Crafting a Winning Brand Playbook

Good Brand Message: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

Why It’s Effective:

• Reflects Brand Values: Patagonia’s brand ethos centers on environmental sustainability and social responsibility, attracting consumers who prioritize ethical and eco-friendly practices.
• Clear and Memorable: The message is straightforward, to the point, and unforgettable. It successfully conveys Patagonia’s mission, distinguishing it from its competitors.
• Consistent Across Channels: Patagonia delivers its brand message effectively through its products, marketing, and corporate efforts. This consistent approach enhances its credibility and strengthens its brand presence.

Bad Brand Message: “Beyond Petroleum.”

Why It’s Ineffective:

• Disconnected from Reality: BP’s “Beyond Petroleum” slogan was criticized as greenwashing, especially after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It seemed contradictory to BP’s main focus on fossil fuels and its record of environmental impacts.
• Lack of Authenticity: The brand’s message wasn’t seen as genuine or credible, resulting in doubts and criticism from customers and environmental supporters.
• Inconsistent with Actions: BP’s credibility was compromised by actions like resisting environmental regulations and allocating minimal investment in renewable energy relative to its fossil fuel ventures.
• Failed to Address Concerns: The brand’s messaging did not tackle genuine worries regarding BP’s impact on the environment and sustainability efforts, which further diminished trust and goodwill among stakeholders.

Good Brand Story: In 2006, Blake Mycoskie launched TOMS, driven by a mission to use business as a force for good. Motivated by a trip to Argentina where he saw children without shoes, Mycoskie established the One for One model at TOMS. With every pair sold, another is given to a child in need. This model of social entrepreneurship quickly captured the hearts of consumers, propelling TOMS to swift success and growth.

Why it’s Effective:

• Emotional Connection: The narrative of TOMS’ brand resonates deeply, eliciting empathy and compassion by showcasing the significant effect of its mission on individuals. This creates an emotional bond between consumers and the brand’s ethos.
• Authenticity: TOMS’ origin story is deeply authentic and genuine, mirroring Blake Mycoskie’s own journey and dedication to social causes. This genuine nature boosts trust and loyalty among consumers.
• Inspires Action: TOMS captures consumer interest by centering its branding narrative on a tangible and inspiring mission. This encourages customers to back its cause with their purchases, fueling engagement and promoting brand loyalty.

Bad Brand Story: Founded in 2003 by Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos aimed to revolutionize healthcare by making blood tests simpler and cheaper. However, the company soon faced fraud accusations. Holmes claimed their technology could perform comprehensive tests with just a few drops of blood, but investigations revealed the technology was unreliable and inaccurate. This led to Theranos’ downfall, tarnishing its reputation and resulting in legal battles and financial losses.

Why it’s Ineffective:

• Lack of Transparency: Theranos’ brand narrative suffered from a lack of transparency and honesty, constructed on misleading promises and overhyped capabilities of its technology. This led to a loss of trust and credibility among consumers, investors, and regulators.
• Failure to Deliver on Promises: The gap between Theranos’ public image and its real capabilities underscored the company’s inability to fulfill its promises. This inconsistency eroded the brand’s credibility and contributed to its collapse.
• Negative Impact: The Theranos scandal resulted in widespread repercussions, tarnishing the image of its founders, investors, and partners. The narrative of the company’s brand became associated with deception and unethical practices, creating a persistent negative impact on all parties involved.

Good Visual Brand Elements:

1. Logo: Apple’s logo, featuring a bitten apple, is legendary and immediately identifiable. Its simplicity, elegance, and memorability symbolize the brand’s dedication to innovation and superior design.
2. Color Palette: Apple’s use of a minimalist color scheme, featuring white, silver, and black, radiates sophistication and a contemporary vibe, further enhancing its reputation for high-end products and quality.
3. Typography: Apple’s choice of sleek, sans-serif fonts like Apple Garamond and San Francisco communicates simplicity, clarity, and elegance, improving readability and ensuring consistent branding across different platforms.
4. Product Design: Apple’s product design features smooth contours, a minimalist style, and premium materials, mirroring the brand’s emphasis on innovation, practicality, and user experience.

Why It’s Effective:

• Consistent Brand Identity: Apple applies its visual brand elements uniformly across all communication platforms, establishing a unified brand identity that engages consumers.
• Differentiation: Strengthening its status as a technology industry leader, Apple’s unique visual branding distinguishes it from rivals.
• Emotional Connection: Apple’s imagery resonates with simplicity, elegance, and sophistication, forging a powerful emotional connection with its consumers.

Bad Visual Brand Elements:

1. Logo: During the Ron Johnson era, JCPenney adopted a logo comprising a blue box with “jcp” letters and a red square. This design was criticized for its lack of creativity and failure to connect with consumers, leading to confusion and negative feedback.
2. Color Palette: JCPenney’s color scheme featured vibrant primary colors such as red, blue, and yellow, which were discordant and failed to present a unified look. This lack of harmony in colors failed to communicate a coherent brand identity, leading to confusion about the brand.
3. Typography: The varied fonts and inconsistent typography in JCPenney’s branding materials led to a disjointed and unprofessional look. This lack of consistency and difficulty in reading harmed the overall brand experience.
4. In-store Design: Under Ron Johnson, JCPenney’s modernization efforts led to disorganized store layouts. The removal of usual sales promotions and coupons turned away faithful customers without drawing in new ones.

Why It’s Ineffective:

• Lack of Cohesion: JCPenney’s brand visuals were inconsistent and unclear, hindering consumer identification and connection with the brand.
• Loss of Brand Identity: Under Ron Johnson, JCPenney’s major overhaul of its visual brand elements turned away loyal customers familiar with its classic image, leading to a diminished brand identity and reduced market share.
• Inconsistent Brand Experience: The lack of uniformity in JCPenney’s visual branding across digital and physical spaces led to a fragmented brand perception, which struggled to engage customers and boost revenue.

Good Public Brand Launch:

Background: In 2014, Airbnb introduced the “Belong Anywhere” campaign to redefine its image beyond merely a site for booking places to stay. This campaign focused on highlighting the emotional bond and feeling of belonging that Airbnb creates between travelers and hosts.

Execution: The “Belong Anywhere” campaign presented a collection of visually captivating and emotionally touching ads through multiple channels such as TV, digital, and outdoor. These advertisements highlighted a variety of distinctive Airbnb listings located worldwide, paired with uplifting stories about forming connections and community.

Impact: The “Belong Anywhere” campaign effectively changed how the public viewed Airbnb, transforming it from a mere transactional platform to a community-oriented brand that emphasizes shared experiences and a sense of belonging. This initiative created a significant buzz and positive feelings towards the brand, leading to higher brand recognition, more user interaction, and an uptick in bookings.

Why It’s Effective:

• Emotional Appeal: The “Belong Anywhere” campaign connected deeply with people by focusing on the universal feelings of connection, belonging, and the desire to explore, striking a chord with both travelers and hosts alike.
• Compelling Storytelling: Airbnb brought its brand purpose to life by using storytelling, with visually engaging ads and genuine stories, encouraging people to discover the world and connect with others.
• Consistency Across Channels: The campaign was seamlessly implemented across different marketing platforms, guaranteeing a consistent brand message and optimal impact.
• Positive Brand Associations: Airbnb enhanced its brand image and set itself apart from rivals in the travel sector by embracing and promoting inclusivity, diversity, and a sense of community.

Bad Public Brand Launch:

Background: In 2017, as a component of its “Live for Now” campaign, Pepsi unveiled an ad with Kendall Jenner. It showed Jenner at a protest where she eased the standoff between demonstrators and law enforcement by handing a Pepsi can to a police officer.

Execution: Immediately, the advertisement was criticized for belittling significant societal and political problems, like police violence and demonstrations, implying that a can of soda could resolve these issues. Pepsi was condemned for using social movements to benefit commercially and for capitalizing on activism for promotional aims.

Impact: The Pepsi commercial received widespread backlash for being perceived as tone-deaf and insensitive. It ignited a firestorm on social media, with many people calling for a boycott of Pepsi products, which harmed the brand’s image.

Why It’s Ineffective:

• Insensitive Messaging: The Pepsi commercial overlooked the depth and intricacy of social problems, simplifying them into basic and shallow actions.
• Lack of Authenticity: The advertisement felt forced and insincere, with Kendall Jenner’s participation appearing opportunistic and out of touch with the true essence of activism and social justice.
• Misjudgment of Public Sentiment: Pepsi failed to accurately gauge public sentiment and the cultural landscape, leading to a PR fiasco that eclipsed its original message of unity and inclusion.