Tag: Strategy

How important is naming in the creation of a brand?

Posted on by Knom

The naming is the first impression of a brand.

Having a good naming has a great relevance in the brand creation process. Dedicating time and effort to it from the beginning can save us a lot of resources and problems in the future, both at a legal and positioning level.

But we cannot forget that a brand is much more than its name. After all, the naming is only a part of what we stand for. As we often tell our clients, names are an empty box that fills up with content over time.

Creating a new name is not an easy task, happy ideas are not enough. Nor is there such a thing as the perfect naming, the one that tells everything about the brand.

A good naming has to be appropriable and registrable. It must project the meaning of the brand in some way (directly or indirectly, literally or figuratively). It should represent what we are today and what we want to be tomorrow, and do so in a memorable way. It must go beyond fads and be mindful of possible negative connotations in our target markets.

For a long time, it has been said that naming should have a good sound, be short and easy to write, but it has been shown that these are not necessarily essential qualities for a good name (just look at cases such as Schweppes or Haägen-Dazs).
Because a good naming has to work more than just being liked. To build a network of associations and meanings that help us to build the desired positioning without limiting our competitive capacity in the future.

The objective is to create more than a name, a symbol. To give life to a unique and evocative naming, around our own semantic territories, which will make us an icon for our users and for the sector.

Why are brands agents of social change?

Posted on by Knom

Brands have an impact on the collective imagination.

The influence that big brands exert on our way of thinking and behaving is undeniable.

For as long as consumer society has existed, brands, through their communication and actions, have contributed to changing perceptions, normalising realities and promoting social progress on numerous occasions. We talk about the incorporation of women into the labour market, gay marriage, the urgency of acting against climate change, etc.

Because brands bring to the fore not only products, but also values and lifestyles. Although it is consumers who push brands to embrace change, it is brands who raise their voices and bring their resources into play.

Brands are a true reflection of the societies in which they live and what they seek, at the end of the day, is for consumers to identify with them. This is a natural evolution, almost a virtuous circle, with brands becoming more and less courageous in launching actions and joining the conversation.

Its aspirational component motivates and empowers to change things. Even if it is for the sake of consumerism, brands ‘sell’ us that everything is within everyone’s reach, wherever you come from. And that has a great mobilising power.

They break taboos, they show open societies, they show our best face and, in short, they tell us that change is possible. In a way, they become an engine of social evolution.

Why is nostalgia in fashion among brands?

Posted on by Knom

Nostalgia brings us back to the familiar with positive emotions and memories.

The vinyl format, Disney remakes, the reunion of Friends… It is clear that nostalgia is in fashion, also among brands. It is a trend that recovers codes and visual resources from more golden ages, but also values and lifestyles.

No matter what generation we are talking about, nostalgia works for all age groups. It awakens memories and past experiences that touch our emotional core. It’s not so much that the past is better than the present, but that when we look back, we tend to keep the positives.

This is why it is such a powerful communication tactic that appears and reappears cyclically among brands, especially in times of uncertainty. However, nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake is not always a good strategic decision.

Each brand must assess very carefully whether it is an interesting move or just a stroke of luck. In other words, whether it fits in the long term with our ambition for the future and with the values we want to transmit. And, if so, whether it is credible.

Because it is not the same for Burger King to go back to past codes to recover the values of naturalness and authenticity, or for a brand like Peugeot to bring back its logo from the 60s when it should focus on evoking the future and innovation to face the imminent technological transition in the automotive sector.

Nostalgia works, but it is not always constructive. We cannot manage brands from a short-sighted vision that swings in and out according to the prevailing trend of the moment, but we must build coherent brands that forge solid links with the consumer.

Why are your employees your best brand ambassadors?

Posted on by Knom

The brand, more than a communication tool, is a behavioural framework.

Today, being more authentic means being more transparent and, in order to be so, our way of being and working must coincide with what we communicate to the outside world.

In many cases, perception begins to be built ‘through the roof’ by resorting to communication actions that are not based on the reality of the brand.

Powerful brands are built from the inside out. That is why working on employee engagement is the basis for building a strong brand, as well as being a very profitable move for the company.

Engaged employees have a high impact on the organisation, internally and externally. It is no longer just that they believe in the vision of the brand, but that it motivates and empowers them not only to do their job better and know how to transmit it, but also to inspire them to propose ideas and innovate within the brand.

And for this, we must start directly in the selection process, looking for candidates who are aligned with the brand from the outset. Taking into account their training and expertise but, above all, their values and motivations.

A good example of this is Patagonia, which only hires people who enjoy spending time outdoors, candidates whose interests reflect the company’s ethos. Once on board, employees have the option to spend part of their working day volunteering on environmental projects. The result is a strong and consistent brand, with an employee turnover rate of 4%.

Employees are a critical part of creating a work environment and culture that truly embodies the brand promise. Only when the brand values and purpose emanate from within the company will we be able to build a credible brand story.

Why are digital native brands going physical?

Posted on by Knom

Brands have understood the value of physical contact to connect and build loyalty with their audience.

Touching the fabric of a garment, using a smartphone before buying it, or simply meeting someone to go shopping. While the pandemic has turned our consumer priorities upside down and accelerated the digitisation of many sectors, it has also revalued real contact and real experiences.

Brands have realised the potential of the physical shop to activate the brand promise and generate a deeper bond with the customer. As a result, more and more digital-native brands are deciding to make a move away from in-person.

We saw it in March with the arrival of Amazon Go in London and we see it now with the arrival of Google in New York. But it’s not just the big brands that are making this journey. Startups such as Hawkers and Pompeii decided days ago to go for more direct contact with their public.

The crux of the matter is that these big brands have in mind something much more ambitious than a point of sale. These spaces plan to take technological innovation a step further, to host workshops and product presentations, to inspire users by letting them experiment with the brand… In short, to create a community with which to strengthen ties, share values and have memorable experiences around their brand.

You only have to walk into any bank branch to realise that experience is now at the heart of the business. And a simple, quick and intuitive exchange is no longer enough; it is taken for granted. Brands must now go further to differentiate themselves.

According to an Accenture study, nearly half of Gen Y and Z prefer brands that make them part of something bigger and help them engage with causes they believe in.

In any case, we cannot forget that the point of sale, however experiential it may be, is just one more point of contact and that we must work the brand holistically, being consistent and coherent with our brand promise in every moment we share with the consumer.

Should we understand cities as brands?

Posted on by Knom

The city-brand as a tool for building a project that connects with insiders and attracts outsiders.

Approaching cities as brands helps us to rethink them and to generate a city project for the future. To establish an umbrella that gives them coherence, that respects the collective imaginary, but that manages to take it a step further. Generating a sense of community and pride of belonging through a narrative that attracts visitors and outside capital, while at the same time being friendly to its neighbours.

In such an interconnected and demanding context, cities today compete fiercely with each other for talent, tourism and investment. And while one of their objectives is undoubtedly to boost competitiveness, it is important not to neglect internal audiences. This means competing also on quality of life and putting people at the centre.

After all, it is people who create prosperity, who start businesses, who invest and who provide talent. Hence, more and more cities are promoting participatory initiatives that involve citizens in transformation and management processes.

The challenge is to build a narrative that truly reflects the idiosyncrasies of the place, a story that residents feel is their own. The city-brand must be the backbone not only of outward-facing communication but also of the city’s day-to-day life and its relationship with its citizens.

Although their public is much more transversal and heterogeneous, cities, like brands, must take care of their values and have a clear position on major issues such as sustainability or health. And, in the same way, they must know what city they are today and what they want to be tomorrow. Define a purpose that will guide them in the long term and help them to be the city that their citizens demand.

Because a city brand, more than a nice and colourful visual system to show off on banners and communications, should position the city and serve as a lever for the future.

Why should your brand tell a story?

Posted on by Knom

A brand is a story that we want to be part of.

Human beings connect with stories, with the stories we create either to better understand the reality in which we live or to unite around common goals.

Because let’s not forget that a brand is a shared fiction, a set of meanings and perceptions. Of course, behind that fiction there has to be a truth, a basis on which that perception is built because, if it does not exist, that image will quickly fade away.

Unlike traditional stories, brand storytelling does not have an end. Instead, brands evolve indefinitely. This requires constant brand building, a continuous dialogue with the consumer, and also a balance between flexibility and coherence that allows us to adapt to the new context without losing our essence.

On the other hand, social networks make it impossible to have complete control over the narrative of our brand. Today, managing a brand is not about talking one-way but about generating initiatives and actions that allow the public (external but also internal) to express themselves and, in some way, to make the brand their own. More than generating conversation and interaction, it is about co-creating the brand together with our audience.

In such a fragmented and individualistic society, consumers are hungry for inspiring stories that connect with their values and allow them to act on the world in their own way.

Narrative gives us the power to turn our brand into a motivation beyond the product or service we offer; into a state of mind that inspires a lifestyle. In short, to build coherent stories with our brand that excite and mobilise, allowing us to endure over time and become part of the collective imagination.

Can you judge a brand by the company he keeps?

Posted on by Knom

Unite to win.

Brands are what they project and therefore should not only control what they are and say, but also what they do. And yes, also with whom they do it.

This is why cobranding is a very interesting strategic tool, as it allows us to associate with other brands and benefit in some way from their image, adding new meanings and broadening the imaginary of our brand.

This alliance can help us to make an impact on an audience that would otherwise be beyond our reach, but also to enter new markets or fields of action hitherto alien to our brand.

So far, everything seems ideal and beneficial. However, we must know how to choose with whom we establish this collaboration in order to maintain the coherence of our brand and not generate mistrust in our current audience. As your mother would say, “beware of bad company”.

It is therefore essential that the brand with which we ally ourselves shares our values and has a personality that is “compatible” with our own. In other words, that this union does not generate contradictions and builds with our brand strategy in the medium and long term.

In short, if we do not lose control of the collaboration and we plan it well, cobranding is a very interesting strategy for standing out in a globalised and competitive context, as it will allow us to achieve objectives that would be much more complicated and costly to achieve individually.

Why should global brands speak locally?

Posted on by Knom

In order to mean something, we must think and act locally.

For the first time in a long time, reality has confronted us with a common, pressing and global problem which, although on the one hand, makes us more aware of our globality, on the other hand, makes us more sensitive to what is close to us.

In this context, hyperlocality is gaining strength and as consumers we demand brands that are 100% adapted to us, responding to our expectations and lifestyle and that also help us to reinforce our own identity that distinguishes us in such a globalised world.

Faced with this, big brands must approach their strategy from a global but locally nuanced meaning, a meaning that allows them to convey authenticity and remain relevant in all markets. Because a global brand that does not adapt its portfolio and its communication to the local reality becomes a brand that speaks from common places and ends up meaning nothing.

Therefore, we must work on a common identity axis that reflects our unique personality as a brand but keeping in mind aspects such as the maturity of each market, its culture and idiosyncrasies and also the specific competitive position we play in that place.

Today’s great brands are targeting global, hyper-connected citizens but also communities with different traditions, issues and priorities. The advantages of a multi-local strategy are clear, but will all global brands be able to make the organisational and financial effort required to implement it?

Where does the person end and the brand begin?

Posted on by Knom

A brand is much more than the person who runs it.

Amancio Ortega and Zara, Richard Branson and Virgin, Elon Musk and Tesla… There are many examples of brands in which the image of the CEO is mixed with that of the brand itself. A few days ago we learned that Jeff Bezos decided to step aside and no longer continue as CEO of Amazon, just when the company reached its peak turnover.

A move that may be due to a desire to evolve the brand, or perhaps it is just an attempt to disassociate the Bezos brand from the Amazon brand. Because there is no doubt how fragile it is for a brand to depend on the image of a single person, no matter how closely linked that person is to the company (remember how Apple’s shares fell when Steve Jobs fell ill).

Of course, the existence of a self-made visionary genius creates a myth around the company that humanises it, makes its values more credible, and generates an aspirational halo that everyone wants to be part of. But thinking in the long term, to what extent is attaching oneself to a character (however magnetic he or she may be) a recommendable strategy for a brand? And if this strategy is built from the bottom up – from the employees – and not from the leader?

Because, without getting into polemics, will the Barça brand still be worth the same when Messi is no longer there?