With seemingly unlimited information and options your consumers have these days, it feels impossible to stand out from the rest. When there’s an overwhelming supply of companies providing similar solutions and products, branding and design can give you just the edge your company needs.
RELATED: How Branding and Design Drive Real Growth
According to Insider, there are four factors to determine the success of a brand. Insider identifies : “Customer obsession, ruthless pragmatism, distinctive inspiration and pervasive innovation.” In other words, you should be providing a service that is useful and original while creating thoughtful experiences and a sense of community. With branding and design as key players in meeting this criteria, developing a successful brand is no longer out of reach.
Branding Rockstars
For some real-life inspiration, take a look at these companies that built authenticity around their brands through noteworthy branding and design:
Burger King: In 1999, Burger King was suffering from an outdated logo and misguided attempts (in-house internet cafes and new menu items) to boost dwindling sales. Fast forwarding to 2021, it hoped to communicate an internal transformation including increased quality, fine-tuned taste, and a commitment to environmental causes. In a rebrand that shook the design world, Burger King leaned into a retro look, providing a homey and authentic vibe to the brand. As they committed to removing artificial flavors and colors from their menu, they also revamped their color palette. They traded in unnatural colors such as blue, and introduced colors authentic to real food instead. This, along with rounded fonts pasted boldly across packaging and photos of real employees, communicated a more playful, sincere, and comforting feel to Burger King consumers. It shifted the somewhat negative paradigm of modern fast food back to the good ol’ days of easy camaraderie at the local drive-thru. The rebranding resulted in a revenue increase of 7.9% in Q3 of 2021 from the quarter of the previous year.
Airbnb: Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO Brian Chesky stated in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, “When we started Airbnb, it was about belonging and connection. This crisis has sharpened our focus to get back to our roots, back to the basics, back to what is truly special about Airbnb — everyday people who host their homes and offer experiences.” Differentiating itself from the confines of a sterile and uncomfortable hotel stay, it wanted to feature cozy and welcoming experiences in real homes. Pivoting and expanding their services in a pandemic era of reduced travel, the company offered experiences hosted by locals, ranging from cooking classes to hikes in the area. Providing consumers with a practical way to book both lodging and activities was an innovative move, offering both convenience and a sense of community. This warm and inviting feeling is symbolized in their logo by a simple and modern “A,” which combines elements of a heart, a location pin, as well as the “A” in Airbnb. Overall the brand creates a sense of belonging that has become essential to their success. Airbnb established itself as a revolutionary in the hospitality industry, with lower costs and a home-away-from-home experience to boot.
Target: In 1987, Target could hardly compete with Walmart, which led the retail industry with incomparably low prices. Rather than risk sustainability by lowering their prices further, Target rebranded to capitalize on a “cheap and chic” concept. With new designers (designing exclusive collections) and low prices as well as experiences like a vertical fashion show, it differentiated around the idea that great fashion didn’t need to drain your budget. To further increase relevance for their consumers, Target’s campaign of “Target run and done” drew attention to their stock of groceries and other basics, available through order pickup or drive up. In 2018, it was reported that Target increased its sales by 6.5% when compared with the previous year, demonstrating the benefits of branding in hard numbers.
Glossier: With the tagline of “Skincare & beauty products inspired by real life,” Glossier has garnered a millennial-heavy following since 2014 with its on-trend branding and design. One key component of this successful brand was that it centered itself around the consumer, empowering their natural beauty and creating products based on consumer needs. With content created by real-life Glossier fanatics on social media and the brand’s beauty blog, “Into the Gloss,” a band of loyal consumers began to form. Putting digital marketing at the forefront, consumers saw everyday folks with different skin tones and textures applying makeup and skincare. Glossier quickly became more than just the sum of its products through customer-driven products, conversations, and content. It became a lifestyle with which people defined themselves (there’s that “customer obsession!”). As buzz around the brand grew, the company also expanded beyond just four products at its foundation, to the over 40 products it offers now. By 2018, Glossier boasted a revenue of over $100 million, and a fanbase of over 2 million followers on Instagram in 2022.
Chobani: Founded in 2005 with a mission to supply nutrition and quality while serving the community, Chobani has caught the attention of the yogurt-loving public with its branding and design. Chobani’s striking visual system paid homage to the quality of its natural ingredients with its soft, delicate illustrations in organic shapes and colors. In 2021, these intricate illustrations made up a series of ads centered around sustainability and community, amplifying its messaging pillars loud and clear. A beautifully crafted (and free!) 84-page cookbook offered a way to “bring warmth and togetherness to your table.” Complete with polished illustrations, photography, and design executed with great care, the cookbook stood as a testament to the importance of building customer relationships, and also as a brand creating a world much bigger than just yogurt. A coherent brand identity, ingenuity, and a sense of community ensured that this successful brand continued its upward path, with revenues increasing 5.2% between 2019 and 2020.
Warby Parker: You remember the hype around Warby Parker. Its novel idea to bring a trip to the eye doctor into your home was so alluring. The successful brand rocked the eyewear industry at its inception in 2010 by lowering prices for stylish designs, all while instilling the belief that “buying glasses should be easy and fun.” Warby Parker backed up this claim with services such as a free home try-on program, a 5-minute virtual vision test at home, and friendly associates in stores to help consumers find the perfect glasses. It also sought to be socially conscious, donating a pair of glasses for every pair purchased. Warby Parker conveyed ethical low costs that didn’t take away from style or quality by revealing exactly how their glasses were made. Innovation, convenience, ethics, and low cost (of both time and money) bolstered Warby Parker’s status as a trailblazer in the eyewear industry with over 145 retail stores in the U.S. and Canada to date.
When you put in the time to develop your brand story, the possibilities are virtually limitless. A solid brand identity backed up with consistent and intentional messaging will result in loyal consumers that are more likely to take notice. It’s no longer about creating a great product at a lower cost than the competition; it’s about building a successful brand that speaks to your community and urges it to invest in the story.
Anastasia Salazar Ltd. is an independent design studio for tailored branding and digital designs. Reach out to learn how we can help you fuel growth and maximize your brand’s impact.