Feel Good Branding
Consumers buy on emotion. Emotion disguised as colors, sounds, tastes, and verbiage, creates impactful feel good branding. Here are some brands we love at Creative Blend Design that make us bust out the cash.
Lululemon Athletica
Yoga clothes and running gear for sweaty workouts
So many good things are synonymous with Lululemon, mainly: comfort, style, and wellness. What about this company’s branding makes our toes tingle and forces us into a “happy baby” pose? Besides being amazing, Lululemon has got it down. While the logo is actually a stylized letter “A,” (for the company’s original name, Athletically Hip) the flowing arch resembles a “downward dog” – it flows and is Zen-like. Walking into one of the shops, we’re greeted by an open and airy layout- exactly how athletic apparel should fit. Going to their website, customers are engaged in conversational-style text. The models are fit, and look great wearing the happy-hued running crops and halters. Lululemon doesn’t stop there. The owner of the company, Chip Wilson, encourages all of his employees to set goals for themselves based on the six principles of the company: possibility, vision, balance, audacity, format, and integrity. To top it all off, the clothes are comfortable, professionally made, and long lasting.
The Bottom Line:
Lululemon Athletica has amazing branding because they encompass their manifesto in everything they do. They make you feel good because they actually care about your wellbeing, and you know it!
Target
Expect more, pay less
The moment you realize you’re bobbing your head to the catchy tune of a Target commercial you think, “Hey, I’m pretty happy!” How did they do that? Target’s commercials don’t really say anything. But their branding is extremely effective. Not only are the actors in their commercials exuberantly happy, the colors are bright, the families are together, and the products make you want to run out the door and buy them (wait, I already have three of those”¦ darn you, Target!). Just like the “Target” logo, the feel we get from Target is clean and focused. The theme of fresh and affordable resonates through the products, which would otherwise be “generic” at other major superstores, such as Walmart. Instead of being so blah, Target’s brand of products doesn’t feel cheap. They feature trending designers, all for affordable prices.
The Bottom Line:
Target is clean, happy, and right “on target.” Their slogan, “expect more, pay less” is reflected through their high-end looking products for lower costs. They make you feel like you deserve the best, for the best price.
Red Bull
Red Bull gives you wings
Red Bull’s logo: two red bulls in front of a golden sun on a background of blue and silver. The bulls reflect sheer power, speed, risk taking, and aggressiveness. The blue and silver in the background represent intellect and concentration. Red Bull doesn’t stop at energy drinks though. The high-energy high-impact company goes the extra mile to make you think Red Bull might actually give you wings. The company sponsors the X-Games, Red Bull Romanicas, and loads of highly talented athletes (Carlos Burle, Travis Rice). Felix Baumgartner, sponsored by Red Bull, broke the sound barrier when he jumped from a shuttle dangling 39045 meters above the Earth. If that doesn’t scream daredevil, I don’t know what does. Aside from extreme sports, Red Bull relates to intellectuals with a second tag line “revitalize body and mind.” Their always-funny animated commercials feature characters that have an intellectual advantage because they’re drinking Red Bull. As far as the actual drink goes, the can is slim, fits in your hand, and is pretty tasty.
The Bottom Line:
Red Bull, instead of marketing purely through advertisements, has become synonymous with extreme sports and related activities. They so completely embody “Red Bull gives you wings,” you think you can do anything by drinking Red Bull.
From these successful companies, we learn the effectiveness of consistent branding. These businesses wrap their ideologies into everything they do, so when you’re using their product, you’re letting their intended message sink in. Whether you’re feeling rebellious, at peace, or like you’re getting a great deal, you choose the business that makes you feel exactly the way you want to.
What brands make you feel good? How do they do it?
