Marco de Boer | bohemiaamsterdam.com

BASICS OF BRANDING

I’M A SPONGE

@MARCODEBOER

BASICS OF BRANDING

I’M A SPONGE. First, let me introduce myself. My name is Marco de Boer, I’m the Creative Director and Founder of Bohemia Amsterdam.

And… I’m a sponge.

Everything I know today, I absorbed over the past 20 years that I’m in advertising. It’s distilled from what I came across, what people told me and what I read. (Not so much the last one, to be honest.)

I’m extremely interested in the world around me. It’s my source of knowledge, a bottomless pool of discovery.

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TODAY I LEAK ABOUT

BRANDING

@MARCODEBOER

BASICS OF BRANDING

TODAY I LEAK ABOUT BRANDING Just like a sponge… under light pressure I release what I absorbed. Working with clients or giving a lecture like this is exactly the pressure I need.

This one is about branding. What is branding and how can I brand my company, product or service?

Let me show you where to start.

IN THE CHURCH OF BRANDING,

YOU ARE THE LORD

MINDSHIFT

BASICS OF BRANDING

MEANING: YOUR PRODUCT

IS NOT

MINDSHIFT

BASICS OF BRANDING

IN THE CHURCH OF BRANDING, YOU ARE THE LORD. MEANING: YOUR PRODUCT IS NOT. Clients often ask me how to brand their product. I usually return the question: How would you brand yourself? No, not your product. You!

We tend to look at a product as something external. Something we’ve created. A thing. An abstract. A holy grail that everybody’s been waiting for and that we should worship as such.

Sorry to tell you this, Sir: it’s not.

Always remember your product is a result of your actions.

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BIBLE, IT’S ABOUT RELIGION

MINDSHIFT

BASICS OF BRANDING

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BIBLE, IT’S ABOUT RELIGION. You should not look at your product as an item. For example: The Bible is an important part of Christianity, yet it’s only an abstract on which the full religion is based. There’s a way of living around the Bible that’s ‘branded’.

Dare I compare it to sneakers? Yes. Sneakers are a symbol of activity. Different brands build different beliefs around sneakers. Nike says ‘Just Do It’. Adidas claims ‘Impossible Is Nothing.’

The true power of your product is your belief. The product is a direct result of it.

NOBODY CARES ABOUT

YOUR PRODUCT

FACT

BASICS OF BRANDING

NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT. Face it: nobody cares about your product. “You’re just the next sales person trying to sell useless extra’s to a complete and happy life.”

Then you think; “But my product is new, different. It’s the best I’ve ever made. It will make you feel more complete, more happy.”

“Hello mister salesman, which part of ‘I’m not interested’ did you not get?”

People only care about themselves.

ONLY YOUR BELIEF WILL GET YOU

DEVOTED FOLLOWERS

FACT

BASICS OF BRANDING

ONLY YOUR BELIEF WILL GET YOU DEVOTED FOLLOWERS. People like to believe in things. It’s human nature to follow a higher thought. The rest are just empty interchangeable products. Whether you use detergent A of B, they both wash cloth.

Your belief can create a higher thought, that extra to a shoe. Embedded well, it will add an invisible yet tangible value to your product.

Again: the true power of your product is your belief.

NOBODY CARES ABOUT

THE SAME

FACT

BASICS OF BRANDING

NOBODY CARES ABOUT THE SAME. It’s a universal given that every person is different. We all know that full well. Yet, you probably only have one story to tell about your product. It washes, cleans, helps, supports… whatever.

Give shape to your belief so you don’t have to explain it all the time. The shape of your belief is what the right people intuitively will follow.

Be clear in your belief, but don’t be too strict. You want to become a cult, not a sect.

YOUR BELIEF COMES IN

MANY SHAPES

FACT

BASICS OF BRANDING

YOUR BELIEF COMES IN MANY SHAPES. But how can you give shape to your belief in your product?

It’s easier than you think. Take these few examples:

• Logo • Tone of Voice • Core Values • Description • Way of Act • Way of Work

YOUR BELIEF COMES IN MANY SHAPES

BASICS OF BRANDING

LOGO

YOUR LOGO Let’s look at Nike. The swoosh, sometimes referred to as the Nike tick is one of the most recognised logo’s in the world. But here’s the thing: nobody (NOBODY!) would know it if it wasn’t loaded by the pure Nike brand identity.

The lesson here: your logo is important, but not the most important part of your brand.

Nike added the ‘Just Do It’ attitude. Like Louis Vutton added ‘I Am A Rich Bitch And I Can’t Afford Fake’.

Loading your logo takes a couple of years and even more dollars. Seriously, there are easier ways to build your brand.

YOUR BELIEF COMES IN MANY SHAPES

TONE OF VOICE

BASICS OF BRANDING

YOUR TONE OF VOICE Take Dollar Shaving Club. Setting up a brand that challenges the establishment of multinational manufacturers who spend serious money to build a brand that blind men bought for years, is pretty awesome.

How did they do it? They stayed close to their belief. Spending too much money on a piece of sharp metal, is just silly. Our product is a good, just cheaper.

How you talk about your brand says exactly what it is about.

YOUR BELIEF COMES IN MANY SHAPES

CORE VALUES

BASICS OF BRANDING

YOUR CORE VALUES Another example: IKEA. They set some basic internal rules. Core Values they belief in; Togetherness, Cost-Consciousness, Respect and Simplicity.

These values are extremely important to their business and every living soul within their company.

Set up your core values as adjectives. Imagine saying them about yourself.

“I am…”

One more thing: use words that conjure up emotions. Better to use ‘Open’ and ‘Original’, than ‘Transparent’ and ‘Innovative’.

YOUR BELIEF COMES IN MANY SHAPES

DESCRIPTION

BASICS OF BRANDING

YOUR DESCRIPTION Take my own company Bohemia Amsterdam. We searched for years to find one simple sentence describing what we do. Then I was asked to join a table with leading entrepreneurs. To make sure I’d not bore my new friends over dinner I cut it down to one simple explanation:

We sell complex stories.

It’s true: I love to sell stuff (for me and my clients), I love to simplify complex matter (a bit nerdy), and I love creating myths (whether true or false).

Why not try to explain what you do to your grandma? If she doesn’t fall asleep, it’s clear enough and definitely not too long.

YOUR BELIEF COMES IN MANY SHAPES

WAY OF ACT

BASICS OF BRANDING

YOUR WAY OF ACT If one of your core values is ‘adventurous’, you better take it all the way. Red Bull does that. No matter how crazy the challenge is, Red Bull is there. They don’t just drink the brand, they live it.

How you communicate, what you present, where you are seen, and how you act all play an important role in how people perceive you. It’s all branding.

Be yourself to be loved. Never overact unless it’s in your genes.

YOUR BELIEF COMES IN MANY SHAPES

WAY OF WORK

BASICS OF BRANDING

YOUR WAY OF WORK Acting outside is one thing. But what happens when you’re inside?

How do you communicate with your team?How is your office decorated?What would be the perfect team-building exercise?

Internal communication is as important as external. The environment you create rubs off on your employees. They have to embody the brand.

YOUR BELIEF COMES IN

MANY SHAPES, BUT NEVER IN

REVERSE

FACT

BASICS OF BRANDING

YOUR BELIEF COMES IN MANY SHAPES, BUT NEVER IN REVERSE. So you have a logo, a website, a routine to pick up the phone. Yet it doesn’t feel complete. Over the years it evolved into a bit of a mess.

Don’t try to just patch things up. It’s like forcing Lego onto Playmobil or like serving Thai and Greek on one plate. It won’t work. Take a step back and discharge everything that doesn't match your belief. Then rebuild what is missing.

Go back to your belief whenever you need consultation.

BRANDING STARTS WITH YOU

MARCO@ BOHEMIAAMSTERDAM.COM

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN?