean that over time brands can come across as old-fashioned if they have not been updated.
In the past, brands were often created in a more sleek design with primary colours and lots of grey.
Now, designs are moving towards more use of colour and shapes. Although in many cases it is not
the main reason, a more modern image is often one of the motivations behind a rebrand project.

9. Digitalisation

More recently, digitisation is becoming a main driver for brand and logo change. In the past, brands
were developed at the time that ‘digital’ played a limited in brand application and a corporate
identity mainly consisted of a logo, a primary colour palette and typography created for offline
expressions. Now, companies such as Volkswagen which, following its new mobility strategy, have
launched a renewed logo and new visual identity that fits better into the current digital age.

10. Saving costs and increasing business returns

Many organisations are faced with acquisitions/mergers with other brands, meaning that new
services/products are often marketed under different brands. A decision that seemed like a good idea
at the time, can lead to a complex brand portfolio in the long run, which means confusion from for
consumers and stakeholders alike. Moreover, running an extensive brand portfolio often results in
high costs for maintenance and promotion. In practice, we are seeing many brands move back to
one strong brand. Returning to simplicity can save costs and increase business returns. Through a
rebrand, an organisation can concentrate on the true essence of the company and coordinate its
extensive brand portfolio to a smaller, simpler one.

Cobranding

Co-branding is defined as a strategic alliance or brand partnership between two or more companies
that agree to promote each other’s products or services. Co-branding partnerships are usually
formed to take advantage of complementary strengths and to reach new markets.
For example, a co-branding partnership between an apparel company and a watch company could
involve the production of a line of watches that are branded with the apparel company’s logo. The
co-branded campaign could involve the two companies working together to promote the products
through joint marketing and advertising efforts

Co-branding partners can be of different sizes, but they must have complementary products or
services that appeal to the same target audience. With a successful co-branding partnership, each
brand can benefit from the other’s exposure and reputation.

There are a few key elements that make up a successful co-branding partnership:-
•Both brands must have a mutual understanding of what they want to achieve.

•There must be a clear division of labor so that each brand knows what they are responsible for.

•The partnership should be strategic, with each brand bringing something unique to the table.

•There must be a clear benefit for both brands involved.

•All the associated brands must be committed to the success of the partnership.

Troubleshooting /challenges of brand management -

1. Branding management strategy
Effective brand management strategy is crucial for businesses to maintain a consistent and
impactful brand image. In fact, without a well-defined brand management strategy in place,
companies may struggle to align their brand identity with their marketing efforts. This can result in
confusion and dilution of their messaging.
Comprehensive brand management strategies encompass various elements, such as brand
guidelines, messaging consistency, and monitoring brand perception across different platforms. By
developing a clear roadmap for how the brand should be presented and managed, businesses can
ensure that every touchpoint reflects the desired image, leading to stronger brand recognition,
customer loyalty, and market differentiation.

2. Undefined branding identity

An undefined brand identity can hinder a company’s ability to connect with its target audience and
establish a unique position in the market. Without a clear sense of who the brand is, what it stands
for, and what values it embodies, businesses may struggle to communicate their message
effectively.
A well-defined brand identity encompasses elements such as brand values, mission, vision, and
visual identity. Crafting a compelling brand story that resonates with consumers and effectively
communicates the brand’s essence is key to forging emotional connections and establishing a
memorable presence in the minds of customers.
3. Poor understanding of audience
A lack of understanding of the target audience’s needs, preferences, and behaviors can lead to
ineffective branding efforts. In reality, businesses need to conduct thorough market research to gain
insights into their audience. Diving deeper, they need to grasp demographic’s motivations, pain
points, and aspirations.
In addition, this knowledge allows companies to tailor their branding strategies and messaging to
resonate with their audience on a deeper level. Failing to grasp the nuances of the target audience
can result in misguided branding initiatives that fail to capture attention or drive engagement.

4. Ineffective communication strategy

Communication is at the heart of successful branding, and an ineffective communication strategy
can impede a brand’s ability to connect with consumers. It’s why brands must carefully craft their
messaging to convey their value proposition clearly and compellingly.
Furthermore, choosing the right channels, tone, and content resonating with your audience makes a
big difference. Accordingly, an ineffective communication strategy may result in mixed messages,
confusion, or a failure to engage and resonate with customers, ultimately impacting brand
perception and customer loyalty.

5. High competition
In a competitive marketplace, standing out from the crowd and creating a distinct brand presence
can be challenging. Indeed, brands need to find innovative ways to differentiate themselves from
competitors and capture the attention of their target audience.
The ability to showcase unique selling points, innovative features, or exceptional customer
experiences is essential to gaining a competitive edge and carving out a niche within the industry.

6. Bad differentiation
Differentiation is a fundamental aspect of branding, and companies that struggle to differentiate
themselves may find it challenging to attract and retain customers. Therefore, a lack of clear
differentiators can lead to commoditization, where the brand is perceived as interchangeable with
others in the market.Effective branding requires identifying and highlighting what sets the brand
apart and communicating these unique attributes consistently to create a memorable and meaningful
brand identity.

7. Negative branding perception

A negative brand perception, whether due to product issues, customer service problems, or public
relations crises, can significantly damage a company’s reputation. Overcoming negative brand
perception requires a strategic approach, including addressing the root causes of the issue,
transparently communicating corrective actions, and rebuilding trust with consumers. In other
words, effective branding efforts can help shift perceptions over time and restore the brand’s image
in the eyes of customers.
8. Limiting budget constraints
Branding initiatives often require financial investment, and limited budgets can constrain a
company’s ability to execute comprehensive branding strategies. Businesses need to prioritize their
branding efforts based on their available resources and focus on high-impact activities that align
with their goals. Creative and strategic use of available funds can still lead to effective branding,
even within budget constraints.

9. Evolving consumer trends

Consumer preferences and behaviors are constantly evolving, which can pose challenges for
maintaining a relevant and resonant brand image. Staying attuned to shifting trends, technologies,
and societal changes is essential for brands to remain adaptable and responsive. Continuously
monitoring consumer insights and market trends allows brands to adjust their strategies and
branding efforts to meet the changing needs and expectations of their target audience.

Brand longevity

Strategic brand management can be seen as a struggle to survive in the continually changing, even
turbulent, business environment. A brand achieves longevity when it is able to deploy strategies that
prolong its life in the face of decline.

A strong brand survives and thrives over the long run, hence achieving longevity. As strong brands
endure and consumers become familiar with the brand, they benefit from their heritage .

Therefore, if properly managed, a brand’s history can provide a competitive advantage (for
example, through increased credibility), as well as leverage for the brand in global markets

Brand revitalization through strategic decision-making, aimed at reinvigorating the brand in light of
a changing marketplace, is one response to the challenges of managing continuity and change.

They distinguish among managers copying old brands, drawing a clear association with the past of
a brand, and establishing contemporary relevance for the brand through modernizing or
revitalizing& relaunch .

All theree approaches reflect the challenge of balancing continuity and change,Many brands have
been revived and relaunched, becoming retro brands, through the use of nostalgia and heritage to
evoke former selves. Retro brands are thus reanimated by various stakeholders; the brand meaning
is communally negotiated, and sensitive to the wider sociocultural and economic forces that shape
these stakeholder stories.

Example - The Bond franchise is one of the most successful projects in film history and has been
called the “most valuable cinema franchise in history” (Poliakoff 2000, 387). Dodds (2006, 118)
notes the “extraordinary number of fans” who “engage in detailed analyses of the varied plots and
characters.” These cultural texts, therefore, have considerable implications for consumer culture.
Originating from Ian Fleming’s novels, the series now consists of 24 films produced by EON
Productions, and associated paraphernalia, including video games and official merchandis .

Brand longevity isn’t new—in fact, this measurement of cultural relevance and ongoing consumer
engagement is on the rise as brands continue to look for a way to quantify long-term success. But
this concept is more important than ever, especially as consumer behaviors have been impacted by
the pandemic, cultural issues, racial tensions and overall shifts in society.
Simply put, today’s consumers don’t think or behave like they used to. Adapting to these changes
can certainly be a challenge if brands simultaneously want to stay true to their history and core
audience, while also looking ahead and evolving. In addition, the decisions brands make today can
have a massive effect on their trajectory for years to come.

Research on brand longevity shows that, in the brand ecosystem, brand heritage and technology
make up two ends of a vital spectrum—and are two of the most important drivers of longevity.
Brand heritage is often inflexible and shaped by established values of the organization, while
technology is highly flexible and ripe for innovation.
Brand longevity can take shape across several factors:
Product: In some cases, brands need to find ways to reinvent themselves by switching up their
product offering while still staying true to their overall brand tenets. For example, streaming giant
Netflix has remained steady as a brand over its history, even after its pivot from mail-in DVD
rentals to digital streaming. While the company’s product offering changed to meet innovation and
consumer demand, it remained consistent in engaging consumers to enjoy being at home through its
services.

Customer experience: On the other hand, sometimes brands will find that their product is
working for their consumers, but the customer experience has room for evolution. For one, Subway
recently remodeled their business operation to be more experience-oriented by incorporating
technology-based ordering systems into their restaurants, catering to their customers’ overall desire
for more innovation.
The brand itself: Marketers may also come to realize their entire brand needs a refresh based on
the current landscape. Mattel recently did this by introducing new branding for its Barbie suite of
dolls, with a digital dreamhouse, a vlogger series and numerous mobile games to cater to Gen Z and
younger children today—all of which resulted in exponential growth for the brand.

Today’s consumers are largely digital-first, it’s important to also meet audiences where they are.
That doesn’t mean ditching the physical world entirely. Rather, to build brand longevity and
encourage brand awareness, marketers should bridge the gap between physical and digital worlds
by leveraging all the channels available to them.