It’s a hot summer day and you’re hanging out with your long-lost friends. After a long break apart, you reunite once more with a day of reconnecting. You have your Mcdonalds burgers, their iconic fries, cold CocaCola beverage in one hand. Apple iPhone capturing your favorite moments in another. The moments you never want to forget, the laughs, the inside jokes, and the memorable bonds strengthened once more while on your way back from a long day out. These brands in conjunction are like a mix of seasonings for every aspect of our lives, yet we don’t seem to notice their impact until they are truly gone.
For instance, branding has been utilized as an arguably monstrous and unstoppable force since the dawn of civilization. You could argue everything no matter how small or large of a scale it may be, branding has often played a pivotal role. A symbol as simple as two lines crossing each other, has fueled the ideations of billions. Something as simple as a circle or triangle, these basic shapes in conjunction with colors, words, and more have influenced countless minds that in turn, have influenced many others for better and worse.
Sometimes I would go as far as to call it a silent art, but Is it really? The best marketing and branding efforts do not feel like what we would traditionally see as simply marketing or branding. These colors, shapes, slogans, an iconic and constructive presence all in harmony, in unity create something that many can strive for, something for them to not only believe in but to genuinely enjoy. Branding essentially boils down to like-minded individuals in a collective for a greater purpose. You may even argue that the very existence of social media is the way it is because of this deep integration of these branding concepts in society.
The groups of people who enjoy the aesthetic of certain niches and therefore like certain music, clothing, esoteric concepts, hairstyles, content, hobbies, and even memes. They all connect like an ever-expanding web spun by a seemingly immoral spider. Some of the greatest contributions to society boil down to brand loyalty being utilized through an idea that people can get behind. Branding is the soul behind a business, service, transactional concept, or movement.
I have watched many businesses underestimate the power of what branding can be and what it can accomplish, especially with a solid foundation. Cutting too many corners in this stage can definitely make or break your business. It is important to be more consciously aware of that and make your proposal more than just “buy our stuff.”
It is important to put great effort into your work even if it means you might not profit as much or as quickly, as you may like at first. The success if any at all, becomes short-lived. The foundation of a brand is a crucial step in the development and without it, they often fizzle out and are short-lived like fads, rather than what they could be, their true potential.
