Law 13 of The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding

Should Microsoft dominate Word? Should Tide dominate Proctor & Gamble? Or should Gillette and Sensor be given equal weight?

One of the most confusing aspects of branding is the proper use of the company name. Brand names should always take precedence of companies for the fact that consumers buy brands, not companies. Some companies use a company name as a brand name, so consumers see these as brands; Coca Cola, IBM, Xerox and Intel to name a few.

When you combine a company name with a brand name correctly, the brand name is seen as the primary name and the company as the secondary name: General Motors Cadillac. When was the last time you heard someone say, "Hey, check out my new General Motors luxury car!" You haven't. When the company name dominates the brand you have a problem. Microsoft Word is commonly used as opposed to Word because Word is a generic word. Campbell's Chunky soup is in the same boat. Chunky is the brand name but no one asks for chunky soup without the name Campbell's in front.

What I learned: Most issues with company names versus brand names can be solved by asking these two questions.

1. What is the name of the brand? 2. What is the name of the stuff inside the packaging.

If both names aren't the same, you have a problem.

_gern

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This week I'm in sunny Destin, FL (The worlds luckiest fishing village) on vacation with my family. Between trying to body surf and burying my nephews neck deep, I've managed to get alot of sand in my britches. It's about as much fun as a rash and happens to be one of my biggest pet peeves (just behind sand in my bed, sand in my sandals, or just any rogue sand in general.) It made me think "What is the sand in my shorts" at Matchstic? What are my top five things that I would change today? I made my list, and I would encourage you to make yours (maybe i'll share mine later).
What are the top 5 things you would change with your process? Your identity? Your team? Your message? Your experience? Or all of the above?

Start small and take small steps to making change part of your culture, and wash out those sandy little britches of yours!

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Yes folks the saga continues with the second installment of the Brand Trends series titled ENOUGH. This trend follows the rejection of mass consumerism. These are the brands that appeal to those of us who desire products made by hand or products that are simple in nature. It's an appreciation for the human craft of making things.

The first example is the Simply Orange, Juice Company. Instead of machines picking your oranges and then adding preservatives, concentrating the juice and whatever else, they position themselves as beautifully & naturally simple. I remember their first commercial and wanting to go buy a bottle because of its purity and simplicity.

Simply Orange Commercial

Another example is a brand called Bee Raw Honey. This company offers high quality, all natural varieties of honey. The name and packaging really do the talking. Simple, natural, raw and unique.

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The power of people's nostalgia and connection to a story has never been more evident to me than when I first saw this hoodie. For those who don't know that is a "Boba Fett Hoodie" which when you put it on you will look like the intergalactic bounty hunter from a long, long time ago in a galaxy far away. For a movie franchise that was originally released in 1977 Star Wars still holds a special place in many peoples hearts and those fans are willing to spend crazy amounts of money on memorabilia and nostalgic  merchandise. This is a prime example of once you get someone passionate about your story they are willing to go to the ends of the earth for it, but the key is to have a remarkable story first. Hopefully you can have a story that will compell people to spend  $300 on a sweatshirt or $18,000 on an action figure.

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I showed up. That's it. I showed up – and I got a shiny red flame sticker for it.

I'm Bob. Call me the intern. Or if you will, "FlameMaster" for the next six days. It's been four years of late nights and unpaid hours and I'm ready to create design that means something. So far it’s day one at Matchstic, and I already have several meetings under my belt and sheets of paper detailing the company’s approach to everything from concept development to branding strategies and client relationships. Not to mention the infamous title of “Flamemaster” thrust upon me.

The standards are high here. There is no such thing as design without concept. Everything is intentional, from the drawing board to pre-press checklists. Even the conversation topics over lunch at Daddy D's are productive. But what's cool is how even though everyone is pushing everyone else, no one pushes harder than they are already pushing themselves. The motivation to create is genuine, and it carries over into a genuine desire to be good designers, good employees, and good people.

Because good design is ultimately about helping people. Call us practical humanitarians. We are designers helping people discern between that awful mess of stuff out there, and helping the businesses offering the stuff to figure out who they really are. A brand is a perception, and it is something that can either carry a business or pull it down. A major selling point of Matchstic’s brand is the experience they offer, and so far I’m seeing a lot of it. This company is growing. It’s breathing – and for two months I get to watch it and participate in its growth.
Call me the FlameMaster.

Go ahead.

Ask me for a flame sticker.

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I had a conversation the other day about the difference between what we do and what a marketing firm does. It's apples to artichokes really. In my opinion, marketing is more about figuring out what people want and tailoring a service or product to fit that need, positioning from the outside -> in. Branding on the other hand, is more about pulling to the forefront what makes your product or service remarkable, and positioning from the inside -> out.I'm sure both have pros and cons, but there is something amazing about meeting a new client, finding that remarkable spark, and bringing it into the spotlight. Its authentic. Its being who you already are, but just focused. Its kind of like the old make over specials on Donahue, with the rough and sloppy Dad who miraculously turns into the sleek and stylish Member's Only model. At the end of the day he's still the same loving dad, but now he just makes heads spin.What is truly and authentically remarkable about you? Find it and make it shine!

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