Oh, what it was, and how is it now? It is what it is- Where civilization was, humanity is sown. What is humanity, ...if not finding beauty in things? And yet somehow remain; simply complex.
Hey, this is Manas writing from Slangbusters Studio. Actually, for Slangbusters- and currently sitting in the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, somewhere in the foothills of the mighty Himalayas feeling like a speck of dust (read: stardust).
In this moment of beauty, I felt like being vulnerable and letting out the shy poet in me who wrote this the day he thought he got what branding is, knowing that it was not a moment of arrival, just a milestone. It is a forever evolving philosophy and also a little bit of a personal journey of growth for everyone involved. I realized why we collaborate with clients the way we do. It also made me realize the beauty that lays around me and within- as identities.
This piece is an archive of how I realized that branding is like the coming of age of an idea.
In the art of cinema particularly, coming of age is almost an entire genre of films. It has its ups and downs, the character’s moments of confusion, and of coherence. Something similar happens in the dimension of brands. They are born, they have an identity, they have a story, they communicate, and it’s definitely been said before as we will now, branding is the personification of an idea. It grows into a brand.
If the journey is so personal, why do we need a branding studio to do it for us?
A gif from PowerPuff Girls
In an ideal branding setup, a project is never outsourced to them. Clients and us, we collaborate to build a brand. We pitch in with our artistry, tools, skills, and experiences- both professional and personal. The entrepreneurial client pitches in their idea, from the moment they came up with it, and what gap they will fill through their vision.
It is a fact that just with a strong and clear vision, an individual can brand their idea themselves. But when you involve us in the process,
...all of our stories are bound to get together and foster something beautiful; Heartful. The branding process is old enough to have its own formula, a process that will guarantee some results. But as the Power Puff analogy goes, Chemical X is what makes the difference. X=You. We are Professor Utonium who will, from their creative lab, help you create the perfect Chemical X that will make your brand realize it’s true powers.
We are the channel.
What is this love-hate relationship with rebranding?
One of the sacred Indian Vedas mentions “विकृतिः एवम् प्रकृतिः।” It talks about the naturality of the unnatural, the organicity of inorganic. These oxymorons highlight the inclusivity of the contrasts.
Ironically change is the only constant and people keep on hating drastic change, for various reasons. They question why, they have memories associated with older identities, they subscribe to a notion that rebrands happen because the business is failing. In the community of designers, the architects of the identity of any brand, rebrand launches are sometimes a good event to channelize all their rage on, in blogs, design writing, even columnists seem to join the bandwagon. A while later, they realize, the rebrand was indeed like a fresh breath of air. Sometimes, people collectively disagree and compel the business folk to go back to the original identity.
We tend to hate what we do not understand. Today, the machine I am using to write this would be a typewriter, if not for change.
Love-Hate-- Balance.
A still from the film, "Delhi Belly"
What does branding tell us about the future?
Hmm. You see, an idea has the potential to be devoid of the effects of time. When it takes the avatar of something tangible, it exists in the public sphere. Its only job, to connect to as many people who need what it has to give. It provides value, and at the same time, invaluable satisfaction.
Did you think of the future while reading that? No judgments if you did, but a good brand is timeless and heartful. Its function and action are both in the present. Its reaction is based on the consumer’s personal catharsis.
How is branding global if it is about finding the niche or the tribe?
The same way a human feels for another human no matter where you go, branding as a philosophy remains the same worldwide. The fundamentals of branding are very human in nature. Its application can be localized to suit the culture, geography, and other aspects of anthropology.
Of course, as an industry, branding is expected to bring upon global change, a global rejuvenation, rather than have a limited industrial affair. Almost every human now has the privilege of choice when it comes to making a purchase. Branding is about making a tribe of people who subscribe to your idea, your philosophy, and be a recurring consumer.
The adaptation is, for a lack of a better word, tribal. Branding is omnipresent, it’s global. Its basic human psyche.
Homework: find parallels in all global brands like Nike, Airbnb, Coca-Cola, the usual B-school case study material.
Hey, Manas here. I write at Slangbusters. I constantly try to de-jargonize Branding. I’m also known to sometimes romanticize it, guilty as charged. At Slangbusters, we love stories. Stories of your business idea, or how you don’t like the way things are. Tell us your story?
— by Manas, Content Strategist, Slangbusters Studio
