Category Archives: Branding

August 15, 2010

On Price and Perception

The very real value of branding As prices goes down, demand goes up. That’s the usual economic formula. We all want more for less, right? Buy one, get one free! But in the case of “Veblen goods” (named after economist Thorstein Veblen), demand goes up as prices increase. Why? A high-priced item is often a high-status item.
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July 16, 2010

Us vs. Them

Your brand’s best friend might be an enemy Red Sox vs. Yankees, Coke vs. Pepsi, Republicans vs. Democrats, Apple vs. Microsoft. These are among the most recognizable brands in the world. Each is defined in part by its opposition to the other. Can you even think of one without thinking of the other? What makes rivalries so [...]
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May 5, 2010

Narrative Builds the Brand

Patrick Hanlon’s Primal Branding taps into belief systems—and neuromarketing Before I even knew about neuromarketing, I was inspired by Patrick Hanlon’s book Primal Branding. Patrick’s premise is that brands are belief systems. Like all belief systems, they consist of seven pieces of what Patrick calls “primal code”: a creation story, a creed, icons, rituals, sacred words, [...]
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April 5, 2010

The Virtues of Brand Guidelines

Ignore them only if you have money to spare. As a consciously documented representation of your company, branding is the foundation of your communications. Marketing, PR, and sales are how you tailor the brand to specific people and groups. Refining your brand is an ongoing process, but in general major changes in brand happen less frequently [...]
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February 22, 2010

Keeping it simple wins every time

The brain loves shortcuts Enter…Green Lantern I was never a huge fan of superheroes, though I did read some Green Lantern. More recently, I just took the online superhero personality quiz, which pegged me as…Green Lantern. Let’s go with this. Let’s say I’m Green Lantern. First, I’d show off my washboard abs for my lady. (Grrrrr…I’ll rescue you [...]
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