What does Branding mean and the principles of integrated communication

Integrated communication starts with the Brand. The brand is a relationship, an expressive and exclusive transaction between people, an exchange.

Yesterday a somewhat snob-looking status symbol, today a provocative style accessory and an unequivocal sign of changes in taste and trend. The brand or brand is a promise that encapsulates the expectations and ideas in the minds of customers, represents a set of associations and symbols that are connected to it. The brand has its own personality according to JN Kapferer: "his way of talking about products or services allows us to filter, between the lines, what kind of person he would be if one wanted to assimilate the brand to a person".

It is therefore a concept that goes beyond simple brand awareness or loyalty: people fall in love with a brand, trust and above all believe in it. Loyal customers, sharing a common world made up of values ​​and ideals, become groups, thus paving the way for multiple communication possibilities on the part of the company.

In order to emerge in an increasingly crowded market, the company needs to clearly define its identity, its being in relation to a constantly evolving context. To do this it is necessary to work on an integration between vision (the ambitions towards which a brand tends), company culture (behaviours, attitudes and values) and image (the overall perception of the company by its customers).

The company derives important advantages from investing in the lasting maintenance of its brand identity: facilitates purchases by customers and the activity of the sales force, thanks to the diffusion of awareness of the brand. Furthermore, a consistency in brand identity increases the value associated with it and helps clarify consumers' perceptions towards it.

The brand is above all a set of significant objective characteristics that immediately come to mind or that remain latent, submerged, but equally important. Think of blue for Barilla, the man with the Moretti moustache, the San Pellegrino star or athletics for Adidas. The brand is also a cultural universe, a profound system of values: for Apple, for example, it is the culture of western California, centered on man and the relationship rather than on the task, as instead happens in the eastern culture of New York and Boston. Adidas embodies the culture of serious, suffered, team sport, while Nike has a more spectacular, popular, individualistic culture of sport.

Country of origin can be a good reservoir for brand culture: Made in Italy characterizes Barilla, in its expansion abroad, as joie de vivre, pleasure and creativity. The USA guarantees greatness and spectacularity to Coca Cola

Even ideology can be a starting point with caution: the acceptance of Benetton's diversity has given the brand an identity of great charm for a young audience, today cosmopolitan and transversal.

The brand is also a relationship, a transaction between people, an exchange: Barilla brings the family together, the Calvin Klein perfume brings with it an innocent and deliberately ambiguous seduction, Chanel an assertive femininity, Apple communicates unity and understanding, while IBM ensures order.

The brand is then a reflection, that is the external image it gives of its ideal user: Mercedes reflects a passenger with driver, while BMW reflects a person directly driving. An image not to be confused with the real target. The brand must value its audience, therefore the reflection will be more unbalanced on the ideal self than on the real self of the clients.

Definition of the values ​​of a brand, some basic rules.

Here are 7 fundamental points that can be useful in defining brand values. Let us always remember that we are talking about profound, intangible, abstract, but terribly real concepts that have a strong impact on people's emotions.

1. Decide if you want to try to build a brand that lasts. It will take a lot of patience with revenues and earnings to lay a solid foundation. Decide sooner rather than later.
2. Establish values ​​and culture sooner rather than later.  What are the main values ​​of your company? Next, what are your main personal values? The main thing is the alignment between these 2 values.
3. Commit to being transparent. “Be yourself and you will have nothing to fear”. Your culture is your brand. Don't try to be something you are not.
4. View.  “Whatever you are thinking, think big”. What is the meaning of your vision? Chase the vision, not the money…
5. Create relationships (not networking). Be interested rather than trying to be interesting.
6. Create your team. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with the others." Take slowly. Fire fast.
7. Think long term.  Aim for repeat customers, your customer service. There is no formula for getting rich. For "immediate successes" it takes years of work (both personal and business).

People may not remember exactly what you did or said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

And here is the critical point! The value of a brand is built through its concrete vision, intentions and behaviors and if a brand does not put into practice the values ​​it declares, it cannot be credible.

Here is a summary list of types of values ​​to be explored for good integrated communication and a good branding campaign.

Static values

• Presence, history, culture and wealth
• Exclusivity
• Efficiency and organization
• Technology

Dynamic values

• Growth
• Research
• Software
• Promote and disseminate knowledge
• Expansion and internationalization

Other values

• Centrality of people
• Transparency and honesty
• Organization
• Relationship
• Happiness
• Wellness
• Empathy
• Popularity
• Cosmopolitan
• Interculturality
• Transversality
• Aggregation

Territoriality

• Italianness
• Culture
• Design

Today, a good communication and therefore marketing strategy can no longer disregard a work done upstream, otherwise it is like flying on autopilot without realizing what is happening around you. Let us remember that today branding strategies are increasingly becoming the key element that guarantees the existence and success of businesses.