Brand Design & Patriotism.
While we hold true to culture, some form of patriotism, design and brands must be developed to international standards at all times. International is not a style, it’s about defining global, functional and localized communication.
This ideal extends beyond the neighborhood, it encompasses visual and sound communication they are the most effective universal languages. Meaning, thinking has to be forward, it has to look much further into the future even if the capital does not exist in the present. The foundation has to be ready for growth, progressive and proactive thinking is paramount. What colours, possible wordplay, and imagery are appropriate? Should it have the national colours, is there a way to represent a nation without being too patriotic, sometimes obnoxious in the sensibilities and intent of being patriotic?
What we end up with is saturation, it is the concept of managing similarities instead of differences, brand management is always about differentiation and distinctiveness.
Define the brand (defined business products and offerings will do this), Define the marketing (strategy to bring awareness) and sell the Solution (the benefit). You may arrive at a new realization that brands define themselves you don’t have to force patriotism into them for them to do well internationally. That only removes the definition of who and what that brand is meant to communicate.
Communicate Passionately
Listen, Observing, learn and test constantly. Brand design has two components, business and brand development, if these are defined you need not worry about nationality or patriotism, align the brand with the ideals/sensibilities of the country, the core values as you would with consumers, create influence and it will naturally represent its origins or homeland exquisitely.
The fundamentals of Brand design
Define the business, gain industry and market insights:
- Gather
- Analyze
- Visualize
- Repeat
- Deliver.
Create support
Implement the following:
- Awareness
- knowledge
- Commitment
- Supply chain management
Do not misunderstand, there are very nice and tasteful ways to utilize a national or patriotic palette but it is not always appropriate. If anything at all, it’s actually limiting the brand’s true potential and self to define its identity.
