- It's hard to imagine a time
when there weren't 30 types of soap to choose at the market
or every possible flavor of beverage we can imagine.
But before the 20th century,
the options available to the typical consumer were limited.
The local general store might carry one brand of flour,
coffee, sugar, and salt.
If you lived in a larger city,
you might have access to two choices.
By the turn of the century, this changed.
Mass production and easy transportation
across great distances combined,
giving the consumer more choices than ever.
To the manufacturers, this meant greater competition.
To succeed, a product required quality, value,
and a good reputation.
But first, it had to catch the audience's attention
on the shelf or in an advertisement.
Let's use Morton Salt as an example.
By 1911, the company decided to embark
on its first national advertising campaign.
Now, salt isn't that exciting as a visual.
So, the Morton Salt girl was born.
To prove that Morton Salt
would flow in rainy weather rather than clump together,
the famous slogan, "When it rains, it pours." was adopted.
The visual and message,
combined with the salt's quality,
name value over time worked.
Morton's is still the best-selling salt in the market.
Even though with the exception of a few high-end brands,
salt is salt.
As more products entered the marketplace,
companies began to understand the need
for a cohesive message and brand management.
Many of these companies
promoted their unique selling proposition.
Meaning, they were the only or first option.
Many companies adopted the same literal approach
of a clear illustration and slogan.
RCA became synonymous with the Terrier, Nipper,
listening to his master's voice on a gramophone.
Some companies, however,
understood the more complex issues
of a clear brand presence.
Before refrigerators were available,
people bought soft drinks stored in ice coolers.
Coca-Cola realized that a unique bottle shape
would help identify and differentiate it
from the other sodas.
By the 1940s, Coca-Cola promoted the brand
as part of the American way of life.
Kodak was the first company that provided tools
for ordinary people to take photographs
and have them printed.
The name value was enough to maintain the brand
and its dominance.
As competition increased,
Kodak simplified the product for the user
rather than making it more complex
and use this idea of ease of use
as their primary branding message.
It was so simple a child could operate the camera.
The most successful companies
were beginning to understand the importance
of the audience's emotional connection to the brand.
Rather than touting the product's benefits,
some advertising spoke to a better life
with romance, happiness, and love.
Others offered status, adventure, or healthy living.
The goal was to connect to the viewer
on a basic and emotional level.
This often took advantage of people's insecurities
and fears of not being attractive,
smelling good enough, or having status.
Brands promise the solution by purchasing products.
Your breath will no longer ruin your life.
By the end of the 1950s,
the basics of modern branding were now in place:
brand awareness, visual consistency,
clear language, and audience loyalty.
However, this still relied on exposure on the market shelf,
print advertising, radio, and word of mouth.
The advent of television in the mass market
and then the internet
created a supernova in branding.