Branding To Sell

ebook Ser ies: Volume 24
the promise behind the brand.
The power of Brandin g To Sell

the power of branding to sell
Based on the research of William l. haig, Phd.

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©The Russo Group, 2009. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Take away ........................................................................................................................................................................................3
The communication persuasion process...........................................................................................................................................4
The right Brand image .........................................................................................................................................................................5
The credibility-Based Brand ................................................................................................................................................................6
The eight essentials ................................................................................................................................................................................8
credibility-Based Branding............................................................................................................................................................... 16



The Take away
Brands that have credibility sell products and services.
They also have brand value, or ROI. The key is a
Credibility-Based Logo Design that serves as the
cornerstone of an integrated brand promotion system.
The result is marketing communication that adds
credibility to the brand image.

Credibility branding is a long-term prudent investment
for better selling and has an accrued financial return
on marketing expenditure.

remember: Credibility branding sells and has value.

The customer should be convinced: “Why should I buy
anywhere or anything else?”



The
CommuniCaTion
Persuasion
ProCess
The roots of branding are in the social sciences: part
psychology and part persuasion. Add creativity and
design and the whole field of logo design/branding
takes on an interesting new dimension.

We call this dimension: Credibility-Based Identity, and
in the broader sense, Credibility-Based Branding. A
third term Brand Credibility is the result of successful
application of the first two terms.

Finally, keep in mind that there is a rationale to the
process of logo design and branding management.



The righT
Brand image
sells
If brand image is the result of everything a company does,
shouldn’t there be a purpose the thinga you do? Things that
leave impressions – by the way you advertise, the logo on
your business card, even the way your people answer the
phone. Wouldn’t it be great if you were able to harness
these activities so that you’re brand image could emerge
as a backdrop that sells products or services? And has
ROI?

How many times have we heard that we must have a
positive brand? Or a great brand. What is a positive brand
or a great brand anyway? What do these terms mean?



The CrediBiliTy-
Based Brand
Having a positive “credibility-based” brand gives us a
direction for branding. Further, if credibility-based branding
increased company sales, wouldn’t that be a good reason
to adopt a credibility strategy in everything your company
does?

Credibility is strongly connected with messages being
accepted. A credible source influences the message. It is
also true that a lack of credibility blocks a perfectly good
message. The reality is, we don’t typically believe a person
who isn’t credible.

The message is important, but the credibility of the company
saying it determines if the audience will accept the message
you are trying to deliver.



the point is that credibility is all about trust –
and being credible makes what you are saying
believeable, and in the end, that is selling.

Credibility is best expressed through advertising,
website and online content, public relations, product
and packaging. Some believe that the company logo is
the core of a credibility-based company brand. But, all
marketing communication, including the logo, must work
with credibility-based consistency to achieve a credibility-
based company brand.



The eighT
essenTials
There are eight must-have criteria a Credibility Based
Logo must have to be successful. They are:

1. identities/logos must be
credibility-based

This point is the most important. It is based on a simple
principle: credibility persuasion. Just as credible people
are more influential, so are corporate identities. Many
studies in people to people communication conclude that
if a person as the source of the message is competent or
knowledgeable as well as trustworthy, then the message
will be more readily accepted by the receiver.



2. logos must symbolize the company
business to be credibility-based

So how does a logo become credibility-based? It’s easy
to understand that when a computer wiz talks about the
best laptop to buy, he will be more influential on the
subject than, say, a chef. And, if a chef talks about a new
restaurant in town, he will be more influential on the subject
than the computer wiz. Basically, just having some form of
recognized expertise on a topic leads to increased trust.



3. logos must communicate that
the company is trustworthy

Possible traits of a trustworthy company include: “highly
professional”, “competent”, “efficient” and “provides
quality” workmanship. These are traits that contribute to
a consumer’s belief that a company is an expert in its
area of business.



4. logos must be planned.

A great logo doesn’t come out of thin air. It has a basis
for being. We know that succesful identities have relevant
content and design form. But what content and what form?
Content and design must work together to communicate
what the logo is trying to “say” in order to be credible. This
requires a plan.



5. logos must utilize the full spectrum
of trademark architecture.

There are three trademarking systems almost
all logos fit into:

there is the logotype only: Yahoo!

there is the signature/icon: chanel

there is the fusion of icon and logotype: target

Besides being credibility-based, the logo must also be
bold, express authority, and be interesting in an instant! All
this without losing the prime objective that the logo must be
credibility-based.



6. logos must communicate,
communicate, communicate

Here are the most common mistakes:

• Adding too much to the identity often leads to confusion
and a cluttered experience. Always remember, less is
more.

• Making the logotype and font selection work in
harmony with the icon. This font is a design statement
in and of itself abd should not be taken lightly. It is
always complex and should always be simple while
supporting the message.

• In most cases the name and icon should be separated, with
the icon over or beside to the left of the name. Otherwise, the
visual confusion is obvious.



7. logos must be very prominent
in application

Frequency and consistency are the key points here.
Frequency means that all areas of public contact must be
utilized. Basic psychology tells us that the more frequent we
experience something, the more likely we will remember
it. And it should be the same, or consistent, each time.
Consistency is the most common breakdown in logo
application.



8. the icon and name must
work together

Logo symbology and the company name must both express
credibility traits. The mark itself is a “visual” expression of
company credibility. The name is a “verbal” expression of
trust. Names like Mail Boxes Etc., The Closet Factory, and
United Parcel Service are all descriptive of the company’s
expertise. On the other hand, names like Cebit, Retrospex
and Hebasco do not describe the company business, thus
negating the opportunity to express their expertise in their
respective fields.



CrediBiliTy-Based Branding
the same credibility principles apply to all marketing
communication. each touch point must be empowered with
credibility attributes. however, it is imperative that the
whole brand package works as a consistent,
integrated system with credibility-based branding as the
objective. this is promoting branding to sell. it works.



rUsso is a strategic Branding agencY –
and as a Branding agencY, We are BelieVers.

here, we believe in the promise behind the brand.
and here, we believe that changing the conversation motivates consumer behavior.

through the use of consumer insight, we develop branding initiatives for our clients
that form emotional connections with their consumers.

for more information on branding, social media
or to learn more about The russo group, drop us a line, we would love to hear from you.

116 e. congress St., downtown lafayette, la 70501 | 337.769.1530 | f 337.769.1531
www.therussogroup.com | www.razorbrandingblog.com | jaci@therussogroup.com



the power of branding to sell
Based on the research of William l. haig, Phd.

©The Russo Group, 2009. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.


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