We've reached an age in branding where the line between product and brand has blurred to become one. So much so that we, as consumers, have subconsciously formed a new discourse of symbolism.
I want you to have a look at the following images and identify a brand relative to each.
Scroll down to the bottom of this post and see how accurate you were. I'm going to make the assumption that most of you would have got about five or more answers correct.
Free of any direct branding, each of these depictions represent a product which has been organically transformed by the market into a cultural icon. They are all examples of products which are valued by customers more for what they symbolise than for what they actually are.
Take the depiction of the iPhone. From the perspective of a designer, it is a simple combination of lines and shapes. Despite this simplicity, not only do we instantly recognise the image as Apple’s bestselling mobile communication device, our interpretation extends past the brand to symbolise a generation of smartphones. Coca-Cola's famous glass bottle shape evokes universal feelings of freedom and summer, similarly, as does Ray-Ban's Wayfarer sunglasses of revived popularity. Polaroid's instant photo print is all about memories and spontaneity. There’s Converse's famous Chuck Taylors - a symbol for alternative youth culture and independence and Chanel's No5 perfume, a mark of timelessness and understated elegance.
How is it that products like these have become so widely recognised in such a saturated competitor marketplace? How have marketers created brands that stand the test of time and resonate so powerfully with consumers? I work with brands every day, yet don't have a textbook answer. My research has shown me however that the majority of these products have been adopted by the marketplace and given an identity of their own through organic consumer shaping. Interested to delve more into the subject, I recently started reading Alex Wipperfurth’s bestseller, Brand Hijack: Marketing Without Marketing which looks at the topic of consumer shaping or brand hijacking in great detail. I’m excited to share my insights with you in a future post and interested to hear your experiences with the brands I’ve talked about today.
Submitted by Nic (not verified) on Sat, 20/02/2010 - 1:25pm.
I find the concept of organic consumer shaping interesting, particularly with respect to negative brand images. How would you go about changing a brand's identity that has been created from such a grassroots level?
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