A brand is a way of creating a series of associations or connotations in people’s minds in such a way as it persuades them to ‘buy in’ to that product, event or idea.
Branding has become increasingly sophisticated and subtle. Not so long ago businesses and organisations wishing to make themselves noticed relied mainly on billboards, newspaper and magazine adverts. While it’s true that to some extent emotional factors like lifestyle and personality have always played a part in the development of a brand, today these factors are often uppermost in a brand developer’s mind.
Technology such as mobile phones, the Internet and TV open up more and more branding opportunities, where key messages are delivered in a range of media that can really pack a punch.
The London 2012 branding is designed to feel energetic, dynamic and young; maybe even a bit edgy:
A brand and its audience
A brand is nothing without an audience. And a brand is only ever as good as peoples’ response to it.
Can you imagine a newspaper without any readers? A band without any listeners or gig-goers, or a product that no one buys? None of these could exist without their target audience believing in them.
As well as questionnaires, large companies and organisations use panels of audience members to give their response to products, concepts or advertising. An advertising agency, for example, may show an audience focus group three versions of the same advertisement to decide on a final version.
