- After 1950 television became the dominant advertising tool
This forced companies to focus less on the written
or spoken word for radio and more
on a visual medium, images became king.
With the introduction of the internet
and now mobile communication imagery
is the primary way we communicate as a culture.
Companies quickly understood the importance
of a unified visual message.
The brand message was critical
to differentiate from the competition.
That message had to be consistent every time
the audience interacted with it.
The rise of advertising and a mass distribution
of collateral also made the core brand message important.
Campaign ideas could change to maintain the interest,
but the brand center or brand DNA had to stay the same.
Volkswagen's campaign during the 1960s is a great example.
The brand message tells the audience that Volkswagen
is alternative and made for people
who value independence, not status.
The ads changed copy and imagery, but never changed
the main narrative and communication.
Volkswagen was the smart alternative.
In 1971, Coca-Cola revolutionized the world
of brand message with one television commercial.
Shot on a hilltop in Italy, a group of young people
of all races and nationalities sang the song,
"I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing in Perfect Harmony."
For the first time, a global brand embraced diversity
and used its platform to convey the message.
By the 1980s, branding moved away
from the corporate buttoned down approach.
Brands, such as MTV, adopted a changeable logo,
multiracial representation and irreverent attitude.
In the 1990s, as the Internet's use expanded,
many brands ventured into websites
with less than spectacular results.
As a new medium, the rules weren't clear.
Many brands simply replicated their ad campaigns online.
And since the consumer already had that information,
nobody cared and some ignored the changing culture
that demanded diverse representation.
The internet and social media landscape added avenues
for communication, but also added new challenges.
How can a brand be consistent with a logo
only a few pixels large?
What is the message on social media
beyond the logo and tagline?
How can a brand maintain visual consistency
from a printed booklet to a website?
With the current explosion of delivery systems
a clear brand message is even more critical.
A brand must remain consistent
in its communication and values,
whether in visual form on a bus shelter poster,
or the text on a Twitter feed.
Branding is far more complex today than it was in 1950.
The vehicles to communicate may be complex and changing,
but the job is still the same, determine a strong, clear,
unique, and compelling message for the brand,
and use every opportunity to promote that message.