The document discusses the importance of defining a brand's purpose beyond just its functionality. It emphasizes asking "why" a product exists to uncover the deeper emotional motivations and benefits that inspire genuine customer connection. Specifically, the document argues brands should define an essence that gives people an instinctive, gut reason to believe in the product through meaningful and universal emotions like comfort, serenity and control.

1. DIGITAL
BRANDING

2. When I was at university, a lecturer showed us a small
mechanical looking object and asked us what it was.
We couldn’t tell her. She then asked, what do you need
to know to figure it out? And we said, what does it do?
She said – exactly.What this object IS, is defined by
what it does.
Interesting idea.You are defined by what you do.Your
purpose is fundamentally expressed by your
functionality.Your design IS your identity.The thing
you’re meant to deliver is everything about you.
For me, as a creative director, looking back I now think
there was a pretty huge question missing in relation to
the object, the person that designed it, and the people
that wanted one.That question is:WHY.

4. Let’s take the Nest thermostat for
example. A fairly simple and elegant bit of
technology, reimagining the things that are
wrong with thermostats and heating
controls in the home.What does it do?
Well, it lets you set the temperature in our
home in ways you NEVER IMAGINED
before.You can schedule each day
separately.You can view your energy
consumption.You can activate it and set it
remotely.And the interface lets you do
what you want, not what it wants you to do
like the old controls.That’s what it does.
But let’s cut to the chase: why does anyone
care?Why should anyone care? Why does
this product exist?Why would and why do
people pay £100 on this that could buy
them a year’s subscription to WWE
wrestling pay-per-views?Why why why?

5. WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?

6. HEAT
ENERGY
CONTROL
COMFORT
SERENITY
There are lots of practical reasons why
people buy things.
It’s better than the old one, it’s faster, it’s
cheaper, it’s more efficient.
But if you keep asking why, you eventually
get to something emotional.
The feeling someone gets from the
practical benefit.

7. I get interested when
people stop talking about
the technical or practical
stuff and get to the rock
bottom, raw emotion of
things. Something
meaningful, something
universal, something that
gives people a reason to
INSTINCTIVELY believe in
your product, to want it
with their gut, not to weigh
it up against the other
options.When people are
weighing things up, you’ve
already lost. It’s that
moment that we all have
when we almost out of
nowhere say “I want that.”
“I like that.”

8. FAST
SLOW
We use a number of models that help us run workshops with out clients to get to the essence of
what they’re all about. Simon Sinek’s “Golden Circles” theory questions not just what you do, but
why you do it. The Brand Archetypes theory established by Pearson and Marks allows you to
consider the different personalities your brand can represent. And Kahnemann’s Fast and Slow
thinking influences the way we figure out what to commit to, and what will really convince
someone to engage with you.

9. All of this thinking then influences typography:
(Medium)
(Tumblr)

10. Use of colour:
2001 2015

11. And the overall experience – whether immersive and calming:

12. Intense and powerful…

13. Or sleek and precise:

14. Some sites are able to even carry the style through to their forms:

17. Others not so much:

18. If you are a quirky brand, shouldn’t you be able to carry it through to your forms?
Good – instead of “Done” it says
“Go Go Go”
Bad – is this the language they
should be using?

20. Slack carry it through all the way:

21. And even your 404 page can work for your brand: