BrandingOften
more a thing is discussed less it is understood. Words have a point of diminishing return. That point is crossed when effort to be clear and precise counts every tree standing, but misses proverbial forest. Such is case with branding.
Because idea of branding is all rage, people are tempted to think that it is a new idea. It is not. It’s roots reach back into history.
The Old West Let’s go back to Old West where brands were burned into hind quarters of cattle. The thing branded was cow, product produced by ranching endeavor. The brand itself was twisted iron logo on end of rod that left its image or mark on hide of cow. Cows were roped, tied and branded in order to identify them, should they be stolen. The brand was a mark of identity, as it is in corporate world.
Some ranchers also used their logo as a welcome sign wrought in iron over gates of corral or over road leading to rancher’s home. Again, brand identified ranch. Some ranchers even got their cowhands belt buckles with ranch logo to identify them as employees. And over time logoed merchandise began to pop up on boots, hats, shirts, etc.
Identity The brand is essentially a mark of identity. It identifies ranch or company, and has come to represent or suggest values and character of company, and of its leaders. The brand is associated with character of company, as well as its products.
The early history of branding was always personal. Where does ranch or company get values and character that are associated with it? From its owners and leaders, and from their business practices.
Branding as we know it today is art of instilling and communicating values and character of a company or organization through association with its logo. Psychology calls it symbolic association, and finds it to be foundational to learning process. Symbolic association has deep roots in human experience and in history.
Fish, Cross & Swastika We find that branding as a practice began very early in history. The sign of fish and cross were symbols used by early Christians. Over time they became Christian brands.
The Roman Emperor Constantine had a vision of a red cross in sky before battle of Saxa Rubra, October 28, 312, near Rome. He put that red cross on his shields and flags, branding Holy Roman Empire for centuries.
On August 7, 1920, at Salzburg Congress, a red flag bearing Swastika became official emblem of Nazi Party, as Hitler branded Third Reich. While our emotional reaction to Swastika is usually negative, both fact and intensity of our response to it points to power of branding. Most people probably have an emotional reaction to examples above. That emotional reaction is aim of branding.
It must be recognized that a branding effort does not always turn out way campaign intends. The cross was intended to be a symbol of derision, but became a symbol of grace and mercy. The Swastika was intended to be a symbol of triumph of Arian race, but has become a symbol of evil. In both cases branding was achieved, but not in way intended.
