In the late 90s, British luxury fashion house Burberry had a problem. Founded in 1856 in Basingstoke (where you can find the real Downtown Abbey) it had always been associated with high end, good quality fashion. A change had been creeping in though, it became too popular, and its revered and iconic pattern had become available to the masses. It had lost its prestige. Even worse than that, Vicky Pollard started wearing it.
Burberry needed saving and, in 2001, it hired current style icons such as Kate Moss and Emma Watson (fresh off the back off her Harry Potter fame) to bring some class back. Trench coats and patterned purses were still what they made, but they managed to rid themselves of the bad image they had gathered, and they also massively boosted their sales.
It was an example of successful rebranding that modernizes, or betters, the experience for customers while staying true to its heritage.
Burberry made sure that their customers would still identify with their brand. The project was managed, cared for, and prioritized from concept, through implementation, and roll out. What they didn't do was put their brand on a fad diet then go back to eating rubbish after they saw a couple of benefits.
They kept their identity but changed the way it was conveyed.
It's a great example of how important branding is. How important your company image is and how it is possible to show your best side and be proud of your identity.
Branding is the start and the finish of what people envision when they hear, see or even think of a business's name.
How people feel when they engage with B2B companies is what influences the entire purchase process. Theres a huge misconception that this is any different for B2B companies. Why would that be as the procurement team, or business decision-makers are people and consumers just the same.
Consumers want a quality product or service, but it needs to come with a memorable experience that is story-like, relatable, and provides benefits both professionally and personally. Long-term value needs to be provided, and so the brand is the key to this.
A rebrand is a big step, but so impactful if done correctly. Perhaps a brand, like Burberry, has had a stigma become attached to it, maybe the logo is looking outdated or perhaps a business has evolved or gone international. A rival has emerged that we need to stand apart from.
As long as you have a clear brand vision, you know why you exist, and you're proud of it, you can and should be showing that off. As long as you have a defined strategy and business model, you have a brand personality, and you should be proud of it.
At Appetite Creative, we can design and create something that paints the face of the brand and brand image as you want to be perceived by the market and your audience groups.
And we want to help you.
Does your website convey the message clearly of what you do and why you exist?
Does each audience group know what problem you solve for them?
Does your website load quickly? And is it laser-focused on lead generation?
Is your site with your marketing tools and CRM?
Do you have precise analytics to know who is visiting? And what pages?
Are you able to quickly set up new landing pages for events your team is Attending/sponsoring?
Does all your marketing material match?
Do you case studies and one-pagers have a bright design that really highlights the brand and the success you brought your customers?
Does your sales team have a clear presentation that they can easily manipulate depending on the customer they are going to visit?
Is it clear to understand complicated tech or would an explainer video help do the job?
We offer rebranding, marketing collateral, sales presentations and explainer videos. We design websites, investor decks, explainer videos. We can take your messaging and translate it into messages your target audience understand, we make your brand look and feel the best it possibly can. Leaving you to do the rest
We can help! Contact us.
Jenny Stanley, managing director at Appetite Creative.
The Drum Network - January 2020