Henry Ford once said, “you can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.”
Is that really true though? Elon Musk was successful, but Tesla was a hype machine. In some cases, brands become synonyms for the products they represent (such as Kleenex for tissues) while others are so good at branding even when they want to represent being brandless (Everlane for basic clothing staples).
In any event, brands (and branding) are fascinating. In this issue, we explore this concept and look forward to see how that will evolve in the web3 era.
Cole
what we are reading…
The Volvo Brand in One Word: Safety (Beloved Brands)
When I am giving speeches on Marketing, I always use the Volvo brand as a great case study. I tell the audience that I am going to do a magic trick where I predict what word they will shout back at me. Then, I write “Safety” down on a piece of paper. And, I say “what is the one word that describes the Volvo brand” and the audience yells back “SAFETY” without hesitation. (more)
How Brands Were Born (The Atlantic)
There was a time, going back at least 70 years, when all it took to be successful in business was to make a product of good quality. If you offered good coffee, whiskey or beer, people would come to your shop and buy it. And as long as you made sure that your product quality was superior to the competition, you were pretty much set. Well into the 1970s, a savvy consumer could distinguish between high-quality and shabby products quite easily. (more)
Ready for the Future of Branding? (Medium)
Almost three years ago I published an article exploring the future of technology and branding. Are we living in a matrix yet? Well, not really, though the world seems to be more surreal than ever. A couple of predictions I made were around AI-driven branding, bots, and audio experiences or ‘humanoid-brands’. Now I’m asking ‘Are we closer to wide-scale adoption of these technologies? And what other innovations are breaking through the mold?’ Read on to discover new ways to amplify your brand. (more)
#coletakes
“made in italy”: from fashion to food, this stamp of approval is as good as gold. Did you know that Eataly is the highest-grossing retailer in Manhattan psf? Compare this to “made in china” and you will get polar opposite reactions from people.
“the uber of xxx”: for the past ten years every tech company “disrupting” industries compared itself to Uber. Why? Doesn’t matter, everyone understood what it meant. The brand is so strong that it became a verb for mobility.
the swoosh: some people say it’s the second most recognizable symbol in the world behind the STOP sign. The Nike swoosh is known and adored by consumers everywhere. However, do people want such loud branding going forward?
luxury watches: coupled with diamonds, perhaps the greatest branding success of all time. Is there a more uncorrelated association between increasing price and discernable quality than in watches? Does your Richard Mille tell time 1000000x better than your Swatch?
patagonia: the anti-branding king of branding. Tell people not to buy your jacket? Sales fly. The original work hard, play hard outdoor brand. An inspiration for all.