Principles of Branding
A great brand is more than the sum of its parts. Core principles of any brand builder.
By Adam Charlton · 18 March 2020
Posted in Insight
Branding is the practice of defining an organisation’s visual behaviour.
To look outward with clarity, brands must first find clarity inwards.
Brands are built through the branding-compound effect.
Create → Evaluate → Iterate
Brand = Value x Behavior x Consistency
Brands that can communicate their authentic purpose are not replaceable.
A brand’s authenticity is translated successfully when the brand communicates externally in honesty with what it believes internally.
Strong brands express their core values consistently.
Great brands are anti-fragile.
Great brands carry through on their brand promise.
We only take on projects that we know are the right fit. When we submit a proposal, we know we’re the best fit for the project. We know that by being the best fit for every project.
A company needs both direction and momentum to build an audience.
Iconic, timeless brands are the result of consistent expression of core values and personality.
Feelings are more powerful than facts — there are 6 billion truths, our job is to communicate a feeling, to envelop the company or product in a context that transcends language.
A strong brand is the result of combining value, purpose and consistency.
Design is the agency of change.
Strong branding requires harmony between strategy and creativity.
The concept of identity is complex — identity is a collage of concepts such as history and context, visual expression, personality, behavior and values.
Timeless brands are created from consistency and clarity — brand equity is built over years of hundreds of individual interactions a consumer has with a brand. Our process puts consistency and clarity at the heart of the branding process.
Authentic brands do not seek approval.
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About the author —
Adam moved to Hong Kong in 2012 and founded the branding agency BrandCraft. Adam has built brands for companies at every growth stage and has consulted for some of the world’s most recognised companies.
