What's Your Brand?

Hello. My name is Janelle and I have a confession.

I am a fan of... The Kardashians. 

Yes, you know, The Kardashians. OF COURSE you know The Kardashians! We all know The Kardashians. The sisters who are touted for being famous for being famous, curvy women with no apparent talent yet they are all over the media and oh, let's not forget what got them sitting on their celebrity throne... Kim K's infamous sex tape with the "has been" R&B singer, RayJ. 

Say what you may about The Kardashians but they, well their momager Kris Jenner, have turned their 15 minutes of fame into 6 years of success. Their flagship reality show, "Keeping Up with The Kardashians" just completed its 7th season and has been renewed for two more and their spin-offs have also been able to draw millions of viewers. It seems as though the sisters never rest. They have their hands in everything from beauty to books, perfumes to home collections, stores, endorsements, diet supplements and fitness gear. The Kardashians have built their empire. 

Now, what is the relevance of The Kardashians? These women are evidently more than just a pretty face. They are businesswomen and entrepreneurs who understand the importance of branding. Their brand is their name- Kardashian. Their brand is so strong that their momager, Kris Jenner (married to former Olympian 

Bruce Jenner) even contemplated changing back her name to Kardashian.

What's in a Brand?

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as "a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller of a group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers". 

We can agree that there is a lot of noise in the market and by noise I mean companies competing in a "cut throat" manner for the attention of the consumers. In such an environment, you need to have a solid and clear brand that consumers and potential customers can identify and identify with. It's more than just being seen on  the shelves.When you develop your brand, you develop your reputation. It sends a message to your audience about what your company represents. It establishes credibility. It is through your brand that you develop a relationship with your customers; a relationship is reciprocal and motivates them to keep supporting your business. 

Your Branding Message

Adam Kleinberg, one of the contributing writers for entrepreneur.com gives us the secret to a strong branding message. Focus. He tells us that in the minds of the consumers, we only get to be one thing and we must choose what we want to be carefully. According to Kleinberg, "your one thing is the unique value that your brand delivers. Volvo keeps you safe. IBM is building a smarter planet. 7-Up is the uncola". This message must be both emotional and rational. It must also be relevant to your consumers and be simple enough for them to remember it. What message do you want to send?

The Logo

So, you've come up with your name for your brand and what your branding message would be and now you want a logo. Why? Because it seems like the right thing to do... everybody does it right? No. You don't just decide to do a logo because you want to jump on the bandwagon. Logos are important because as humans, we place a great deal of importance and value on sight. It helps us commit things and brands to memory. As such, logos are important components of your branding strategy or campaign. 

Now, logos can come either as abstract symbols such as the tick/correction sign that Nike uses or as logotypes, i.e, a stylized rendition of your company name such as the one subway uses.

The following are three reasons adapted from businessbrandingstrategy.com on why you, as an entrepreneur, should invest in a logo:

1. Visual Representation- The logo can be likened to the face of your business. It gives your company an image and appeal that no other branding tool can provide.

2. Memory- People tend to remember logos better than they remember names. E.g. for me, sometimes I forget the name of the product but when I see the logo, it jogs my memory. Additionally, if I'm in a store buying an unfamiliar product and there is a range to choose from and I see a logo that I'm familiar with; I will choose that product over others. Why? Because I know the quality the brand associated with that particular logo produces. 

3. Uniqueness- As I mentioned earlier, there is a lot of noise and clutter on the market. A good logo helps your company or product stand out. A logo can do more for differentiating a product from its competitors at first glance than virtually anything else, hence, its a critical tool in developing your company and brand. 

One logo that REALLY like is that of the Crayons Count; an initiative that encourages investment in early childhood education in Jamaica.

When Deika Morrison, mastermind behind this initiative, paid our class a visit to speak about Crayons Count, what really stood out to me was the logo. This is not an initiative that is competing with others on the market, after all, its a non profit organization but, she understood that having a logo to represent her cause was still of premium importance. Why? Her logo has to do two things, not just appeal to donors but to children! So, I'm pretty sure she conveyed this message to her graphic artist. 

Let's break it down:

1. The colours are engaging and because there is little clutter; it easily can easily pull the attention of both children and adults.

2. The font simulates a child's handwriting. It is not fancy of complicated but simple, effective and easy to read.

3. Crayons Count has a recycling arm and as such, the strategic decision to replace the O's with the symbol for recycling was made. This is genius. It not only immediately tells donors/investors that those who run the organization are environmentally conscious but since the programme is geared towards children, it encourages them to start recycling at a young age. It is more than just investing in the education of Jamaican children but its about investing in Jamaica and preserving the environment for future generations.

4. The name of the initiative is "Crayons Count" so naturally they included a crayon. However, if you look closely you can see that on the crayon there is a Jamaican flag thereby indicating the focus or location of the programme.

Logos are important in building your brand regardless of if its a profit or not for profit organization.

Branding is important because it helps other identify and identify with your product.

If you want to establish a successful business... work on both. 

and last, but not least, I like the Kardashians. 

Janelle