BRANDING

The development of 'branding' as a theory and its impact on postmodern design

The development of 'branding' as a theory and its impact on postmodern design

Introduction

The Oxford American Dictionary (1980) defines the term 'Brand' as “A trade mark, goods of a particular make”. The idea behind such a theory has changed a lot in recent years. Kotler et al define a brand as “a set of associations linked to a name, mark, or symbol associated with a product or service” (Kotler et al, 2011, p. 221). Others have added to this idea, Clifton and Simmons say that “the visual distinctiveness of a brand maybe a combination of any of the following: name, letters, numbers, a symbol, a signature, a shape, a slogan, a colour, a typeface” (Clifton and Simmons, 2004).

This is a very interesting topic of study because as the reader continues with this essay, they will come to see just how important a concept like branding is to companies and their marketing strategies but also to the designers and the people creating the actual products. “Brands have a remarkable ability to impact the way people view products. Consumers... see products together with the brand. As a result, how they perceive the product shaped by the brand” (Kotler et al, 2011, p. 221). Everyone working on the supply chain, starting from the initial design of such a product through to its distribution consider branding as an important factor which can influence the design of a product and how it bought at the market. This illustrates that the way a consumer sees a product heavily influences their buying decision, and so a company directly cannot ignore the potential effect of such a factor; “It is difficult to come up with a product or service for brands do not play a role” (Kotler et al, 2011, p. 221).

This essay is going to explore the history behind branding as a theory and how it came. It will discuss the artistic side of the theory, which involved people like Picasso progressing meaningless art to art which has a meaning; “New cubist art resulting from the collaboration had a new sign system with associated meanings” (Fillis, 2006, p. 80). The essay is also going to look at key theorists such as Jean Baudrillard and others and what they contributed to this field. It will look at global companies such as Coca-Cola, focussing on how and why such companies use branding as an important tool in their marketing strategy. “The power of creative branding is visible to all. We are drawn to Starbucks... Coca-Cola, Apple... These companies have learned how to make their brands live in customers' minds and hearts” (Kotler et al, 2011). Clifton and Simmons make a similar contribution saying that “brands allow the consumer to shop with confidence, and they provide a route map through a bewildering variety of choices” (Clifton and Simmons, 2004, p. 109-143).

Apart from studying the past and the existent theories, and how they have been applied to the current marketplace; it ...