Brand Identity Design Process

If you ever visit Bali, you'll notice a flood of Polo Ralph Lauren stores... All selling Polo apparel at almost 60% off the retail price... And despite the on point branding of the stores, they're all fake - not the original Polo Ralph Lauren... And this is because in the late 1970s, an Indonesian man trademarked the brand name, colours and logo in Indonesia, much before the American company decided to enter into that market. So all the stores can legally operate under the Ralph Lauren name and with the logo, but are not owned by the original American company we know of. Plus, the original brand cannot sell its products in Indonesia. And so that the same thing doesn't happen with your brand anywhere around the world... you must take these steps while registering your trademark... 1/ After registration of your trademark at the Indian Trademark Office (ITO), within six months file for a global trademark that is valid in 130 countries through a WIPO application which happens from the ITO itself In certain countries like China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Japan - also make a separate filing independent of the WIPO application - as these countries have a first-to-file method, which means if someone else files before you, they get the right even if you have been using the brand for longer 2/ To increase defensibility, also register variations of your trademark in other languages such as Chinese, Arabic - as well as trademark common misspellings of your name 3/ Consider getting a trademark not just in the same category in which you currently operate, but allied categories where you may operate in the future as well - for example, an apparel brand may want to enter bags, shoes, or even cosmetics, watches and sunglasses later. These days, even as small D2C brands begin to sell online and start getting orders from NRIs outside of India - it becomes important to protect your brand not just in your country of origin, but even elsewhere. #casarthakahuja

Consumers don't care about your brand. They're not thinking about you. They’re busy living their lives. So how do you break through? You must earn distinctiveness by consistently repeating sharp brand codes over a long period of time (this is not the only way, but this is definitely a way) Swiggy owns orange. Sephora owns stripes. Zomato owns Cranberry Red. These are deliberate choices. And they work because they build memory structures over time.  __________________________________________________________________ Here's how to codify your brand: Tip 1: Own your best hand. Pick 3-5 brand codes and stick with them relentlessly. You need your logo, obviously. Then add 2-4 more assets - colour, shape, sound, texture, whatever works. Don’t use too many codes, or you dilute the impact. The sweet spot is narrow, but it's powerful. Choose wisely, then commit like your business depends on it because it does. Tip 2: Apply them mercilessly across every touchpoint. Your ads, your packaging, your website, your LinkedIn banner, your email signatures, even your offer letters. I mean everywhere. When you think you've overdone it, you're probably halfway there. Repetition isn't boring in this case. It builds memory structures in your customers' minds. The more they see your codes, the faster they recognize you. And recognition is the first battle you must win. Tip 3: Test for blind recognition. Cover your logo. Show the ad to someone. If they still know it's you, congratulations. You've built brand codes that work. Blind recognition is the ultimate test of distinctiveness. It separates the brands people remember from the ones they scroll past. Tip 4: Stop creating clever campaigns that no one remembers. I've seen brands blow millions on work that wins creative awards but fails the market. Creativity should amplify your brand, not bury it. Every frame, every line, every moment should scream your identity - even with the sound off and the logo hidden.  __________________________________________________________________ The truth is simple. Consumers won't care about you until you force them to remember you. And you do that with brand codes applied so relentlessly, so consistently, that forgetting becomes impossible. #marketing #business #work

Does only the best product win in the marketplace?? ⚡⚡ In today's competitive market, a standout product is just the beginning. As someone deeply involved in mentoring startups navigating this landscape, I've seen firsthand that success hinges on more than just quality. It's about crafting a compelling brand narrative that resonates far beyond the product itself. The secret? It's not about pushing your product onto customers. It's about pulling them in with a story they can't resist. Here's how to turn your product into a magnetic brand: ➡ Know Your Tribe Understand your niche audience inside out. Dive deep into their desires, frustrations, and buying habits, and position your product as the hero in their journey towards solutions. ➡ Craft a Compelling Story Storytelling is where the magic happens. Create a narrative that evokes emotions and connects with your audience profoundly. ➡ Positioning is Everything Carve out a distinctive space in the market. Define how your brand will be perceived and ensure it resonates with your target audience. ➡ Create a Visual Identity that Stands Out Develop a strong visual identity that reflects your brand's essence, right from logo design to color schemes and website aesthetics. ➡ Cultivate a Community Build a thriving community around your brand. Engage actively on social media, host events, and foster a sense of belonging among your customers. Remember, building a brand is a marathon, not a sprint. When your exceptional product aligns seamlessly with a compelling brand strategy, you're not just surviving but thriving. Are you ready to elevate your product to a brand? Share your unique strategies in the comments below! LinkedIn News India LinkedIn Guide to Creating LinkedIn #Branding #Startups #LinkedInNewsIndia

Consumer Insights, thy name is Consumer Observation “You see, but you do not observe….Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details.”-Sherlock Holmes Brands, in their zest to win consumer’s heart and market share, are going all guns blazing to understand consumer behaviour. Technological advancements & multiple data sources are adding to the many ways which brands are leveraging to better understand their consumers. As much as the ways & means of capturing consumer data evolves, there is no substitute to observing & listening to consumers first hand through home visits. Afterall, consumers are real human beings and not just a data point!! The art & science of observing consumers called as ethnography helps humanize consumers for the brands serving them. A brand which has leveraged ethnographic research methodology effectively for consumer observation to fuel product innovation is Loreal. Having entered Indian market in 1992 and facing challenges from the likes of HUL, P&G, Dabur etc. Loreal, very early, understood the need for ‘close encounters’ with Indian consumers for India specific product innovation – ‘Indo-vation’. Brand has been investing in understanding consumer need through multiple ways including regular consumer home visits. And these in-the-moment, in-context consumer observation exercises have helped discover unmet consumer needs thereby triggering innovation opportunities. It was one such consumer home visit which led to the launch of Garnier Fructis Shampoo+Oil, during 2009-10. While visiting consumers, brand custodians observed that young girls realised the importance of oiling their hair as practiced by their mother but never found the time to do it. Loreal launched Garnier Fructis Shampoo + Oil eliminating the need of two separate haircare routines, thereby saving time for its consumers. No surprise that the product became highest-selling Garnier Fructis variant within a short time of its launch. Getting to know consumers is not a rocket science. All that it needs is a brand with a sincere desire to know consumers and a consumer insight gathering approach which views consumers as they are – human beings with a complex weave of emotion & rationality. Fun fact: One of the earliest success stories of ethnography driven product innovation is 3M. In the 1920s, 3M engineer Richard Drew spent several days at an auto assembly plant, observing how the workers were using his company’s sandpaper. His observations about how workers were using the product and challenges faced by them led to the birth of 3M masking tape!! #ConsumerInsights #ConsumerBehaviour #MarketResearch #Marketing #ProductInnovation

Architect Eero Saarinen designed the soaring, singular, iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis. He also designed the sculptural, almost organic TWA Flight Center at JFK. These buildings look nothing alike. Saarinen believed in "the style for the job." Amazingly, across wildly different buildings throughout his career, his work remained unmistakably his. Not because it all looked the same, but because he applied consistent principles to unique problems. As marketers, we grapple with this tension: How do we build a consistent brand while staying adaptable? Many marketers go the rigid route, forcing the same tone, visual system, and approach regardless of the situation. Other marketers are scattered, changing everything so often that nothing feels connected. Saarinen shows us a third way. Be consistent in your principles and adaptive in your expression. Saarinen didn't have a "signature curve" he put on every building. He had a signature commitment: understand the context, honor the function, create something that belongs exactly where it is. That's the consistency. The adaptability is how it shows up. In marketing terms: Your crisis response shouldn't sound like your product launch. Your B2B pitch shouldn't read like your consumer campaign. Your recruitment message shouldn't look like your Super Bowl ad. Not because you lack brand consistency. Because you understand that the job changes. Most brands mistake consistency with repetition. They build guidelines that say "always use this tone" or "never deviate from this visual system." Then they wonder why their apology letter sounds tone-deaf, why their B2B content lacks connection, and why their profound moment lacks gravitas. The versatility is the sophistication. Saarinen's buildings don't all look alike. But they're all unmistakably his because they demonstrate the same mastery: deep understanding of context, commitment to solving the right problem, and a willingness to let the solution emerge from the situation rather than forcing a predetermined style. Your brand can maintain a clear identity while still adapting. You can be recognizable without being repetitive. You can retain continuity while changing your expression to fit the context. The secret isn't sameness, it's the power of principles.

New Year, New Walmart? Well… Sort of. Walmart recently unveiled its first brand refresh since 2008, a move that has been deliberately understated. The changes to the logo and broader brand identity include a bolder, more modern font inspired by founder Sam Walton’s iconic trucker hat, a fuller and more dynamic spark, and updated blue and yellow hues that feel both familiar and refreshed. While these adjustments may seem subtle, they are strategically significant and reflect Walmart’s evolution into a modern, digital-first omnichannel retailer. According to William White U.S. Chief Marketing Officer, the refresh is less about rebranding and more about modernizing. The intent is to communicate the company’s transformation into a tech-powered retailer while preserving its rich heritage. Walmart wants to signal to its core customers that it is still the reliable, affordable brand they trust, while also appealing to younger, more affluent, and digitally savvy shoppers. This type of brand refresh is a textbook example of how behavioral economics influences branding decisions. Familiarity is comforting to consumers. Radical changes risk breaking that trust, introducing uncertainty, and alienating loyal customers. Subtle updates, on the other hand, strike a balance: they maintain the psychological security of consistency while signaling innovation and progress. It’s the equivalent of a trusted friend updating their wardrobe - not unrecognizable, but undeniably refreshed. The spark is taking on new prominence in Walmart’s marketing. It now appears as a standalone emblem in some advertising campaigns, much like Target’s bullseye or Apple’s iconic apple. This move is part of a broader effort to elevate the brand and position Walmart as more than just a discount retailer. In some cases, Walmart has even used the spark without the company name, aiming to make it an instantly recognizable symbol of the brand. From a consumer perspective, the refresh is a reminder of Walmart’s commitment to adapting to their needs. By retaining familiar elements while introducing subtle updates, Walmart reassures its customers that the company is evolving without abandoning its roots. For businesses, Walmart’s approach underscores the importance of balancing innovation with consistency. A refresh like this not only maintains brand equity but also signals progress in a way that resonates with both long-time customers and new audiences. At Havas Edge, this refresh speaks to a key principle we champion: the power of precision in brand evolution. Walmart’s strategic updates demonstrate how even small, deliberate changes can reshape consumer perception, deepen loyalty, and reflect a brand’s growth. #BrandStrategy #BehavioralEconomics #Walmart

NEVER ignore the value of passion projects. You do the whole process. You find a brand, you build a brief, you produce the project. Many lessons. Things to consider when doing one: 1. Find a gap in your portfolio. Choose a different sector, a new message, or a fresh technique. Show variety, and skills you want to explore more but aren't often seen in your client work. 2. Be considerate of everyone. Passion projects are usually unpaid. You’ve to make sure everyone gets something out of the project. It might be an opportunity for a credit to a higher role, learning a new skill, testing new equipment, building your portfolio or connections. Don’t ask people to do exactly what they do for clients. Find the extra. 3. Fun. We love our work, especially when we do it under our own terms. Don't kill the vibe. 4. Self Expression Don’t see it only as an opportunity to get future work. It's a chance to showcase what makes you unique as a creative. Use your voice, and share perspectives you care about. This is the day you execute yours, not someone else’s, vision. 5. Don’t procrastinate. Without a tight deadline, or pressure from a client, “perfectionism” kicks in. Projects are made to be shared, so ship it once it’s ready. Watch below the latest spec ad we created for LIFEAID Beverage Company, LLC.

different is better than best: a mantra for b2b marketers in today's competitive landscape. striving to be the "best" can lead to sounding like everyone else. your target audience is bombarded with messages claiming superiority… making it tough to stand out. that's where being "different" comes in. by embracing what sets your brand apart, you can create a unique value proposition that resonates with your audience and leaves a lasting impression. some ways to showcase your brand: 1/ 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬  🎯: identify the features, benefits, or experiences that only you can offer. example: hubspot differentiated itself by creating an integrated "marketing hub" when competitors only offered standalone tools. they specifically eliminated the need for marketers to use 5-6 different point solutions by unifying contact databases, email marketing, analytics, and social media tools into one platform with a single source of truth. 2/ 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 📚: share real-life examples, case studies, and customer testimonials that demonstrate your unique approach. example: in 2017, on top of the “typical” customer case studies, slack differentiated itself in the team communication market through their "work in progress" podcast. rather than directly promoting Slack's features, the podcast built brand affinity by addressing topics their target audience cared about and it represented their approach to differentiation through storytelling - focusing on the human experience of work rather than technical specifications of their platform. 3/ 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 🎨: experiment with diverse formats, channels, and storytelling techniques to showcase your brand's unique personality and voice. example: moz differentiated itself in the seo space through rand fishkin's "whiteboard friday" video series, which broke down complex seo concepts in an accessible and visual format. while competitors published technical blogs, moz created personality-driven video content that became an industry institution. in b2b marketing, being different isn't just about standing out — it's about educating and connecting with your target audience in ways your competitors haven't thought of yet. what are other ways b2b brands stand out from the crowd?

The way colors interact with each other can make or break your brand’s perception. Yet, it’s one of the most overlooked aspects of branding. Many brands fall into the trap of relying on broad, generalized meanings for colors, like red for passion or blue for trust. ↓↓↓ While these are helpful, they aren’t the FULL story. The real power lies in how colors interact with each other within a palette. For instance, vibrant red and green appeal to the holidays, but pair that same red with deeper, muted reds, and you get a luxurious vibe. Hot pink might feel fun or feminine on its own, but combine it with black, and it suddenly exudes confidence and bold energy. The interplay of hues can subtly shift how customers emotionally connect with your brand. But don’t overlook trends either! Take Pantone’s recent Color of the Year, Mocha Mousse. While it might initially seem bland, its ties to sustainability make it a valuable accent for eco-conscious brands. I used it strategically for a high-end chocolate brand, not as the main color, but as an accent. Combined with richer hues, it told a deeper story about sustainable production and high-quality craft, steering away from overused color palettes in the industry. 💡 What’s the key takeaway? Your brand is more than JUST a color. Color is one of the first forms of communication. And how those colors interact, tell a story, and connect emotionally with your audience. Look at how your hues interact across visuals, packaging, and marketing touchpoints. Subtle shifts in contrast or tone can make a big difference in how your audience connects emotionally. Always test your palette as a whole. One approach I love to use when designing brand identities comes from the principles of Joseph Albers, who studied how our brains perceive colors differently depending on their surroundings. For brands, testing how your colors interact with one another is vital. These combinations tell a story about your brand’s tone, energy, and message. Which colors are driving your brand today? Have you considered what story they are telling? #LIpostingdayJune

Every founder is thinking about the thousands of people who don't know about their brand (yet!) and how to change that. Here's what I would do if I were in your place 1. Proprietary market research ↳ Identify gaps to find unmet needs or underserved customer segments ↳ Discover what influences consumer's purchasing decisions. This includes examining factors such as price sensitivity, brand loyalty, and product features that resonate with your audience 2. Monitor competitor activity ↳ Recognizing gaps in their strategies allows you to tailor your offerings and messaging to meet those unmet needs, giving you a competitive edge ↳ Take a proactive approach wherein you anticipate market trends by looking at them, positioning your brand as a leader rather than a follower 3. Define your UVP/USP ↳ Clearly define what makes your brand unique compared to competitors ↳ Define the alignment degree with the consumer pain point 4. Create a space in your consumer's mind with positioning ↳ Identify where your brand's-niche-fit within the competitive landscape and define the same ↳ Clearly articulate what sets your brand apart from competitors. This could be based on product features, pricing, customer service, or innovation 5. Messaging and storytelling ↳ Create core messaging: Develop clear and concise messaging that communicates your brand’s value proposition and key benefits ↳ What's your unique story and the raison d'être for your brand 6. Focus on customer experience ↳ Make sure every interaction is positive and memorable. This includes website usability, customer service responsiveness, and product quality. ↳ Create a feedback loop and use this information to make improvements and show customers that you value their opinions 7. Create high-quality content ↳ Differentiate your content with a fresh take or unique insights on common topics within your industry ↳ Address deeper inquiries preemptively not just to provide additional value but also to keep readers engaged with your content 8. Establish a consistent brand voice ↳ Define a unique voice that reflects your brand’s personality and values across all channels ↳ Adjust the tone based on the platform while maintaining the core voice to resonate with different audiences effectively There's a lot more than needs to be looked at from a 360 degree perspective and it's possible with a brand person on your team, or outsourced Building a brand is a full time job, and there needs to be a responsible person/team leading brand and brand building efforts Stuck in this loop and need help? Link is in the comments - let's chat? #VanshiChats 🧿💜