The word branding has become one of those overused business buzzwords. You know the ones we mean--phrases like best practices, innovative, leverage, and robust. Because people use these words so freely in marketing, advertising, tweets, blogs, and in general conversation around the office, the definitions have become so diluted that we often don't know what they mean anymore.
Think about it. If you had to define the phrase "product branding" today, could you?
Don't worry. We're not suggesting that you scrap these words altogether. After all, as you move a product from conception to design to production, you're going to need to think about your brand. That shouldn't change. What should change is how you think about it. And that's the purpose of this month's newsletter. Be prepared to think about product branding in a whole new way.
Enjoy the issue!
Ready to Rethink Product Branding?
We feel one of the best definitions of the word branding comes from marketing guru Seth Godin. This past December, Godin devoted a blog post to this topic. Here's his definition:
A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it's a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn't pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.
He then goes on to say this: Design is essential but design is not brand.
We realize this might shake up the way you think about product branding. But when you stop and reread Godin's definition, it makes sense. Branding is about creating an experience. All the "parts" (like the design) will influence this experience, but the parts alone are not the brand.
So what does this mean when you're manufacturing a new thermoformed product or relaunching an existing one? Remember what Godin said. Design is essential, even though it's not brand. Focus on the design elements that will influence the customer's experience and create positive "brand value" in the customer's mind.
Creating Positive Brand Value in Product Design:
4 Questions to Ask
1. What do your customers want the product to communicate to them? Step back for a minute and get out of your corporate shoes. Don't think about what the marketing folks or sales people would like the product to communicate to customers. Think about the people buying your product. What do they want the product to say to them (and their customers, if necessary)?
We realize this might sound like a new-age sort of exercise, but consider this scenario. Picture a medical building. Now picture one of the practices inside of the building, one that has three pediatricians. For this particular practice, its most important "customers" (i.e. patients) range in ages from newborn to eighteen. There's a product in the office that all of the patients will need to interact with at some point because it performs an important medical test. What should this particular product communicate to patients?
The makers of the product might say they want it to communicate a contemporary feel or sophistication. These aren't bad messages, per se. But are they appropriate for this audience, for these customers?
Our guess is that the people working in this medical office (if they were asked the question and really thought about it) would say they want a product that puts kids at ease. Therefore, they might say they want the product to communicate a sense of calm. Curiosity. Perhaps even "fun."
The way you design "fun and curious" is a lot different from the way you'd design "contemporary and sophisticated." And, as a result, both designs would have different effects on the end users, leading to very different brand experiences.
Thermoforming tip: Once you've answered this question--what do the end users want this product to communicate to them?--share the information with your thermoforming company. Why? Because if you mention that you want your product to communicate something like "fun and curiosity," a good thermoforming company will make suggestions and edits to your design to help achieve this goal.
2. What role should color play in this communication, in this experience? We've talked about the psychology of color in several past issues, but it bears repeating: color tells a story. What's the story for your product? Are you a medical company that creates products that alleviate problems for patients? Then soothing colors like blues and whites might make sense. Are you a high-tech firm creating a testing device that'll be used in middle schools? Then bolder, fun colors like oranges and purples might work.
We realize that the colors you choose will likely be based on your logo, and that's okay, since logos tell a story as well. But keep this in mind: if your product is going for a "notice me" sort of story, and the logo already speaks to this, you'll want to choose a base color that complements and supports the story instead of competing with it.
For example, let's say you have a strong logo that uses bold reds and blacks. The logo is the storyteller for this particular brand. A product sporting such a logo would likely look best if we used a metallic silver or chrome on the base product.
Thermoforming tip: When in doubt, perform market research on the effects certain colors have on your audience and test different color combinations on the product itself. A quality thermoforming company can provide renderings in different colors so that you get a sense of how the colors play out in real life.
3. Do logos even matter anymore? Yes. Remember, many parts make up and influence the "brand experience," and logos are definitely an important part. If we asked you to think about a "swoosh" and name the company, you'd probably say Nike. If we told you to picture golden arches, you'd probably say McDonald's. How you feel about the brand--the experience you've had--goes deeper than simply recognizing the logo. But logo recognition is an important part of the process--and often the first step, which is why logo placement should NEVER be an afterthought.
Always consider logo placement during the initial product renderings. Where will it be? Will it be a special logo designed specifically for the product or the corporate logo or both? Do you want it to be the first thing people notice? If yes, why? If not, why not? A good reason for having the logo stand out is because you're going after customers who are already engaged with your brand, and you're hoping to get them to add this new product to their world. A good reason for being a little more subtle with the logo placement is because there's some other product element you want people to notice first because it might have a more immediate impact on their experience with your brand.
Thermoforming tip: In our free thermoforming design guide, we provide tips and strategies for effective logo placement. You can download the guide here.
4. Are you designing a platypus? We're guessing no. But that's the result when companies design and make decisions by committee. The problem with committees and teams is that too often the members want to leave their mark on the product and/or have their ideas heard and followed. Guess what's lost in that struggle? The actual customer using the product. Don't forgo the right idea simply to appease someone's ego. Compromise is great when deciding on what to get for lunch. Not so much when getting a product to market. The only person who really matters in the end is the customer, and every decision the team makes should serve that customer.
Thermoforming tip: Let your thermoforming company know how many people will be involved in the review process since this will affect timelines. Ideally, have one main point person in place and have that person speak for the team. Go to a thermoforming company with some key decisions already in place, such as color palette (and with good reasons and data backing up those decisions).
Ready to create a product that promotes a positive brand experience? Contact us today or call 888-494-9777.
Case in Point:
Product Branding Comes to Life
Massachusetts-based BioBehavioral Diagnostics Company (BioBDx) understood its end users-- children, adults, and medical professionals--when it developed its ADHD testing unit. Children and adults needed to feel comfortable, and the design had to come across as both fun (for the kids) and sophisticated (for the adults). The medical professionals needed it to be easy to use.
We worked closely with New Hampshire-based Farm Design, a full-service, FDA and ISO compliant product development company, to turn this vision for a positive brand experience into reality.
Did we succeed? Read the full customer story here (link opens a PDF). Then browse through our complete list of thermoforming case studies here.