Branding is getting out of hand

I think many folks may have overcomplicated the purpose of branding.

Here is a way of looking at branding: The purpose of a pencil is to make marks. Now, that pencil, in the hands of a skilled artist can create a masterpiece that sells for millions. Or, in the hands of a store clerk, nothing more valuable than a list of SKUs to stock a shelf, to be tossed away thoughtlessly. But, the basic function of a pencil is still to make marks, regardless of what it has the potential to create.

The basic function of branding is to create need that makes a sale. Nothing greater. How it is done in the hands of a skilled marketer is either going to create a masterpiece (Jaquar, http://veryofficialblog.com, Obama) or a dud (@aplusk, AIG, New Coke, David Beckham)

Products are not just “things” but thoughts, ideas, processes, empathy, people, action, presidential elections, etc. And, just like a pencil, you may need to make a million separate marks, each in a different shade of gray, to create a masterpiece that moves people to “buy” what you are selling.

Branding exists for employees, community, policy makers, etc. to enable the entity to sell stuff to a benevolent crowd. That is the only goal. Study Walmart in more detail and watch how they “brand” to a community they wish to become “partners” with. Watch how they treat that same community when sales don’t rise to expectations. Walmart is not an anomaly.

Branding, at its core function, is nothing more than convincing someone to do something. I think this new round of social media might just be creating a lot of activity that suggests purpose. I think we need to start examining the basics and understand why we do what we do.

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Written in response to Shannon Paul’s Very Official Blog post on humanizing brands.