Comments on: Unlocking the hidden code of your brand’s Visual Language

By: david

david — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:41:02 +0000

Alan, possibly the two best questions for the year.
You’re right on the money – the second vital layer of code is cultural code, which is where the role of social anthropology has so much to offer brand.
Each geographic market brings with it a cultural overlay of meaning will directly impact on the translation of a brands messages (this includes language, visual iconography, colour, and behaviour).
Brands always live in a context relative to both their competitive set and their cultural ties. In the example of Tourism Australia, the cultural messaging from film, history and previous place branding provides the contextual starting point for future brand messaging. Brands need to evolve brand meaning; ie. you can’t be a land of adventure and danger one moment, and then wish to be understood as a land of sophisticated elegance the next. However you can have subtle variations of brand meaning in different geographical markets.
This approach to global branding reflects current thinking on the best way for the big brands to build relevance and emotional connection in different marketplaces.
Long answer – but the question deserved one.

By: Alan 'Brand' Williamson

Alan 'Brand' Williamson — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:07:13 +0000

David

Fabulous response. Your clients’ brands are in good hands.

Let’s now move the discussion on to ‘Verbal Codes’ aka Cultural Source Codes.

For example:
Brand-leading Australian wines in America all have wildlife names – Yellow Tail (Roo) – but in the UK they tend to have place names – Jacob’s Creek.

Could it be that the cultural source code for Australia in America is ‘Crocodile Dundee’? And that the cultural source code for alcohol in America is ‘Prohibition’ (violence=wildlife) but in the UK the code for alcohol is ‘Inhibition’?

Would that explain the ‘failure’ of Tourism Australia’s campaign to ‘show Australia in a different (sophisticated) light’ because of Oz’s ‘Crocodile Dundee’ cultural source code in America?

Discuss

By: david

david — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:13:59 +0000

Alan, we have a pretty firm view of how to best work the code for your brand (colour included) but as with most things it is never simple. The code is a set of cues that exist in the minds of the market driven usually by the visual language of incumbent market leaders and current trends. Different brands either leverage-off or differentiate from the code depending on their status in the market (new entrant, challenger, established brand) and the audience they wish to connect with. Established brands like Pepsi and Avis should never attempt to mimic their market’s leader. But a new entrant in the space can identify and leverage relevant visual code to help their audience understand their brand’s go-to-market proposition.

By: Alan 'Brand' Williamson

Alan 'Brand' Williamson — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:48:39 +0000

Discuss and debate whether every brand within the same category should have the same (or different)colour code for the category?

1. Should Pepsi blue be changed to Coca-cola Red – the colour code for colas?

2. Should Avis red and Enterprise green be changed to Hertz yellow?

Or should the colour code be different to differentiate the brand?

By: Domma

Domma — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:47:50 +0000

A friend of ours started this business (with a couple of others) and now pretty much owns the whole lot! (no pun intended) Every time we see him we continually have the same conversation about the importance of branding, going to market (getting it right) and how much fun he enjoyed the processes in getting to where they are today.

By: Pick the Brand – the Power of Brand Marks | Truly Deeply // Madly

Pick the Brand – the Power of Brand Marks | Truly Deeply // Madly — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:24:54 +0000

[...] notice a poorly designed brand identity, much less remember it. • Unique Visual Language – the most recognisable brand marks reflect the visual code of their industry, but look unique enough to stand out from the crowd. • Continuity and Consistency – given [...]

By: david

david — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:36:05 +0000

Thanks Zac, once you spend any length of time studying the codes, they begin to really stand out. I’m working on a report right now on the current trends of these codes for brand identity.

By: Zac

Zac — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:54:45 +0000

Some great thoughts, i like!!!

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:40:59 +0000

Sara, you’re right on the money. As the brands within an industry move in a direction, ie. fast food brands with heaps of urban personality, the brands who were outliers become the norm, and new brands need to dial-up the level of urban personality even higher, or (more likely) find a different and sustainable proposition.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:38:47 +0000

Hi Thomas, It looks like an interesting book. I just ordered it from Amazon – thanks for the tip. Can you fill em in a little on the premise? Is it that there are codes of behavior that underlie different cultures and societies and that our actions are driven by them?