#brand recognition

...despite this particular brand of sweets appearing in my childhood most often at Christmas, historic costumes worn by characters on the tins were NOT a part of the widespread "Dickensian Christmas" look which appeared so often on cards and packaging.

Instead it's because the characters and their Regency costumes were inspired by a play by "Peter Pan" author J. M. Barrie.

The play was called "Quality Street".

And the tins are collectibles.

*****

A Christmas-related appearance of the sweets was mostly coincidental, though the empty tin from one year did often appear at the next, full of home-made mince pies or even an entire Christmas cake.

Large, fairly airtight tins are useful that way, especially at trapping the spirituous exhalations of cakes made in mid-September and "fed" weekly thereafter with spoonfuls of brandy, or whiskey, or rum (sometimes all three, alternated) until it was time for the armour-plating of marzipan and royal icing to go on.

It used to be a common belief at home that opening the tin containing an un-iced cake near a naked flame at any time after mid-November was more than the opener's eyebrows were worth.

The eyebrow thing never happened, because it was one of those family fables, but I do remember bringing one such Quality Street tin down to Anne McCaffrey's house when I'd been invited to stay.

It contained not a Christmas cake but one of Mum's famed Chocolate Gateaux of Doom (my name for it, not hers), made specially for that visit and whose recipe, what with the plain-chocolate sponge cake and the apricot-cream filling and the double-chocolate ganache icing, required most of a bottle of cognac.

Since this cake didn't have the sealant-and-spackle cladding of marzipan and royal icing, it also required refrigeration to "keep it calm". My car didn't even have air conditioning, so in transit the cake got quite, er, excitable.

How excitable, we soon found out.

When Annie's stable manager sauntered over and popped the lid, expecting to find some nice Quality Street choccies, she was instead hit in the face by a near-visible cloud of booze vapour (a gin-ie, perhaps, even though no gin was involved) and reeled back with a cry of "Jaysuz, does yer mother own a feckin' distillery?"

Had she been smoking one of her habitual thin roll-ups at the time, our family fable might have been proved true after all...

Brand guidelines play a crucial role in branding by providing a comprehensive framework for consistent branding across all platforms and touchpoints.

The Role of Brand Guidelines in Branding

Brand guidelines play a crucial role in branding by providing a comprehensive framework for consistent branding across all platforms and touchpoints. They serve as a set of rules and guidelines that define the visual and verbal identity of a brand, ensuring that all brand elements are used consistently and cohesively.

By establishing clear guidelines for logo usage, typography, color palette, imagery, and tone of voice, brand guidelines help create a strong and recognizable brand identity. They ensure that every communication, whether it's a website, social media post, or print advertisement, reflects the brand's values, personality, and positioning.

Moreover, brand guidelines also help maintain consistency and coherence across different departments and teams within an organization. They provide a reference point for designers, marketers, and content creators to ensure that their work aligns with the brand's overall strategy and messaging. This consistency not only enhances brand recognition but also builds trust and credibility among consumers.

Key Components of Brand Guidelines

Brand guidelines typically include several key components that define the brand's visual and verbal identity. These components may include:

- Logo usage guidelines: How and where the logo should be used, including size, placement, clear space, and variations.

- Typography guidelines: The fonts and typefaces that should be used across different mediums, as well as guidelines for font sizes, headings, and body text.

- Color palette: The specific colors that represent the brand, including primary, secondary, and accent colors, as well as guidelines for color usage and combinations.

- Imagery guidelines: Guidance on the types of imagery that should be used, such as photography or illustrations, as well as the style and tone of the images.

- Tone of voice guidelines: Instructions on the brand's preferred writing style, including language, tone, and messaging.

These components, when combined, create a comprehensive visual and verbal identity that distinguishes the brand and helps it stand out in a crowded market.

Implementing Brand Guidelines Across Various Platforms

Implementing brand guidelines across various platforms is crucial to maintain a consistent brand experience for consumers. Whether it's a website, social media platform, or physical store, every touchpoint should reflect the brand's visual and verbal identity.

To ensure successful implementation, it's important to educate all stakeholders about the brand guidelines and their importance. This includes training designers, marketers, content creators, and even customer service representatives on how to apply the guidelines effectively in their work.

Additionally, it's essential to provide easy access to the brand guidelines and any necessary assets, such as logos, fonts, and templates. This ensures that everyone involved in creating brand communications has the resources they need to adhere to the guidelines.

Regular audits and reviews are also crucial in implementing brand guidelines. These help identify any inconsistencies or deviations from the guidelines and allow for adjustments or updates to be made as necessary. By continuously monitoring and enforcing the guidelines, brands can ensure a cohesive and impactful brand presence across all platforms.

Measuring the Success of Brand Guidelines

Measuring the success of brand guidelines can be challenging but crucial for assessing their effectiveness and making improvements. While brand guidelines are primarily focused on maintaining consistency, there are several key indicators that can be used to evaluate their impact:

- Brand recognition and recall: Assessing the level of brand recognition and recall among consumers can indicate the effectiveness of the brand guidelines in creating a memorable and distinctive brand identity.

- Consistency across touchpoints: Reviewing various brand touchpoints, such as websites, social media profiles, and marketing materials, to ensure they align with the brand guidelines and maintain a consistent visual and verbal identity.

- Customer feedback and perception: Gathering feedback from customers through surveys, interviews, or social media monitoring can provide insights into how well the brand guidelines are resonating with the target audience and whether they perceive the brand as consistent and cohesive.

- Internal alignment: Assessing the extent to which different teams and departments within the organization are adhering to the brand guidelines can indicate the level of internal alignment and whether the guidelines are effectively communicated and implemented.

By regularly evaluating these indicators, brands can identify areas of improvement and make necessary adjustments to their brand guidelines to ensure they continue to support a consistent and impactful brand presence.

Continuous Evolution of Brand Guidelines

Brand guidelines should not be considered static documents but rather living frameworks that evolve with the brand and its market. As brands grow and adapt to changing consumer preferences and market trends, their brand guidelines need to be reviewed and updated to ensure they remain relevant and effective.

Continuous evolution of brand guidelines involves regularly assessing the brand's positioning, target audience, and competitive landscape to identify any necessary adjustments or additions. This can include updates to the visual identity, tone of voice, or even the inclusion of new platforms or touchpoints.

It's important to involve key stakeholders, such as senior management, marketing teams, and creative agencies, in the review and evolution process to ensure that the brand guidelines align with the overall brand strategy and goals.

Apppl combine a brand design and development agency helps in establishing brand guidelines by crafting a comprehensive framework for consistent branding. We conduct thorough brand analysis to understand core values, target audience, and competitive landscape. Utilizing this insight, agencies develop visual and verbal guidelines encompassing logo usage, typography, colour palette, tone of voice, and messaging. These guidelines ensure uniformity across all brand assets and communications, enhancing brand recognition and reinforcing brand identity. Additionally we  provide ongoing support and updates to adapt to evolving market trends and consumer preferences, maintaining brand integrity and coherence across diverse channels and touchpoints.

Raymond and Marlo have communication issues.

Back in the 90s they had movies that weren't animated but the animals talked, done with real animals and people dubbed over them. There's wasn't CGI to move their mouths so it was awkward. Now and days, we have the technology but it's not satisfying when a studio like Disney has an iconic design that everyone knows and they reinvent it to fit real life rather than trying to translate it.

Take Lion King-

Big difference, eh?

Little Mermaid?

And it's only becoming progressively worse and it shows because in the 90s, they marketed the crap out of the toys but now, there's no difference between these lion toys and any others. You can barely even tell them apart, which ones are the Lion King ones?

They can't do that now, do you see any Flounder merch anymore? Sebastian? Scuttle?

I may not care about the movie but at least Pinocchio attempted something.

They didn't market those toys either, despite being closer to the...(well not "source material" but you know what I mean). But they also withheld the trailer until it was practically released already, they knew it was bad.

But I've also seen mentioned that Disney knows this and purposely hides designs until its too late to change them to avoid another Sonic the Hedgehog situation aka inflating the budget/spending more money, just pump and dump as the crypto space would say. I'd rather go back to the 90s with Homeward Bound style. They at least provided entertainment value and didn't have a cartoon counterpart to compare to.

It's called "brand recognition", Bob Iger, let me in and run your business for you, PLEASE. It'll at least be better for kids than this-