What is Branding? Essay

This essay will discuss what branding means in a modern context, using evidence from historical practices as well as drawing from work discussing contemporary consumption of products. Whilst elements such as logos, advertisements and slogans are all part of the visual identity of a corporation, branding encompasses much more than that. In this essay, I will illustrate how branding went from a mere technicality to an integral part of 21st century life.

To understand the meaning of contemporary branding, we must recognise the effect of industrialisation and globalisation on the way we consume products today. According to the
Encyclopedia Britannica, for thousands of years, farmers marked their livestock with distinct symbols to signify ownership over it. This involved heating an iron rod, known as a branding iron and pressing it into the animal’s flesh to leave a mark. Over time, these markings became associated with different levels of quality in the meat sold at market. Consumers became loyal to particular ‘brands’ of meat as the markings reassured them they were buying a good, safe product. (Branding | property marking, n.d.)

Around the same period, craftspeople and artisans applied production marks to goods such as pottery to signify who made them and who they were made for. These were luxury
goods at the time and would only be owned by the most wealthy, particularly royals and aristocrats. Craftspeople marked their work partly out of pride at having created goods for such prestigious owners. This is an early example of branding as an indicator of status and wealth. (Munck and Lyna, 2016)

Around 1760, the industrial revolution began. Advancements in manufacturing processes meant goods such as pottery which were previously reserved for the wealthy were now able to be mass produced and thus, trade marks became more widely recognised. In 1790, the first patent was registered. Riezbos explains why this is important: “Through the use of patents, manufacturers could claim all rights to a certain procedure or ingredient.” (Riezebos, 2003)

The growing numbers of factory jobs saw a mass migration into cities by the working classes,
who up until this point had mostly lived as farmers and tradespeople, growing their own food and trading locally for other goods. This migration led to an increased demand for pre-packaged products, and developments in transportation such as railways meant that more products could be distributed nationwide. This resulted in the establishment of some of the earliest branded products. (The Rise Of Cities In The 18th Century, 2020)

As the industrial revolution continued on into the 1800s, branded products continued to
grow in popularity. This is in part due to the fact that, before pre-packaged and branded
products, quality of produce could fluctuate widely. Up until this point, most people bought
their goods at local markets and had limited choices, meaning they could easily be ripped off. Brand names and recognisable packaging reassured people that they were getting the same quality and quantity with every purchase.

Some of the most successful brands of this time were patented tonic drinks, including the now world dominating Coca-Cola. These drinks promised all sorts of health benefits, and a lack of access to medicine made them popular with consumers. As newspapers became easier to produce and circulate, many brands were also able to advertise their products, introducing the concepts of catch-phrases, logos and brand names to the masses.

“When ... Coca-Cola or The Quakers (of Oats fame) – started what we now call ‘branding’ in the commercializing world of the early 20th century, their focus was on exactly this: functional benefits. Brands for them were first and foremost a way to signify and guarantee superior quality. The idea was to physically distinguish their product from the competition and build a quality reputation, which would allow them to charge a premium.” (Kuehlwein, 2016)

The early 20th century saw the anthropomorphization and personification of brands. Previously, products had been sold based on merit alone. Due to the increasing numbers of different brands offering essentially the same thing, corporations had to find new ways
to push their products. Advertisements of this era began to focus on the consumers’ desires. Klein explains that what made early branding practice different from traditional salesmanship was that the market was now being flooded with mass-produced products which were almost indistinguishable from one another. Thus, competitive branding became necessary.
(Klein, 2000) 

It is important to note that whilst they aren’t the same, branding and advertising link closely and follow a similar narrative from their inception to what they are today. In the 1950’s advertising took a psychological approach and the idea of consumer groups was introduced. Brands now focused their efforts on socio-economic groups such as housewives or businessmen.

Around this point, branding became about social status. Brand name goods were a symbol of wealth and power, and less focus was placed on the quality of the product. Marketing tapped into people’s deeper psychological desires. (Packard, 1957) The late 60s and early
70s also saw the recognition of the ‘teen’ market segment - brands were now an important aspect of fitting in with your peers and signalling that you were a part of contemporary culture. Continuing throughout the rest of the 20th century, brands began to allude to wilder promises which realistically consumers knew they couldn’t deliver. They did this by further segmenting markets and tapping into psychological desires.

Today, brands are ingrained in people's sense of identity. Aligning yourself with brands is
a way to express opinions to your peers without saying anything. Branding is largely about involvement and association; the outward and visible demonstration of private and
personal affiliation. Perhaps we are so invested in brands because they make us feel less
alone; they allow us to belong to a tribe of sorts. (Olins, 2003)

Brands have qualities much like human personalities, and these are communicated through their visual language as well as their public relations. It has been said that people ‘vote with their dollar’, that is, people will only give money to companies which align with their own values. In an increasingly polarised political climate, many brands have further personified themselves and virtue signalled towards particular social movements such as environmentalism or feminism, and these movements have recognisable visual markers which many brands have begun to adopt. A brand is much more than a name on a product. It is a sense of identity and a reassurance that capitalism is your friend. (Klein, 2000)

Therefore, it can be concluded that modern day branding is about more than visual markers to signify information about production. Modern day branding is about using visual language to communicate to your customers what your brand represents. It is essentially virtue signalling to a specific demographic by using visual markers familiar to them.

Bibliography

1. Encyclopedia Britannica. n.d. Branding | Property Marking. [online] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/topic/branding-identification> [Accessed 11 March 2020].
2. Munck, B. and Lyna, D., 2016. Concepts Of Value In European Material Culture, 1500-1900. London: Routledge.
3. Riezebos, R., 2003. Brand Management. Harlow, England: Financial Times/ Prentice-Hall.
4. The British Library. 2020. The Rise Of Cities In The 18Th Century. [online] Available at: <https://www.bl.uk/georgian-britain/articles/the-rise-of-cities-in-the- 18th-century#> [Accessed 10 March 2020].
5. Kuehlwein, J., 2016. A Brief History Of Branding | Branding Strategy Insider. [online] Branding Strategy Insider. Available at: <https://www.brandingstrategy insider.com/a-brief-history-of-branding/#.XmjmO5P7SRs> [Accessed 11 March 2020].
6. Naomi Klein, No Logo 2000.
7. Wally Olins, On Brand, 2003.