OBSERVATIONS
FROM THE FIELD —

WHAT DOES INTENTIONAL DESIGN LOOK LIKE?

Ground it directly into the unique=, core product or brands history and features. The visual identity of a successful brand is some sort of logo suite, a colour palette, typography. These are then curated to become the building blocks that will make up what I refer to as a brands house codes: motifs, themes and ideas that show up repeatedly and become a second layer of brand value. This looks like a brand now having a toolkit that's not restricted to any medium, and ideal for social. It's joining a conversation not repeating what everybody else is doing but doing so through the brands unique perspective. I think of Hermes, the pinnacle of luxury brands in the 21st century and it has consistently used humour bordering on absurdism in its advertising and has since the beginning.

THE STRONGEST NARRATIVE IN THE ROOM WINS.

While we frame business decisions as logical, rational, strategy-driven; they are shown to be business decisions more often than not get decided based on which direction presents the strongest case, or narrative. A narrative = consumer research identified a blue ocean opportunity; an R&D breakthrough that has potential to redefine the market; and when all else fails, the loudest in the room or with the most data becomes the narrative. Start figuring out the strongest narrative to each specific audience.

DISPOSABLE BRANDING IS GOING TO COST BRANDS MORE THAN ITS WORTH.

Almost every owner OR brand manager I chat with has a problem that goes something like this, “I’m stuck on a never-ending treadmill. When I started on the brand, I believed in the value it would bring to it's audience but now the team is so busy trying to constantly keep up with where the audience is and spending to more than ever to keep engagement up.”

Brands of all sizes fall victim to advice that you must go where the customer is and meet them on their terms. What this is missing from the real world is two parts, 1) that real brands rarely have a singular audience; often made up of vastly different types of people and 2) This advice never takes into account what happens when that target audience moves onto a new trend or aesthetic, leaving the brand to either pivot with a new rebrand or product extension OR start to feel passe and lose market share.

IDENTITY IS A WORLD.
MARKETING IS THE TOUR GUIDE TO THAT WORLD.

Visual identity, when executed successfully, is an open doorway into an ever-expanding world of a brand's values and what it offers its audience.

I like to think of Marketing like a tour guide to the world created through the brand's identity, taking your audiences to the most valuable parts you want to them to learn about and take away from.

Marketing that tries to double as brand identity often ends up feeling like the theme park ride version of this experience. It's going through the motions of what the audience wants but feels one-dimensional without depth or substance. It's a performance, leaving no place for people to experience the magic of what makes you unique in the first place.

WE'RE ABOUT TO REDISCOVER THE VERNACULAR AFTER
ABANDONING IT FOR THE GLOBAL.