Are You a Unique and Individual Snowflake?
by Jeniffer Thompson

Branding reaches us on a primal level—we can’t help but respond emotionally to angles, curves, and colors. If you think about it, the tapestry of our society is made up of logos and symbols—they are seared into our brains: McDonald’s Golden Arches, Nike’s swoosh, Coca Cola’s wave. These are all examples of effective branding; these logos stand alone, and we, the buyers, tend to stay loyal to our brands.
Research shows that we are emotionally attached to our brands. In an article published in the trade magazine Neuron, researchers Samuel McClure and his colleagues reported that: “The preference for Coke versus Pepsi is not only a matter for the tongue to decide. Brain scans of people tasting the soft drinks reveal that knowing which drink they’re tasting affects their preference and activates memory-related brain regions that recall cultural influences. They have shown neurologically how a culturally based brand image influences a behavioral choice.”
The usage of logos (or logotypes) can be traced back to the 19th century when most of society was illiterate. With the onset of the industrial revolution, steam power was making it possible to mass-produce and mass-distribute products that were once handmade. Manufacturers realized very quickly that they needed a way to distinguish themselves from their competition. They developed logotypes or emblems that their buyers could recognize regardless of their ability to read. Today, branding is a mix of logotypes and slogans—hence the need to trademark your unique slogan.
Do your research—make sure you are not branding a name that is already trademarked. Should you need to recreate your branding in the middle of your campaign, you will lose critical ground and risk losing your momentum, not to mention your enthusiasm.
Your logo will drive your brand, just as the cover of your book can often be the driving force behind your book’s success. Spend quality time developing your brand and don’t be afraid to invest some money in the process. Logo development is not the place to cut corners. I highly recommend that you work with a professional design house that understands the development of an effective logo and quality branding.
To effectively reach your audience, it is essential that you not only understand them, also you must have a firm understanding of your marketplace. For instance, cultural differences play a huge role in how your brand affects your audience. The color red, for instance, will evoke a different feeling in America than it will in Japan. Effective marketing campaigns are driven by in-depth studies of the market and the cultural mores that exist within that community.
Your brand is your identity made of several elements.   Colors, shapes, fonts, and imagery make up a logo. Slogans and jingles are important elements that will help you create a successful brand for yourself. Think of your slogan as your tagline—a pithy statement that says what you do in a neat and memorable package.
What feeling will your logo convey? What emotional triggers will your logo conjure up? A brand itself is not important; the feeling it conveys is what is important. You want people to remember you.
Another element that you should firmly nail into place and use regularly throughout your collateral is your elevator pitch.
What is an elevator pitch? Simply put, imagine yourself in an elevator with Oprah—you have the time it takes to get from floor one to floor 16 to convince her that your book will be the next best seller. Can you sell the benefits of your book in 15 seconds or less? Be prepared. Stranger things have happened.
Use your elevator pitch to engage your reader—use it on your home page, your postcards, bookmarks, and advertisements.
With regard to your logo, consider creating something that will last the test of time or can be easily updated as your company grows. Different audiences respond to different elements of design. Is your product young and hip, retro and swanky, or old-fashioned and reliable? Once you define your audience, you will be able to effectively create branding that will reach your market.

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It is likely that you are selling a feeling or a lifestyle: “If you buy this book, you will be smarter, richer, funnier, sexier.” The key to effective branding is to find a way to say these things without actually saying them. Practically every beer commercial I have seen depicts sexy young people having the time of their lives. Anheuser-Busch is selling a feeling and a lifestyle—the beer is secondary.
Find something your audience will respond to; reach them on a subliminal level and they will be more likely to remember you and tell others about you. You can tell people how great you are ’til you are blue in the face, but until you tell them what they will gain from your book, chances are your words will go in one ear and out the other.
Find existing symbols that define and represent what you have to offer. AT&T’s logo is an excellent example of this—they use a symbol that resembles a blue world, it’s professional, clean, easily recognized, and represents something on a deeper level: it conveys a feeling of oneness. It serves you as an individual, yet it connects you with the world; like a calm sea, the blue is tranquil and instills a feeling of trust.
Another example is Oprah—she is her branding. Her logo is the first letter of her name. Her production company, HARPO, is her name spelled backward. Her face dons the cover of every issue of her magazine. People trust Oprah. Her marketing team has effectively sold her as an expert; subsequently, everything she endorses does very well.
As you create your branding, think about what you are selling. If you are selling yourself—you, the expert—then your branding should reflect that. Your logo should identify you and your expertise. If you are selling a series of self-help books, create branding for your series. The Chicken Soup for the Soul series is an excellent example of effective branding in books. Every book has the same logo typeface for the words Chicken Soup for the Soul, yet the rest of the book cover caters to its specific audience: moms, teens, dads, grads, and even equestrians.
 Branding is a subtle concept. Ultimately, you are striving for recognition among a sea of competition. On a more primal level, you are striving to create a feeling of trust and even intrigue; you are answering the question: “What will this product do for me?”

Jeniffer is a co-founder of Monkey C Media, a full service design house offering web and print design services. Monkey C Media is known for their innovative designs and unparalleled website creation and makeover programs. Mrs. Thompson is also a freelance lifestyle writer in the San Diego area; she has worked in the publishing industry for more than 12 years and offers consulting services and Web site analyses. For more information, visit Monkey C Media at www.monkeyCmedia.com.

Thanks Jeniffer for the article... John Wolf

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