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The Branding Course

The Branding Course

Credit to Emilia Jercan

LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO
BRANDING
Brand comes from “brandr”, which means “to
burn” in Old Norse (medieval North Germanic
language)

Brands date all the way back to around 2000BC

and was purely used to depict ownership.

Farmers would mark their cattle (using hot iron

rods) to make them stand out from other
livestock, and craftsmen would imprint symbols
onto their goods to signify their origins.
A diagram of ancient
cattle brands via
Texas State Historical
Association.

Brands were used as a guide to

choice, a role that has remained
unchanged to the present day.

What are brands?

“Brands are promises that consumers
believe in.” BILL CHIARAVALLE & BARBARA
FINDLAY SCHENC

“A brand is the way you connect

emotionally with your customers.” ALINA
WHEELER

Why do brands exist?

• Navigate: Brands help consumers choose
from a variety of options.

• Reassure: Brands communicate in order to

reassure customers that they have made
the right choice.
 • Engage: Brands use distinctive imagery,
language, and associations to encourage
customers to identify with the brand.

Brands make selling easier.

People prefer to buy from companies they feel
they know and can trust, and brands put forth
that assurance.

A brand is not:

• the logo of the company

• what the company commercials say it is

• what the CEO says it is

“Brand is not what you say it is. It’s what

they (audience) say it is.” MARTY
NEUMEIER

“To say that a brand is just a name and a

logo is the equivalent of saying that people
are really only the sum of their name, face
and clothes.” RITA CLIFTON

Why about branding?

Branding is a process used to build awareness
and extend customer loyalty for a company or a
person.

Branding is about seizing every opportunity to

express why people should choose one brand
over another. (Help people get what they want
by doing what you want)
Types of branding:
• Personal branding: The way an individual
builds their reputation.

• Digital branding: Web, social media, search

engine optimization, ecommerce.

• CO branding: Partnering with another brand

to reach an objective.

• Employer branding: Efforts to become

attractive as a place to work.

• Country branding: Efforts to attract tourists

and businesses.

• Cause branding: Involving the brand in a

charitable cause; known as CSR = corporate
social responsibility.

Origins (notes)
• Your first face isn’t your last

• Branding is a long term step by step

process
Brand Identity Elements
Brand identity is the visible elements of a
brand, such as name, color, design, and logo,
that identify and distinguish the brand in
consumers' minds.

Elements:
 • Brand positioning (the Unique Selling
Proposition, vision, mission, values, the
tone, voice, language etc)

• Name & tagline

• Logo & Design System

• Collaterals / Marketing materials (brand

manual, website, social media account,
brochures etc)

Brand Architecture
Brand architecture is the organisational
structure of a company’ s portfolio. (Organising
and structuring your brand)
Brand Identity Elements
Brand identity is the visible elements of a
brand, such as name, color, design, and logo,
that identify and distinguish the brand in
consumers' minds.

BRAND IDENTITY ELEMENTS:

Brand positioning (the Unique Selling
Proposition, vision, mission, values
Signature branding style (Fonts, the tone,
voice, language, colors, etc)
Name & tagline
Logo & Design System
Collaterals / Marketing materials (brand
manual, website, Social Media account,
brochures etc)

Careers In Branding
“No one does it alone” (in branding and in
life). - ALINA WHEELER
Agency
• Brand Strategist

• Brand Assistant

• Project / Account Manager

• Brand Designer

Client
• Brand Manager

• Brand Assistant

• Marketing Manager

Freelance / Owner
• Brand Consultant

• Brand Strategist

• Brand Designer

LESSON 2: BRAND DISCOVERY

Positioning a brand is to strategically create
a space for it in people’s minds

The Creative Brief & Brand Discovery

A creative brief is a document used to outline
the strategy of a creative project.

WHAT TO GET FROM A CREATIVE BRIEF

• A detailed description of the product /
service / company.

• The story of the brand / the company.

• The purpose of the project.

• The objectives of the project.

• The targeted audience.

• The competitors.

• What actions will be taken after the project

is done?

• Budget.

• Existing materials & needed materials

Why (The vision / The someday)

= where we are headed

How (The mission / The everyday)

= why we exist

What (The business)

= what we do
 WHY (vision) HOW (mission)

Google To provide access to the world's information in one To organize the world’s
click. and useful.

Disney To make people happy. To entertain, inform an

power of unparalleled

Ikea To create a better everyday life for the many people. To offer a wide range o
products at prices so l
to afford them.

Brandzey To have all entrepreneurs build their online presence To offer a specific serv
making at least $4,000
personal brands and s

Your Turn.

Integrity
• Why & how

Innovation
• Why & how

Flexibility
• Why & how
 Values

Google • Focus on the user and all else will follow.

• It’s best to do one thing really, really well.
• Fast is better than slow.
• Democracy on the web works.
• You can make money without doing evil.

Disney • Optimism
• Innovation
• Decency
• Quality
• Community
• Storytelling

Ikea • Togetherness.
• Caring for people and planet.
• Cost-consciousness.
• Simplicity.
• Renew and improve.
• Different with a meaning.

Brandzey • Professionalism
• Easy to implement
• Equipped for all customers
• Renew and improve
• Helpful for all entrepreneurs

Your Turn.

The Creative Brief & Brand Discovery

First Year Goal (2024)
• creating a brand aligned with international
competitors

• potential candidates are aware of the brand

existence on the market

• testing campaigns and gather insights.

• Your Turn.

Third Year Goal (2026)

• having a stable image on the market

• gain awareness on new markets

• gain another audience the brand stands out

in-store
Your Turn.

Fifth Year Goal (2028)

• becoming the first choice in client’s mind on
its niche

• big brands are asking for collaborations

• the brand has a network of organic brand

ambassadors

• Your Turn.

Defining Audience (Target

Audience)
The Audience
company profile / user profile
Age & gender & location
Income
 Household
Industry / profession
Consumption habits
Online habits
Acquisition habits
Their needs / expectations

The audience - Company Example

CEE market
Industries such as: Oil & Gas, Utilities,
Pharma, Manufacturing, Wholesales &
Retail, Waste
Management, Chemicals, Agribusiness
Turnover > 10 mil EUR
They need to improve or automate their
processes regarding: logistics, financial,
energy solutions, business analysis, sales,
distribution, materials management,
production planning.
They are usually investing in automation
processes and updating their IT
infrastructure.
They have a department that understands
the technical language and can explain the
business needs for a tech team.

The Audience - Persona Example

M, 50 years old, Romania
He wants to automatise Agroland’ logistics
department.
He asks his acquisition manager and his
CFO to start a research for partners.
 He wants to meet top 3 potential partners
for a long time collaboration.
He is usually impressed by the big names in
a company’s portfolio. He sees a finished
project and finds out who was in charge.
He militates for external expertise rather
than building departments.
He doesn’t spend much time on Social
Media but he owns the latest Iphone.
He spends his online time on business
portals, agribusiness websites,
documentaries.

Brand architypes
• There are 12 classic brand archetypes;

• The archetype is related to your mission,

vision and your values;

• You can mix & match the archetypes, but

choose a dominant one;

• It will help you define your positioning on

the market
12 Brand Architypes

Competition Research
• Who are our competitors?

• How do they communicate?

• What channels do they use?

• What makes them different?

• What are their main strengths?

• What are their weak points?

• What do they do better than us?

Challenges
Challenges
what is the main challenge that your brand
will face when it will go on the market?
what challenges do brands from your
industry usually face?
challenges regarding location / political or
social situation.
challenges regarding world wide changes
(e.g. digitalization).

Challenges Example
what is the main challenge that your brand
will face when it will go on the market?
 Low trust, customers felt cheated in the
past by products that took their money
without their understanding.
To sustain IT consultants’ efforts of keeping
pace with the industry.
Keep up with the big marketplaces (in terms
of UX, UI, customer relations, deliveries,
discounts).
Make clients understand what custom
products mean (costs, delivery wise).

LESSON 3: BRAND
POSITIONING
“Positioning a brand is to strategically
create a space for it in people’s minds”. -
LISSA REIDEL

“Products are made in the factory, but

brands are created in the mind”. - WALTER
LANDOR

Positioning a brand means finding a niche you

can fill, a need that you can fulfill. Think of it as
the main brand promise.

Positioning and statement examples

Microsoft: Empowering people and
organizations to achieve more.

Amazon: The most customer-centric company.

Apple: Creating a better world through
technology and design.

BMW: The ultimate driving experience.

Mercedes: The best luxury experience.

Brand differentiators
A list of unique attributes that set you apart
from your competitors and attract clients to
your offering.

TYPES OF DIFFERENTIATORS
1. Based on market dominance (being number
one or two, based on numbers).
2. Based on innovation (being the first one
who invented a product or service).
3. Based on a technological advantage
(example: using AI).
4. Based on price advantage.
5. Based on the relationship with the
customers (example: great customer
support)
6. Based on stories / emotions.
7. Based on location (unique location).
8. Based on User Experience (ease of use).

EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF

DIFFERENTIATORS
1. Emag - the first Romanian marketplace.
2. Apple - innovation, pricing, product design,
marketing (the hype before the launch)
3. Carlsberg - probably the best beer in the
world.
4. Dove - product ( ¼ moisturizer).
5. Altex - price (if you find it cheaper
somewhere else, we give you back twice
the difference).
6. Starbucks - care for customers (writing the
names on the cup)

The unique selling proposition

USP = unique selling proposition
UVP = unique value proposition

A USP is the statement you choose to embody

that differentiates your products and your
brand from your competitors. The USP is the
main promise to your audience, it has to be true
and it has to be reflected in every action you
take.

Domino’s pizza: You get fresh, hot pizza

delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less or
it’s free.
M&M: The milk chocolate melts in your mouth,
not in your hand.
Fedex: When it absolutely, positively has to be
there overnight.
Tiktok: The platform for creators.

Let's find your fav brands' USPs:

Mine is Tiktok. (The platform for creators)
Brand tone & voice
The brand voice is how you convey the
messages to your audience. It stays constant
regardless of who you are talking to or what
your saying.

BRAVE

We communicate our believes and we stand up

for them. We are not humble, we argument our
opinions, without being rude

STRAIGHTFORWARD

We leave no room for interpretations, we don ’t

use metaphors or rare used words.

TECHNICAL

We use the industry’s terminology, we have a

technical language when needed and we use
acronyms well known by our audience, avoiding
cliches.

The brand tone is the mood or emotions you

send to your audience. While the voice does not
change, the tone can adapt to context and
customer’s state of mind.
IS: Calm
IS: Formal
IS: Clear

IS NOT: Agitated, excited, imperative

IS NOT: Informal, playful, inaccurate, funny
IS NOT: Hazy, vague

RECOMMENDED

“Read full case study”

“Get in touch”

“Get a quote”

“Find out more”

“Upload your CV”

NOT RECOMMENDED

“Check out our latest case study!”

“Download our annual report now!”

“Let’s talk prices!”

“Read more!”

“Join our team!”

LESSON 4: Verbal Identity

The name
Types of names

• Descriptiv: The naming company, Bank of

America, [Link].

• Founder’s name: Air Jordan, Giorgio

Armani, McDonald's.

• Geographical indication: American Airlines,

Cârnați de Pleșcoi, Salam de Sibiu.

• Acronym: IBM, MoMA, KFC.

• Invented (of Greek or Latin origin or sound-

based): Nike, Google, Oreo.

• Evocative (evokes brand positioning): Uber,

Virgin Airlines, Amazon.

• Wordplay: Dunkin’ Donuts, Flickr, Tumblr.

• Combinations between the above.

The process
THE SETUP
1. Debrief with your team based on the
creative brief and the brand positioning and
strategy.
2. Identify your brand architecture.
3. Use tools to make the process easier and
faster.

USEFUL TOOLS
Yearly updated naming guide owned by a
naming agency in the US: Igor Naming
Agency | Brand Names For Companies &
Products
Synonyms and antonyms of words:
[Link] Synonyms and Antonyms of
Words | [Link]
Play with words: The ultimate word finder
for Scrabble and Words with Friends
Check brand trademark availability (US mainly):
Global Brand Database
Check your brand category:
[Link]
Check domain availability: Whois Lookup,
Domain Availability & IP Search - DomainTools
Check brand trademark availability (Europe):
[Link]
Mind mapping tool for collaborative work:
[Link] Miro | The Visual Workspace
for Innovation

ANALYSE THE COMPETITION & THE

INDUSTRY

• Make a list with your competitors’ names &

taglines. Make sure you won’t create
something similar to avoid legal problems or
to confuse your audience.

• Don’t stop at your main competitors, take a

look at side competitors in the industry.

• Check if there’s a market or industry trend

and decide if you want to follow, based on
your strategy

LESSON 5: Visual Identity

Visual identity ≠ logo
The visual identity represents all the visual
elements through which a brand
communicates.

“Design is an iterative process that aims to

integrate meaning with form”. - ALINA
WHEELER

1. Identify on the market

2. Assimilate through repetition

3. Differentiate from competition

Visual Elements:
Logo
Color palette
Fonts
Motion/ animation
Illustration
Characters
Image / video

Building the visual identity

• Defining the concept

• Creating a mood board

• Logo creation

• Defining the color palette

• Defining fonts
 • Creating graphic elements based on the
concept

• Declining the visuals on different materials

• Creating the brand manual

Logo
The logotype is a word (or more) written in a
font, which can be standard, modified or
completely drawn from scratch.

The role of the symbol is to reduce a concept to

its visual essence.
Logotype + symbol = logo (signature)
Color Palette
“Color creates emotion, triggers memory,
and gives sensation”. - GAEL TOWEY

1. Accelerates differentiation

2. Stimulates brand association

3. Expresses personality

4. Evokes emotion

WHEN CHOOSING THE COLOR PALETTE, WE

MUST KEEP IN MIND THAT:

• 60% of the decision to buy a new product is

based on color*

• Our brain perceives color first, then shape,

and only then text

• Colors have different connotations in

different cultures

• There are differences between color codes

for print versus web

• (RGB versus CMYK) Lou Leonardis Hey

Lou, What’s the Difference Between CMYK
and RGB? - Trill…

WHEN CHOOSING THE COLOR PALETTE, WE

HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES:

• Does it follow our brand positioning (ex:

personality slider)?
• What do we want to communicate through
the color palette?

• Does it stand out from the colors chosen by

the competition?

• Is it appropriate for the target audience? Is

it aligned with the industry requirements?

• Does it remind us of another product or

service? Do we have the legal right to use
it?

THE COLOR PALETTE INCLUDES

• A main color

• 1-2 secondary colors

• 1-2 accent colors

• 3-5 complementary colors

Fonts
Choosing the right fonts is as important as
the color or logo.

Check this out:

20 Signs That Prove …

Even the most innocent
words can get hopelessly
mangled by the wrong
[Link]
font choice. The results
are both hilarious and

TIPS & TRICKS WHEN CHOOSING FONTS

• Complementarity: we take into account

the style of the logo, as all elements will be
used together.

• Flexibility: We take into account the

materials we are going to build, both for
web and print.

• Variety: we look for fonts that have all the

characters we need (eg: diacritics, accents,
etc.).

• Readability: Most importantly, the font

should be easy to read and understand.
WE NEED FONTS FOR:

• Titles

• Subtitles

• Body text

• Call-to-actions

• Quotes

• Packaging / technical details

The brand manual / Signature

branding style
The brand manual is the official document that
contains all the verbal and visual identity
elements of the brand, as well as the rules for
their construction and use.

WHY IS IT NECESSARY?

• So that everyone who works with the brand

has the same source of information.

• To know how to generate new material

verbally and visually.

• In order not to deviate from the defined

positioning and not to generate materials
that confuse the target audience
THE CONTENT OF A BRAND MANUAL:

• Brand philosophy, mission, vision, values,

brand architecture

• Directions for tone, language, vocabulary,

key messages

• Logo construction and rules of use

• The structure of the color palette

• Fonts & hierarchy

• Imaging and rules of use

• Visual elements based on concept & rules

of use

• Applications: email signatures, brochures,

social media usage, website, etc

LESSON 6: Crisis Situations

A crisis is an event that disrupts normal
operations of a company or organisation. If
badly managed, it can ruin hard-won brand
reputations or, in the worst case, destroy
companies. Effective crisis management
protects companies, their brand reputations
and, at times, can salvage their very existence.

Types of crisis
The cobra – the ‘sudden’ crisis – this is a
disaster that hits suddenly and takes the
company completely by surprise and leaves it in
a crisis situation.
The python – the ‘slow-burning’ crisis or ‘crisis
creep’ – a collection of issues that steal up on
the company one by one and slowly crush it.

The stages of a crisis

The most important part is to know that it’s not
the end of the world. If the worst happens you
can still start all over again and build everything
up a lot faster because you’re a lot more
experienced. There;s no such thing as failure,
there are only lessons.

THE FIVE STAGES OF A CRISIS

1. Detection: see warning signs.
2. Preparation / prevention: prepare plans
proactively to avoid the crisis.
3. Containment: taking steps to limit the
length of the crisis or its effects.
4. Recovery: get back to the normal.
5. Learning: reflect and evaluate the
experience to consider the negative
impacts for the organisation and any
possible positive benefits for the future

Examples
How to handle an image crisis

KFC
SITUATION
In 2018 KFC changed their ingredients supplier
in UK. A few months later, KFC restaurants were
running out of key ingredients, including
chicken. Soon the#ChickenCrisis" and
"KFCCrisis" appear. 900 restaurants got
closed.

THE PLAN
KFC set out two objectives:

• A mass-scale public apology to mitigate for

the disruption caused to diners and
franchisees alike

• A clear and transparent explanation of what

was being done to fix the issue

REACTION
Guided by the "three Hs" of "humility, humour
and honesty", it settled on another threeletter
word to share the "truth" in a bold and down-
to-earth manner: "FCK". They published the ad
in only two newspapers, but because the
execution was so good, everybody shared it
(for free).
HubSpot
SITUATION
On 31st of January 2023, HubSpot had to let go
7% of their employees, around 500 people.

APPROACH

• Tone of voice: human, empathic, optimistic

• Explained the WHY

• Evoked the company's values

• Offered solutions

• Explained next steps

M&M
SITUATION
Mars M&M rebrands the M&M candy to
emphasise its commitment to inclusion.

The audience didn’t react well because the

company is going through a child slavery
lawsuit.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT
Mars has no comment on the litigation, claiming
they don’t talk about ongoing lawsuits.
LESSON 7: Employer Branding
Employer branding is the ability of a company
to create a positive working experience for its
employees. Employer branding is the process of
promoting an organization as a great place to
work. With employer branding, you reduce
costs and increase quality.
Current Employees

It is about actions taken for your current

employees that are also communicated for
future potential employees

Future Employees

It is addressed to to the kind of talent required

by the organization to meet its business goals
and objectives.

Clients

It appeals to customers as well. Showing pride

and confidence in a company sends a strong
brand message to consumers

The two fronts

Reality: employer branding strives to make the
company a great place to work. Achieving this
goal requires more than competitive salaries
and great benefits like:

• create a strong sense of purpose

• promote diversity and collaboration

• empower people

• encourage their creativity

• provide opportunities for learning and

career development

Reputation:

• An exceptional workplace attracts the top

talent only if those talented individuals
know about it.
 • Promoting your internal values and actions
is essential to increase awareness,
consideration, and preference for your
employer brand.

Understanding the market

After many years of having the market in the
favor of the talent, in 2023 things are starting
to change. Big Tech companies like Alphabet,
Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft were among the
first to announce consequential layoffs, but
many other tech companies followed suit.
Talent who has a very niched specialization
continues to have the upper hand (e.g.
experienced cybersecurity engineers) The
focus of the companies is on retention. Workers
who quit during The Great Resignation* will
return to the workforce.

Compensation
Flexibility (remote)

Work-Life balance

The employer value proposition

The Employer Value Proposition is the promise
between an employer and a potential applicant.
What a CV is to an applicant, the employer
value proposition is to a company. Like a good
application, an employer value proposition
should be both attractive and realistic.

AN EVP SHOULD COVER:

Why exactly should applicants be interested
in your company?
 What differentiates you from your
competitors?
As an employer, what can you expect of
your employees?

DIFFERENT APPROACHES IN BUILDING AN

EVP:

• Remuneration

• Working environments (e.g. Google)

• Corporate culture: sharing the same values

• Career progression

• Job security

Examples of EVP
ONCE YOU HAVE THE EVP, YOU CAN:
Spread the word
Check regularly and adapt (e.g. the
pandemic)

Employer branding
Analyse the problem
 Define the goals. Establish what a
successful campaign means.
Define the main audience.
Gather insights (about the audience, trends,
market, context).
Establish budget & timeline.
Define the concept.
Define deliverables based on the concept.
Choose channels of communication & make
media / content plan.
Launch.
Observe and adapt.
Measure & analyse results.

LESSON 7: Personal Branding

Personal branding is your personal promise to
the world. Personal branding is the story you
tell and the actions you take in order to achieve
your objectives. Personal branding is what
people say about you when you are not in the
room. The key to a personal brand is to know
how others perceive you

WE NEED A PERSONAL BRAND WHEN:

• We want to differentiate ourselves from

competition.

• We want to be more visible on the market;

we want to be known for something we do.

• We want to be remark as an expert in the

field in which we perform
The digital reputation
• It’s a thin line between our personal and
professional life

• We never have full control (comments,

reviews, tags etc);

• It’s built on credibility: what you say versus

what you do.

ADVANTAGES OF HAVING AN ONLINE IMAGE

• We can control our digital reputation

• We raise our visibility, therefore the

changes to find opportunities

• Networking

• Exposure (your work, projects, opinions,

ideas, needs)

DISADVANTAGES OF HAVING AN ONLINE

IMAGE

• Exposure, the lack of intimacy

• Fake news

• Information overload

• Wasted time