Give people a branding beatdown
What is the bare minimum needed to have a brand? What's the MVB (minimum viable brand)? I've written about this before and the answer landed somewhere around:
MVB = memory + trigger
And if you do the math, that means you do not NEED a logo to have a brand (but it sure as hell will help). So what do you need?
I thought about this a bit and a brand assets order of importance emerged:
1. Product/service
2. Name
3. Color(s)
4. Logo
I love to use Koozie as an example. They are going hard with #1 (product) and #2 (name). But not so hard with #4 (logo). I only just discovered there was even a Koozie logo like, 2 weeks ago. Anyway, Koozie has a reputation, and therefore a brand, without having a logo (in a way--no one knows about it).
Motocross bikes and power tools are great examples of the order of importance of brand assets. The brands in these categories go super hard with #3 (color).
Watch a MX race, you'll see red (Honda), blue (Yamaha), yellow (Suzuki), green (Kawasaki). After the race, go to Lowe's. You'll see red (Milwaukee), blue (Kobalt), yellow (Dewalt), and green (Ryobi).
And don't get it twisted, these are not colors with any sort of woo-woo color psychology BS. These are colors that stand out against the others on the worksite, on the track, or on the shelf.
My main point here is that if you're wanting to establish a brand, you're probably prioritizing the wrong shit.
Product or service is #1. If you aren't offering anything worth caring about, you're screwed.
After that, it’s brand name and color. These might be more important than a logo because they are much easier to communicate from person to person. You can say a brand name or a color, but you can't say a logo.
Person 1: Dude, I used Jim’s drill the other day. That thing is badass
Person 2: Oh yeah? What brand was it?
Person 1: No idea, I didn’t even think to ask.
Person 2: What color was it?
Person 1: Yellow
Person 2: That’s a Dewalt.
Having said all of this, logos are still SUPER important because they mainly work as an anchor within one’s own memory.
A logo can be like that bruise on your thigh that never goes away. A constant reminder of that time you bumped into that table (geez, you're so clumsy).
When you stack your branding with all 4 assets you inflict much more than a bruise.
It's more like a beatdown.
Beat the shit out of people with your branding. They'll never forget it. lol
✌️Rvw
P.S. Don't literally beat people up, obviously. Again, big thought inspiration to Emily Penny
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