Shah Mohammed M’s Post

Your brand should have a spirit animal 🐉 And here's how it helps. One of the biggest problems business owners have when it comes to their brand is honestly describing its unique strengths. We have a habit of saying what we think our clients want to hear. That leaves it feeling bland and indistinguishable from other brands in the sector. And if you aren't standing out, people won't choose you. That's where your spirit animal comes in. A good spirit animal reflects your brand’s core, providing a simple shorthand for what its personality and values represent. 🐺 For example, a wolf would reflect Intelligence & Community. The idea is to pick an animal that represents the traits you do better than anyone and use it as a totem when building the brand identity. Everything in the brand should have a bit of that animal in it - focusing the brand identity on a strong, solid core that reflects your values and helps you become more clear about who you are and what you stand for. How can you do this? Fortunately, I've linked a handy blog below that goes into more detail. So tell me below - what's your brand's spirit animal, and what does it represent? #brand #branding #BrandIdentity

Rebranding Lyle's Golden Syrup: A Sweet Tradition Disturbed 🐝 🍯 The recent decision to overhaul the iconic Lyle's Golden Syrup has sparked debate among consumers. The rationale behind the move, to "refresh the brand's legacy to appeal to a 21st-century audience," has got me thinking. Lyle's Golden Syrup is more than just a condiment; it's a British institution, deeply ingrained in the culinary traditions of countless households. Its distinctive packaging and timeless logo evoke nostalgia and familiarity. Attempting to modernise such a revered brand risks alienating loyal customers. The essence of Lyle's lies not in flashy marketing campaigns or trendy packaging but in its rich history and unwavering quality. Moreover, the expense of this rebranding endeavour seems unjustified. Lyle's Golden Syrup sells itself, its reputation precedes it. Pouring resources into a superficial facelift may yield no significant returns and could even backfire, leading to a loss of trust and allegiance. In an era of constant change, some things are best left untouched. In this case I say, let sleeping lions lie. 😜   #legendary #brandbuilding #loyalty #

Do heritage brands have it easier when it comes to marketing? Yes and no. There's a strong association between spirits and their heritage. It's not unusual for a spirit to lean heavily on heritage in its branding, marketing, and packaging. Wax seals, labels styled to look like inked parchment, and metal medallions with a tarnished finish - these are all common ways companies showcase their brand's legacy. But what do you do when you're a young company that can't lean on a hundred years of history to establish yourself? How can your packaging reflect your authority, expertise, and authenticity? The answer often lies in the passion that drove you to start your company in the first place. Sometimes, it's a problem or a gap you've identified in other brands. A newer vodka might use specific ingredients to make it healthier or give it a cleaner flavor. Maybe they're attempting to reshape how we think about whiskey - infusing it with bold and modern flavors that consumers weren't expecting. The packaging can reflect that. Unique bottle shapes, unexpected color palettes, and modern label designs can make a newer spirit stand out on the shelf in a fresh and exciting way! And while a younger company may have to contend with industry-standard designs, they won't also be dealing with consumer expectations of what their brand should be. Meanwhile, if you are a heritage brand, you're contending with the expectations of your brand and industry standards. You still have to figure out how to stand out and excite consumers but not pull so far away from your branding that it's no longer recognizable. It's a balancing act. Every brand and company we work with is different. It has a unique style, history, and story that should be reflected in the packaging and branding. This means that every brand presents a unique and exciting challenge. Honestly, it's why we love what we do! It's also why we work with brands with long, beautiful, and exciting histories alongside brands that present fresh and exciting ideas! #SpiritsIndustry #PackagingIndustry

Squeezing the essence of freshness into every sip. Naturally unveiling the art of crafting the perfect orange juice. Scope of work : Branding #branding #packagedesign #brandmockup #conceptualbrand #orangeaestetic #foodbeverage

A map of modern branding and brand building by David J Carr. Always loved this map when I first stumbled upon it. Check it out here. What I particularly loved was the mention of Heuristics right at the centre of it all. #Brand #Branding #BrandBuilding #Map #MapofModernBrandBuilding #DavidJCarr

In the Road to Hell, Nick Asbury brilliantly demonstrates the essential paradox of brand purpose. You can do commerce and you can do good. You can do good commerce. But the moment that you claim that the purpose of your commerce is to do good, you are admitting to an irresolvable tension within your brand or business. Many feel that Nick’s definitive book has put the final nail in the coffin of brand purpose. I largely do. However, now I’m going to praise Caesar as well as help bury him. I am going to make out a case in favour of brand purpose or at least a form of brand purpose. I entirely agree with Nick’s view that creativity and the human spirit can save us from the tyranny of brand purpose in the form it has taken. But can brand purpose ever offer brand managers anything? The answer is yes. Because your brand or business can have purpose beyond just making money. So there are two case studies in my latest Substack article. The point they illustrate is that there are businesses that are driven by a higher purpose than just making money. This is of course a long way from claiming that the purpose of your mayonnaise is ‘reducing waste’. Unlike that claim, yours should be heartfelt and authentic. Not window dressing (no pun intended). In both these examples we refer to having ‘uncovered‘ a higher purpose for the brands. It was already there. As we sometimes say to clients – you can’t see the label from inside the jar. All we did was uncover the higher purpose that their brand already had. These examples are evidence I think that Brand Purpose does have a purpose. What is essential of course is that it actually IS the brand’s purpose. (Link in comments below) #brand #brandpurpose

Branding isn't just about business and products. Branding is a feeling you leave on another person or group of people. Branding is also what farmers do to cattle but I digress. #OpenYourMind I don't know who in my network needs this but you should all consider checking out this article as it goes into the key differences of being a commodity versus a brand. I found it very educational. #LifeHacks #Goals #UpSkill #ContinuousImprovement https://lnkd.in/giXKZGJN

The elements of a brand bring each company or organization to life with a personality and visual system like no other. How well does you brand represent you? #branding #design

Of all the marketing decisions brand owners make, the name is likely to last the longest. #BeYourBastBrand wearebast.com https://loom.ly/pBiYihA

For brand-building to be truly effective, cohesion across all platforms is key. Creating coordinated, consistent exposures can allow fragmentation to fortify rather than fracture brand image. #brandbuilding #branding #brandimage