Brand marketing: the first step to brand success!

Schopenhauer said that one of the most special weaknesses of human nature is caring about how others view themselves.

The symbols of a brand not only determine the impression the brand leaves on consumers, but also influence how consumers position their self-image in the social process and how society evaluates them. Therefore, brand symbols bear inevitable communication and sociological attributes.

In a narrow sense, brand symbols refer only to the brand logo. In a broad sense, brand symbols include the concentration of brand values ​​and refer to the consumer's impression of a specific brand. Simply put, when you think of a brand, the simple impression of the brand that comes to your mind is the "symbolic" expression of the brand.

In communication studies, symbols are defined as the basis of all communication activities. In the brand communication effect, symbols are an important tool, a symbolic system composed of product attributes, corporate values, and consumer experience.

The symbolic system here is not simply the manifestation of the essence of things, but a collection of meanings "attached" to the brand, formed by effective "association". And "association" itself is formed in the interaction between people and is a product of society. This means that brand symbols not only have a communication function but also have certain social attributes.

For example, Puma leaves people with the impression of "youth" and "energy", Chanel leaves people with the impression of "refined" and "elegant", and Armani leaves people with the impression of "elite" and "quality". These brand symbols will bring about relevant associative effects, and the public also has specific evaluations of fans of these brands. These are actually a manifestation of brand symbolization.

The beauty of brand symbolization lies in the fact that consumers often think that these concepts about the brand are formed spontaneously in the consumption process, but they do not realize that they are inseparable from the subtle guidance of the brand operators and are formed by consumers through multiple interactions.

Simple brand symbolization is to set up a striking and recognizable logo for the brand. When brand symbolization develops to a deeper level, brand symbols often become the epitome of certain values ​​and the abbreviation of a group of consumers with specific attributes, assuming important social attribute functions and the mission of value affiliation.

The basic logic of how brand symbols influence consumers is: identify the brand - remember the brand - recognize the brand - form a sense of belonging. At the end of the development of brand symbols, brand symbols will become representatives of certain groups of people and certain values.

What mission does the brand symbol undertake and how should enterprises set up brand symbols? These are the questions that this article wants to explore.

1. The triple meaning of brand symbols

A conspicuous brand symbol allows consumers to spot the brand at a glance among a vast number of products, remember the brand, and develop a loyal feeling towards the brand. They may even agree with the brand’s values ​​and use this to find the same group.

1. Communication function

Symbols have been carrying the unavoidable mission of communication since their birth. "A symbol is a medium used to convey a message in the communication process to represent a certain meaning." From a cultural perspective, all human spiritual activities, art forms, and cultural activities can be symbolized. The emergence of writing is the result of cultural symbolization.

The earliest symbols can be traced back to primitive society, when people used knotted ropes to record events and passed shells to send signals.

The symbolization of culture is the spontaneous result of human society, while the symbol of brand is the product consciously formed by enterprises in order to promote product attributes in a benign and effective manner.

From the perspective of communication, the simpler and more recognizable a symbol is, the less effective information will be consumed in the communication process, and the brand symbol will be easier for consumers to recognize, remember, and effectively communicate.

A logo designer said that the best brand symbol design is one that consumers can redraw on paper after just one look.

Simplicity, ease of memory and ease of replication are the most important features of a symbol and are also the hallmarks of a successful brand symbol. The symbols of many successful brands, such as Nike's classic "check mark" symbol and Pepsi's red and blue trademark, follow this design principle.

The inherent communication mission of symbols makes "spreadability" the first-level mission necessary for brand symbols. Brand symbols that are easy to spread help consumers quickly identify and remember the brand, thereby forming purchasing habits and brand identity.

2. Social Mission

The first level of meaning of a symbol is "communication", and the second level of meaning is to communicate "specific" content. The simpler the brand symbol is and the richer its content is, the more associations it can bring to people and the more successful the brand will be.

The "symbolic interaction theory" in sociology regards the communication between people as a process of mutual transmission of symbols and thus interaction and influence. In essence, it is a process of continuous interaction between the "subjective self" and the "objective self", that is, a process of self-dialogue and confrontation between the real self and the evaluation of others.

The interactive function of brand symbols also reflects dual attributes. The first attribute refers to the interaction between brands and consumers formed by enterprises conveying specific content to consumers through brand symbols. The second attribute is the interaction between consumers formed by consumers obtaining a common specific identity and sense of identity through brand symbols.

Therefore, brand social interaction is mainly achieved at two levels. The first level is the social interaction between brands and consumers, and the second level is the social interaction between consumers. The media in these two levels are all brand symbols.

For example, Nike’s brand symbol is a simple “hook”, like a “check mark”, symbolizing the wings of the Greek goddess of victory. It is full of speed and explosive power, yet dynamic, soft and flowing.

The symbolic meanings of "speed", "passion" and "youth" hidden behind the Nike Logo are the attached content of the brand symbol.

The "socialization" between Nike's brand symbol and consumers is mainly achieved through two levels. The first level is to implant Nike's brand connotation into consumers' minds through the brand's marketing strategy and consumers' purchasing experience. For example, Nike's "speed" and "fashion" are spread to consumers in advertisements.

The second level of interaction is realized among Nike fans. The pursuit of "speed", "comfort" and "fashion" are the common consumption values ​​of Nike fans. Under the guidance of the consumption process and brand operators, effective value communication and exchange can be formed among consumers, and the bond between them and the brand is strengthened by deepening the connection between them.

In other words, Nike fans have certain common values ​​because of their common consumption preferences, and consumers can interact with each other during the product purchasing process, in Nike's official fan community, or at Nike fan meetings.

Through communication and exchanges with common brand enthusiasts, people can achieve secondary interaction between brand symbols, further deepen the social significance of brand symbols, and enhance their connection with the brand.

3. Attribution function

From a sociological perspective, social evaluation is of great significance to individuals. In a nutshell, it doesn’t matter who you are, what matters is how others see you. The realization of personal sense of belonging through brand symbols is mainly carried out through social evaluation.

Simply put, the specific meaning of brand symbols enables individuals to obtain specific social evaluations. Based on these social evaluations, people who like the same brand will discover common points in their values ​​and form a group. Or, it is the socially imposed evaluations that force these consumers to form groups.

For example, Nike’s fans are mostly fashion trendsetters, YSL’s fans are sophisticated modern women, and Armani’s fans are mostly elite men and women in office buildings. These are all social symbols that brand symbols give to individuals.

Human beings are social animals, and the realization of human self-worth mainly comes from self-cognition and external evaluation. When choosing a brand, people are inevitably influenced by the brand symbols and brand values ​​behind it, and the public will also attach the brand symbol label to themselves.

Excellent brand symbols can bring together groups with the same values ​​based on the brand itself and meet individuals' needs for a sense of belonging.

The most typical example of the "sense of belonging" attribute of brand symbols is reflected in the "fan circle" and also in the operation of celebrity personal brands.

Regardless of age or gender, as long as they like the same idol, fans can quickly reach a consensus on values ​​and become friends. After Cai Xukun became popular because of "Idol Producer", as long as you claim that you are "IKUN" (the code name for Cai Xukun's fans), you can quickly gain a group of brothers and sisters and enter the specific social circle of "IKUNs".

In fact, this social circle formed based on brand identification is much closer than our usual social circle. Fans reach a consensus on the three outlooks based on brand symbols, share weal and woe, and act in unison towards the outside world, thus forming a close relationship.

"Happiness alone is not as good as "happiness shared with others" - brand symbols are "contagious" and because of their "contagiousness" they acquire a social dimension of existence and increase the joy of communication and exchange between individuals with the same attributes.

Baudelaire viewed human existence as a "wandering process", a process of constant communication and exchange with one's own soul, and a process of constant search for a sense of belonging. When people’s demand for brands changes from functional needs to emotional needs, brand symbols should have deeper meanings and satisfy people’s pursuit of a sense of belonging.

2. Establishment of brand symbols

The communication and sociological functions of brand symbols make them crucial in brand operations. Setting a brand symbol is not as simple as setting a simple and eye-catching logo. The concept behind the brand symbol, the target group of the brand, and the marketing strategy centered on the brand symbol are all things we need to consider.

1. Focus on the target group and accurately position it

The sociological significance behind brand symbols makes the positioning strategy of brand symbols particularly important. Brand symbols should not only be concise and easy to spread, but also be given specific meanings for the target group. For example, Chanel’s famous “double C” represents the duality of women, advocating that “fashion is fleeting, classics are forever” and emphasizing the display of women’s unique beauty.

Such a brand symbol is both elegant and rich in connotation, just like Cupid’s arrow, hitting the hearts of the target female consumers in one shot.

Sometimes, in order to better hit consumers, brand symbols will sacrifice the attributes of simplicity and ease of memory. The Starbucks logo is not simple, but it contains the long development history of Starbucks and reflects the cultural origin and romantic adventure of early merchants crossing the sea in search of coffee beans.

Coffee consumption itself has certain cultural attributes. Even in 18th century Europe, drinking coffee was a social activity, and coffee houses were places where countless literati and scholars socialized. Compared with the simplicity of the logo, the cultural attributes behind the Starbucks logo can more accurately hit consumers.

2. Enhance interaction based on brand symbols

Using brand symbols as the medium and consumers as the center, consumers can interact with the brand and with other consumers.

The interaction between consumers and brands is controlled by the brands.

Through advertising planning and marketing activities, brands can achieve output based on brand symbols. In order to emphasize its youthful image, Heytea has created a series of new marketing strategies. It has designed matching transparent PVC handbags in line with fashion trends and started cross-border marketing with Adidas. These are a series of activities that Heytea has carried out to symbolize its “youthful” and “energetic” image.

The interaction between consumers is guided by brands.

The most typical example is the fan festivals and fan meet-and-greet events that major brands are competing to hold. Xiaomi has a specific "Mi Fan" meet-and-greet event, Lenovo has its own "Lecoo" brand fan festival, and Apple's annual new product launch is the focus of attention of all "Apple fans." Sometimes, these consumer-focused fan festivals are often tied to promotional activities, often achieving unexpected results in marketing.

3. Integrated marketing strategy based on brand symbols

In the integrated marketing strategy, we should note that what is integrated is not the sales channels, but the users themselves.

With brand symbols as the starting point and consumers as the center, companies should integrate a series of manageable and controllable parts such as advertising, sales channels, and talents to ensure the coherence and consistency of internal and external strategies, and finally establish reasonable information dissemination channels and customer information management systems.

The most important thing in the marketing process is to ensure that the marketing strategy is consistent with the brand symbol, brand personality and brand values.

Conclusion:

Brand symbols not only refer to the brand logo, but also condense the brand’s values ​​and are the specific impression the brand leaves on consumers.

The basic procedure for brand symbolization is: first, focus on the target group and product attributes to abstract the brand value; then, design a logo that embodies the brand value; thirdly, truly symbolize the brand based on the logo and the brand connotation contained therein; finally, carry out a series of marketing activities based on the brand symbol to deepen consumers' impression of the brand.

The special communication and sociological significance of brand symbols makes it extremely important to establish and promote brand symbols. How to set, disseminate and promote brand symbols is something that brand operators need to think about.

Author: Fang Yun

Source: PR Home