HOW TO BUILD A BRANDEVOKING THE RIGHT EMOTIONS IN AUDIENCE PERCEPTION

February 7, 2022

Niklas Eriksson

Supervisor: Ole Norberg

Examiner: Thomas Mejtoft

Master’s Thesis in Interaction Technology and Design, 30 Credits

Department of Applied Physics and Electronics

Umeå University, Sweden

Sammanfattning

För att vara konkurrenskraftiga på marknaden måste alla företag ha ett väletablerat

och genomtänkt varumärke. Det är svårt att skapa ett varumärke som förmedlar rätt

känsla och etablerar en koppling till sin målgrupp. Processen består av många steg och

subjektiva åsikter gällande design är svåra att mäta. Denna studie syftar till att fastställa

hur en varumärkesprocess kan konceptualiseras och utföras, för att säkerställa en kop-

pling till den avsedda målgruppen, samt hur resultaten objektivt kan mätas. I detta

sammanhang definieras en varumärkesprocess som utförandet av en serie väldefinierade

aktiviteter som används för att utveckla ett visuellt formspråk samt kommunikations

ramverk för ett företag.

För att undersöka hur ett varumärke kan skapas och mäta dess inverkan på målgruppen,

genomfördes en litteraturgenomgång samt semistrukturerade intervjuer med experter

inom området. Baserat på dessa resultat utvecklades en varumärkesidentitet och strategi

genom ett antal workshopövningar, som hölls tillsammans med grundarna av ett nys-

tartat företag vid namn Kurr. En varumärkesidentitet etablerades och en ny design av

företagets webbplats skapades. En online enkät innehållande ett test för att objektivt

mäta målgruppens åsikter gällande varumärke och hemsida skickades ut till ett antal

testpersoner. Under testet fick respondenterna se en prototyp av företagets webbplats

och sedan välja 3 - 5 ord från en lista av 20, som bäst beskrev deras ursprungliga känslor

för varumärket. Resultaten visade att de fem högst rankade orden som valts av målgrup-

pen stämde överens med de fem avsedda känslorna som valts ut för att representera

varumärket.

Dessa fynd förstärker tidigare forskning som lyfter fram vikten av en genomtänkt

varumärkesstrategi och identitet. Resultaten tyder på att varumärkes-arketyper kan vara

effektiva att använda när man utvecklar ett nytt varumärke. Vidare visar forskningen

att "Microsofts Desirability Test" kan användas för att objektivt mäta hur ett varumärke

uppfattas av sin publik.

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Abstract

In order to be competitive in the marketplace, all company’s need to have a well-

established and thought-out brand. It is difficult to create a brand that conveys the right

feeling and establishes a connection with its target group. The process consists of many

steps and subjective opinions are difficult to measure. This study aims to determine how

a branding process can be conceptualized and performed, in order to ensure a connec-

tion with its target audience, as well as how the results objectively can be measured. In

this context, a branding process is defined as the proceedings of a series of well-defined

activities used to develop a value system, and communication framework for a business.

To investigate how a brand can be created, and measure its impact on the target au-

dience, a literature review and semi-structured interviews were held with experts within

the field. Based on these findings, a brand identity and strategy was developed through a

number of workshop exercises, held with the founders of a start-up company named Kurr.

A brand identity was established, and a new design of the company website was created.

An online survey containing a desirability test was sent out to people within and outside

the company’s target audience to measure the response of the website and brand. During

the desirability test, the respondents got to view a prototype of the company website and

then select 3 - 5 words from a list of 20 that best described their initial emotions of the

brand. The results showed that the top five words chosen by the target audience matched

with the five intended emotions picked for the brand.

These findings reinforce previous research that highlights the importance of a well-

thought-out brand strategy and identity. The results suggests that brand archetypes

can be effective to use when developing a new brand. Further, the research shows that

Microsoft desirability test can be used to provide data on how a brand is perceived by its

audience.

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Contents

1 Introduction 6

1.1 Objective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1.2 Research question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1.3 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1.4 Kurr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2 Theoretical framework 8

2.1 Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2.2 Branding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2.2.1 The human psyche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2.2.2 The importance of emotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2.2.3 Unique selling proposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2.3 Brand experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2.3.1 What is brand experience? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2.3.2 Where did brand experience originate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

2.3.3 Designing brand experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

2.4 Brand identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2.4.1 What is brand identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2.4.2 Brand personality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2.4.3 Storytelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

2.4.4 Typography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

2.4.5 Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

2.4.6 Logotype . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

2.4.7 Brand tagline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

2.4.8 Designing brand identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

2.5 Brand strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

2.5.1 What is brand strategy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

2.5.2 Touch-points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

2.5.3 Competitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

2.5.4 Vision and mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

2.5.5 Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

3 Methodology 30

3.1 Double diamond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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3.2 Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

3.3 Desirability testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

4 Method 33

4.1 Literature review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

4.2 Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

4.3 Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

4.4 Prototype and test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

4.4.1 Target audience research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

4.4.2 Desirability test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

4.4.3 Color, logotype and typeface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

4.4.4 Low fidelity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4.4.5 Mid fidelity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

4.4.6 High fidelity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

5 Results 47

5.1 Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

5.2 Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

5.3 Prototype and test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

5.3.1 Target audience research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

5.3.2 Color, logotype and typeface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

5.3.3 Low fidelity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

5.3.4 Mid fidelity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

5.3.5 High fidelity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

5.4 Target group analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

6 Discussion 58

7 Conclusion 60

Appendices 65

A Brand Archetypes 65

B Interviewees and interview questions 69

C Workshop exercises 72

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1 Introduction

Some claim that branding dates back to around 2 000BCE when farmers used it for mark-

ing their cattle [1]. Others claim that branding dates back to 7 000BCE, when an roman

oil lamp maker started stamping his lamps with the name Fortis. In the nineteenth cen-

tury a shift occurred, when the industrial revolution and the mass market modernized the

way brands were used [2]. As time moved on so has the art of branding; today, companies

use brand specialists, and other forms of experts to create a brand identity that sets them

apart from the competition and conveys the companies values and beliefs. Brand identity

is the visible elements of a brand, such as color, design, and logo that identify and distin-

guish the brand in consumers’ minds [3]. However, a brand identity system can not only

be built around the visual aspects of the brand; an identity needs to deliver an experience

to the user in order to make the brand real and trigger the right emotions at customer level [4].

In order to be competitive on the market all start-ups need to have a well thought through

brand identity. The number of start-up companies in Sweden 2020 amounted to 73 687 [5],

statistics say that 70 percent of these will fail within the first five years [6]. Two top reasons why

start-up companies fail are due to the lack of proper branding, not having a clear niche or not

being memorable enough [7]. A strong brand stands out in a densely crowded marketplace,

and how a brand is perceived directly affects its success on the market [8].

1.1 Objective

The objective of this thesis is threefold: firstly, to develop a conceptual framework which

provides an understanding of how a new company should attack the process of building a

brand; secondly, utilize the framework to develop and design a brand identity for a start-

up company within the food-tech industry: thirdly, implement the brand design into the

company website and test if the established identity resonates with the company’s target

audience.

1.2 Research question

• What does a brand consist of?

• How does a start-up company create a brand that connects with its customers?

• How can a new brand be tested on users?

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1.3 Background

The start-up company Kurr is building its new software service, but lacks the understanding

of how to build a brand identity that reflects their vision, connects with customer, and still

differentiates themselves from competition. The company requires a brand identity that

expresses a uniform language from all touch-points.

1.4 Kurr

This master thesis was conducted together with the company Kurr, which is a Swedish startup

company that launched in the spring of 2021. Its core vision is to provide a helping hand for

people that struggle on making the transition into a more sustainable food consumption.

Through their mobile application, members of a household can decide together what to cook

for dinner without spending too much time searching for recipes. The company aims to

make a positive emotional shift on how people feel about the phrase "what should we eat for

dinner?".

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2 Theoretical framework

This section will present the theoretical framework needed in the process of designing and

implementing a brand.

2.1 Brand

A Brand can be viewed as a belief system that originally was developed to differentiate one’s

products from competitors. The early pioneers of positioning and branding were familiar

with the practice of religion, and they understood that a belief system, once established,

could affect people’s behavior [4]. Today, brand can be seen as the holistic sum of customers

experiences, composed of visual, tonal and behavioral brand components [9].

To build a brand that connects with its audience, the brands core purpose needs to be

understood. The visual aspects of a brand such as color, logotype and typography are all

part of the visual aspects of a brand. Visual aspects do not matter as much if the brand does

not have a clear understanding of where it’s going or what it aims to achieve. Brand gets

separated into two parts, strategy and identity. Brand strategy contains internal parts and

positioning; these parts make up the foundation of the brand. Brand identity consists of

how the brand is perceived by the audience and contains visual and verbal expressions. The

customer only sees and interacts with a small part of the brand (everything above the water

surface in fig 1), as the majority of the brand is held internally [10].

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Figure 1: Overview of parts that go into building a brand, based on [10].

Internet start-ups have traditionally been born from bright ideas and not devoted a lot

of focus on brand strategy. In most cases brand strategy and positioning has been an af-

terthought, that often led to problems as the organization grew [11].

Today, brand is the foundation for many businesses [4]; companies try to build brands

that their customers can connect with emotionally [8]. Brand is a very broad term, but the

most important thing is providing some basic requirements: what the company is called, its

identity (logo or other trademarks), its mission, vision, values and positioning. These core

concepts are rarely changed in a brand because it would mean a loss of recognition, brand

equity and cost of implementation [4].

Any business, or company, that serves customers and does business under a fixed name has

a brand [4]. However, a brand is more than an iconic logo, a tagline or good marketing, it

represents what the company stands for and is therefore an important factor for success.

’Brand is about delivering on a promise made to customers’ [11]. The more holistic view of

brand is that it provides an experience to customers and audiences, express authenticity,

quality, relevance and differentiation [12] [11]. Brand serves as the DNA for all the activities

involved in creating value and engaging customers [4]. The phrase ’beloved brand’ is often

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used to describe brands that have been successful in its attempts to build a strong emotional

connection with its customers [2].

2.2 Branding

Brand and branding are two separate things. Brand can be seen as a promise and core

message of what the company stands for and offers to customers, while Branding elevates

ideas from brand in order to showcase who is providing the value. Too often brand is mixed

up with branding, but merely using the visuals from brand does not necessarily address the

brand’s core message or experience [4].

2.2.1 The human psyche

A brand is formed and lives in interaction with the values and feelings that are aroused in

recipients and customers [13]. In order to create a brand that customers can connect with, it

is important to understand some of the basic psychology behind the human psyche [14].

Sigmund Freud divided the psyche into a theoretical threefold: the ego, the id and the

superego. Freud claimed that the id could be found in the subconscious, was responsible

for our biological drives and was governed by lust principles. The superego is created in

combination with the environment people grow up in; this environment consists of social

laws, rules and opinions that we learn from our surroundings. The ego, Freud explained as

the mediator and decision-maker between the environmentally-controlled superego and the

more lust-driven unconscious id [15].

Nobel winner Daniel Kahneman’s book, Think Fast and Slow divides the human psyche

into different parts. Kahneman chooses to divide the system into two parts rather than three;

the slow more energy-intensive system 1 which is responsible for making rational decisions

based on arguments and considerations, and the more impulse-driven system 2 which bases

its choices on intuition [16]. Both models are simplifications of a very complex assembly of

systems, and exactly which system is used at a specific point in time is hard to determine.

However, some surveys show that customers use the fast-thinking system ( system 1 as Kah-

neman called it, or the "id" as it was called by Freud) in up to 80 percent of their decisions [13].

Through various forms of stimuli, sight, hearing, smell, taste or sensory impression, cus-

tomer’s perception is activated. Stimuli that evoke an emotional reaction and are strong

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enough to get past the perception are conceptualized in the customer’s head. This conceptu-

alization takes place unconsciously and forms the basis for the customer’s initial judgment

and future recognition [13].

Brand builders can charge their brand with positive emotions by using a method called

emotional conditioning. An example of this could be how the car brand Volvo uses the foot-

ball player Zlatan Ibrahimovic in its marketing to subconsciously categorize their brand in

the same compartment as their customers have placed Zlatan. The customer understands on

a conscious level that the campaign with Zlatan does not make Volvo newer or fresher, if those

are the feelings that the customer has associated with Zlatan. However, this is something that

the subconscious system and the emotional unconscious does not understand. This means

that Volvo later can remove their adversary from its advertisements and still be categorized

and associated with the feelings associated with them [13]. Another well-known example of

this is Pavlov’s dogs, in this experiment a Russian physiologist by the name of Ivan Pavlov,

trained a group of dogs to associate the sound from a bell with the positive stimulus of receiv-

ing food. Pavlov discovered that whenever an unconditioned stimulus (food) was given to the

animals an unconditioned response in the form of salivation was triggered subconsciously.

Later Pavlov discovered that the unconditioned response could be connected with other

stimulus than food [17].

2.2.2 The importance of emotions

Brain scientist Antonio Damasio claims in the book Descartes Error from 1994, that Descartes

was wrong when he uttered his famous quote ’I think, therefore I am’. Damasio wrote that

Descartes was wrong because he did not include the importance of emotions. Damasio be-

lieves that the emotional reaction customers get when they are exposed to different options

and impressions is what influences their decisions, not the thoughts that follow. Emotions

are part of the reward system, which regulates various neurotransmitters in the customer

(serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins). These substances in turn regulate whether the

customer will feel pleasure and desire or discomfort [18].

The difference between emotions and feelings can be difficult to interpret. Damasio claims

that emotions come first and evoke a physiological reaction based on sensory impressions.

Feelings are the conscious experience of the emotions evoked [18]. Some emotional reactions

are however too weak, which means that feelings are not noticed by customers. It can also

be difficult to connect all the different names that exist for feelings to the exact emotional

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reaction that evokes them. An example could be the struggle to find the emotional reaction

linked to feelings such as ’professional’, ’modern’ or ’innovative’ [13].

2.2.3 Unique selling proposition

Rosser Reeves first coined the term ’unique selling point’ (USP, today often referenced as

unique selling proposition) in the 1940’s. Reeves claimed that companies could convince

customers to choose their brand over competitors by focusing on one specific thing that

made their product or service unique [2]. Determining the USP of a brand requires research

and a good knowledge of customer and problems they face [19]. When the strategic work

of finding the USP is done, designer and marketing teams often develop a emotional selling

proposition (ESP), that can be seen as an equivalent to the USP, but that merely focuses on

the emotional triggers that will lead to a specific action [2].

2.3 Brand experience

As the number of brands on the market increase, companies look for new ways to connect

emotionally with customers, become irreplaceable and create relationships that last [8].

The evaluation of value is based on the experience customers have. Brands can no longer

convince people to buy their products or services merely focusing on marketing, instead

consumers constantly poses the question ’did my experience as a buyer match up with the

expectation set by the brand?’ [4]. In order to create Usability and a user experience (UX)

that customers are satisfied with, it is important to firstly develop the outer layers that the

customer will come in contact with (see fig 2). These layers consists of Brand experience

and Desirability [20]. According to Nielsen Norman Group, the average user will stay 10 - 20

seconds on a website unless the company clearly states is value proposition and provides a

sought out desirability [21].

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Figure 2: Parts that go into build a brand, from utility to brand experience [20].

2.3.1 What is brand experience?

Brand experience can be defined as the perceptions that an individual has with a brand before,

during or after interacting or being exposed to it. The companies we encounter daily and

the experience they provide us with, creates a lasting perception in our mind. A person’s

opinion of a brand can be shaped in a personal and intentional way, such as buying from the

company website or talking to customer service (often referred to as customer experience),

as well as in a more general and passive way, such as walking by an advertisement on a

billboard. Even though the consumer does not directly interact with the brand, the visual

identity and communication still shape the individuals perception, and becomes part of the

brand experience [11].

The branding consultant agency Saffron often tell clients:

’Brand is the promise of an experience - delivered’ [11].

Brand experience does not necessarily have to be at a premium level. The most important

aspect is that it’s consistent and aligned with the brand idea and core message of the com-

pany. One example of this is the budget airline Ryanair, that is famous for offering cheap

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plane tickets for customers that want to get from point A to B. The airline does not claim or

communicate to be offering any other services than the most basic. Their experience may be

seen as basic, but it works because it aligns with their brand. This is true for other services

and companies as well; customers get disappointed when their expectations are not met [11].

2.3.2 Where did brand experience originate?

In 2007 the concept of Brand experience began to to gain attention. Instead of broadcasting

what a brand stood for and telling people and customers how to perceive the brand, the

thinking was that the business had to better understand the values and perspectives of the

customer. Understanding the costumer and their journey, the brand could better understand

how it could fit into the world of the consumer [4].

A Forrester study conducted in 2010 showed that 90 percent of all companies with annual

revenue of 500 million dollars or more thought it was "critical" or "very important" that

customer experience was in a company’s strategy. 80 percent of the companies wanted to be

able to differentiate their company with customer experience. Despite this, the study showed

that only 15 percent of the responding companies said they do "very well" in maintaining

a consistent user experience across all their communications channels. The challenges in-

crease as organizations reach out to customers through more touch-points (website, mail,

agents in the field, call centers etc.). The problem is that there often is no strategy to guide

business and design in making choices that line up with the overall message of the brand [4].

2.3.3 Designing brand experience

Brand experience always has to be designed with the brand idea as its foundation. The process

of designing a brand experience is an iterative process that consists of designing and testing

[11]. Competing for customers by mimicking competitors is not sustainable in the long term.

A more effective approach is to determine what customers value the most, and focusing effort

into making that value exchange as strong as possible [4].

The process of designing brand experience can be divided into a number of steps [11]:

• Define the message - The brand idea is the message that the company wants to com-

municate and can be seen as the core of the company. This brand idea is what makes

the company authentic and what people (internal and external) can relate to. The

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brand idea needs to be clearly stated in the company’s brand strategy and developed

through an understanding of the target audience.

• Define assets: visual, verbal and behavioral - The best way to deliver the brand idea

and message to the audience is by using design as the main messaging tool. Product,

environments, systems, and behavior all needs to connect with each other and be

designed with a holistic mindset. Following elements needs to work together and

communicate the same unified message.

Visual identity - Includes elements such as brand logo, typography, icons, photography

and illustrations, as well as motion; the way that animations move, micro-interactions

and other transitions of moving content.

Tone of voice - A brands tone of voice can be extremely powerful and bring much value

to a company if done right. The tone of voice is based upon the persona the company

has set in earlier brand strategy stages. The tone of voice can impact heavily on visual

assets and style of communication.

Behavior and attitude - Based on brand personality and values, the behavior of a

company is established. It regulates how employees should act to ’live’ the brand, and

how interaction with company personnel should be, regardless of customer status.

• Define touch-points - Companies and organizations need to have a clear understand-

ing of the touch-points that will suite their needs the most. Be it passive touch-points,

like advertising, or active ones, such as user interfaces, all of them need to work together

in order to create a seamless experience.

• Moments of truth - A ’moment of truth’ is simply explained as a point in time when

the brand must deliver on the promise it has set. Therefore, it becomes important for

companies to think through what expectations customers have, and make sure that

those are met in every situation. One unsatisfying experience at a specific touch-point

will influence the customers overall perception of the brand, no matter how satisfying

other previous interactions have been.

• Disrupt through experience - In order to create a brand that lasts and stands out, it is

important to always challenge existing norms and prioritizing user experience.

Think outside the box - Brands can deliver unique experiences to their customers by

analyzing what predetermined expectations customers have on similar services and

products. Instead of following norm and preconceptions, designing an experience that

challenges these by putting more focus on customer and user.

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Stimulate the senses - A brand can create a holistic experience by combining all senses.

Brands that focus on what feeling they want their customers to have are much more

likely to become disruptive.

2.4 Brand identity

Having a compelling brand idea does not communicate or engage much, if it is not comple-

mented with great design. The right design can help convey brand message both internally

and externally. When examining some of the larger digital brands of today, it becomes ob-

vious that they paid little attention to design in the start-up face. In most cases all they

were equipped with was a logo, and in best case a wordmark. Few of them invested effort

into designing a visual identity based on a well-defined brand strategy. If the technology,

service or product provided is disruptive enough this can work for a while, but as a company

grows larger and starts to communicate on multiple different touch-points, the need for a

well-established visual identity system becomes crucial. Hence, why many of the tech giants

of today has changed their tactics and started focusing more on the design aspect [11].

2.4.1 What is brand identity

We are visual animals, although we develop other senses like hearing and smell at an early

age, sight is the predominant way of relating to the world around us. Even if something smells

wonderful, we rarely eat anything without first looking at it. If we hear some noise, we use

our sight to understand where the noise is coming from and the significance of it. The visual

aspects of brand is important, however, a brand identity system can not only be built around

the visuals, it needs to incorporate the experience component that makes the brand real [4].

2.4.2 Brand personality

Even though all brands are companies created to have a transactional relationship with

consumers, some brands succeed in creating a deeper connection with their audience. Many

brands that create such a bond with their audience are built with a strong alignment to

archetypes [22]. Archetypes provide a framework around which to build a brand. Swiss

psychologist Carl Jung believed there to be infinite archetypal symbols, he acknowledge

however that some were more frequent and recognizable; for example, nearly everyone has

the image and understanding of a mother figure that is caring, dependable and compassionate.

Brands make use of archetypes and the mental models that come with them, in order to help

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people understand and categorize the information. The most widely accepted classification

is written in the book the hero and the outlaw by Mark and Pearson. The authors of this

book presents twelve different brand archetypes that all share a "basic human motivation",

i.e pursue connection with others, leave a legacy on the world, provide structure and explore

spirituality (see fig 3). A brand can then develop their tone of voice, based on these brand

archetypes [23]. A summary of each group and archetype [24], can be found in appendix A.

Figure 3: The twelve different brand archetypes as proposed by Mark and Pearson [22].

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2.4.3 Storytelling

Communicating messages through stories is almost imprinted in our DNA. Humans have

passed on knowledge to others through the art of storytelling ever since we lived in caves and

started painting on cave walls. When people hear a good story, they put all their focus on it.

Jonathan Gottschall, the author behind the book The Narrator, writes [10]:

"We are, as a species, dependent on stories. Even when the body falls asleep, the

mind stays up all night telling itself stories."

There is also a chemical process going on in the brain when we are exposed to a good story,

our brain releases oxytocin which raises feelings of empathy and confidence. If a company

can create a story that the listeners can connect with, the brand’s journey can become part of

their own [24].

Many movies and books use a framework called the hero’s journey to create familiar sto-

ries that their audience can connect with. Although, most people subconsciously know about

the framework, it works time and time again, movies and books such as Harry Potter, Moby

dick, the matrix and many more use this framework to convey their story. The traditional

framework consist of twelve stages were the audience gets to follow the main character [25].

Based on the heroes journey, an alternative version called the audience journey has been

created, consisting of seven steps. This framework is used to get a better understanding of

how the user journey should be designed in order to attract and satisfy new and existing

customers [24] (see workshop exercise 10 in appendix C).

2.4.4 Typography

Typography is the art and practice of arranging type (see fig 4) [2] [26]. Typography dates all

the way back to around 1040 CE when the first movable type system was created in China.

However, the usage of typography did not take of until the Gutenberg press was invented in

around 1450 [27].

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Figure 4: Some of the guiding rules that make up the anatomy of a typeface, based on [26].

Typography is used in a variety of settings ranging from marketing, letter design, signage,

and digital applications. As a graphic designer the understanding of typography and the

history behind each typeface is important. Apart from understanding different font families,

it is important to understand that different fonts have been connected to specific products

and services over time and that breaking of these conventions can ruin the language and

overall feeling expressed by the company. A good understanding of the semiotics and how

current brands make use of typography will increase the likelihood of enriching brand mes-

sage through typography style [2].

The choice of font ultimately comes down to how the brand wants to be perceived by the

audience. Just as the design of a brand website serves the purpose of communicating a

story to the user, the right font can support the intended narrative. Does the brand want to

seem environmentally friendly, authoritative, welcoming, or creative. There are thousands of

different fonts to choose from, by knowing the main goal of the company and how it wants

to be perceived, an appropriate font can be chosen. Listed below is a number of significant

typeface groups [26]:

Serif

Serif styles are most used in books and other physical media. The name comes from the

usage of "serifs" at the base of all symbols (see fig 4). The typeface has historically been used

among formal institutions and academic circles. Adjectives typically used to describe the

style is, traditional, respectable, elegant and sophisticated. Some typefaces that are included

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in the serif group are Times New Roman, Garamond and Georgia.

Sans-serif

Sans-serif styles are without the "serifs", mentioned in previous section. Sans-serif are often

used in digital interfaces and mobile devices because they require less space. The style

embodies cleanliness and clarity and are used by companies that have a "straightforward"

agenda. Words used to describe the sans-serif style includes, clean-looking, modern, clarity,

efficient and straightforwardness. Some typefaces that belong to the group are Arial, Helvetica

and Futura.

Script

Script styles look more like calligraphy, which makes them look more casual and creative in

nature. Their unique design makes them perfect for displaying short messages. Words used

to describe the script style includes, elegance, creativity, uniqueness, personal and emotional.

Some typefaces that is part of the style are Alex Brush, Pacifico and Lobster.

Decorative

The decorative style is mostly created for advertising purposes. The decorative style does not

have an official categorization as previous styles, instead it takes elements from other major

typefaces and creatively mixes them together to create a unique design. Characteristics used

to describe the decorative font include; casual, original, flexible and urban. Some typefaces

that belong in the group are Phosphate, Chalkduster and Graffitti.

2.4.5 Color

By understanding the history and usage of colors in different contexts, designers can en-

hance brand meaning and recognition. The effect of colors has been known for a long time,

countries have utilized the knowledge in order to design flags and uniforms that signals

strength and power. Colors have over time become associated with certain messages and

emotional triggers, for instance warning colors such as red and yellow. Nearly all colors

conveys some form of underlying emotion, however, colors have a cultural connection and

can mean different things to different people [2]. Three example colors are listed below:

Yellow

The color signals happiness and cheerfulness, however, when confronted with too much it

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signifies anger or warning. The color is often used to represent joy, optimism, intelligence and

hope [28]. The color has the benefit of being bright enough to attract a consumers attention

from a distance, that is why restaurant chain McDonald’s and Denny’s make use of the color

in their logos to catch the attention of hungry travelers passing by [29].

Orange

Orange signifies a happy, balanced and enthusiastic mind. The color is used to portray energy,

playfulness and desire [28]. Orange is used by brands such as Fanta and Nike to convey a

friendly feeling [29].

Black

The color black is often used to symbolize sophistication, power and elegance [28]. The color

is often used to convey a feeling of luxury and business on everything from evening wear to

business class cars [29].

2.4.6 Logotype

A logotype is a combination of shapes, colors, symbols, or letters that represents the value

and expected experience of a brand. The strength of how well designed a logo is, lies in

how successfully it embodies the essence of the brand, and how fast it can be recognized

by the target audience. A logo must acquire meaning in the minds of the consumer, be

distinctive, flexible, simple, practical, elegant, and unforgettable. It needs to distinguish the

brand from competitors and work across all borders and cultural boundaries. Apart from

emotional aspects, the logo should be designed in a way that works in different settings and

environments, everything from large billboards to app icons [2].

Globalization is increasing the standardization of products, this causes marketing man-

agers and brand builders to use brand identity to differentiate from competitors. Having a

unique brand name goes a long way, but can be limiting because of language barriers. Brand

logotypes help companies transcend country and language barriers with the help of visual

characters. One example of this is the company Nike’s swoosh logo (see fig 5); a logotype that

is so well known that company ads often do not mention the name at all [30].

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Figure 5: "Swoosh" logotype, used by the company Nike [30].(Graphics by C. Davidson distributed under PD-ineligible license.)

Chiranjeev and Rajneesh presents a number of guidelines in order to adapt a more

scientific approach to the design process [30]:

1. Choose the image carefully, because it has a profound impact - A strong image may

take a long time to build, but an even longer time to get rid of. The car manufacturer

Oldsmobile, struggled with the image of a "stodgy" car. The company unsuccess-

fully tried to get rid of the image by introducing the slogan “This is not your father’s

Oldsmobile” but eventually demised.

2. Look at the big picture, and ensure consistency over time and between various ele-

ments - Callcott and Phillip’s showed in a 1996 study that respondents had a preference

for a logotype and character that was consistent with the brand. Consistency across

all elements contribute to a stronger brand image. One example of this includes the

battery company Energizer which uses a cartoon bunny as a character in order to

convey a message that the batteries will go on forever.

3. Be careful about what you can and cannot change -Brand names should not be changed,

but logotypes can be changed if it is warranted by a shift in brand strategy. One exam-

ple is the soda manufacturer Pepsi-Cola that has remained with the same name, but

continuously updated its logotype.

4. Don’t go with the flavor of the month - Copying elements from other successful brands

will often result in trademark infringement, or directly reduce the opportunity to stand

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apart from competitors. Following market leaders can negatively impact the brand

because these have a different positioning and market strategy.

5. Be systematic and objective - There is no "one solution suits all" when it comes to

designing a logotype. Brand strategy will influence the design of the logotype, and

managers are advised to develop a set of criteria to follow marketing communication

objectives.

6. Test logos in the marketplace - Slogans are often thoroughly tested because they are

part of a specific campaign. However, logos are not as often tested because single

exposure are not stable or reliable enough. Industry and academia traditionally relied

on evaluation after one exposure but practicing managers should be careful with

trusting the results from these too much, instead managers should combine survey

result with input from trained designers.

2.4.7 Brand tagline

A brand tagline is vastly different from a brand idea. The brand idea sums up everything

that your company represents, while the brand tagline is used to communicate a message to

the world. A tagline needs to be memorable, intriguing and authentic [2]. One of the most

famous examples of a tagline is owned by the company Nike; ’Just Do It’, it sums up the brand

idea of Nike and mediates the message that everybody on earth can be an athlete [11].

Different communication approaches can be used in a tagline to connect with customers [2].

• Descriptive - Describes the promise of product or service offered to the customer, such

as the juice company Innocent’s ’Nothing but nothing but fruit’.

• Superlative - Is used to position itself at the top in its market category, for instance, the

car company BMW’s tagline ’The ultimate driving machine’

• Imperative - Often used as a way of showing the direction of the company or to inspire

consumers to action. One example is the company Nike’s ’Just do it’

• Provocative - Often uses a provocative question influenced by irony to raise thought in

the consumers mind. For instance the car company Volkswagen’s ’Think small’

• Specific - Highlights the company’s product or service, such as the chemical company

DuPont’s ’Better things for better living through chemistry’

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2.4.8 Designing brand identity

Design is a toolkit, it is more than just logo, color scheme and typography, it is a visual be-

havior of a brand that is delivered across all the companies touch-points. Brand design is

constructed of a series of rules, elements and behaviors that include motion principles, color

code, typeface, UX (user experience), UI (user interface). These principles together form the

way customers view and interact with the brand [11]. Design is both a noun and a verb, it

is the idea, artifact and outcome of a process at the same time as it is a word for describing,

conceiving, planning, and executing an idea [4].

The design process can be divided in two steps [11]:

Step 1: Laying the foundations

• Exploration phase - This phase consists of defining the visual territories that best

connect and align with the company’s positioning. Deciding what typography, color,

motion references, materials and shapes that best align with the attitude and personal-

ity of the brand.

• Design phase - Establishes design concepts based on visual territories. Design ele-

ments are tested on touch-points and key applications of the company.

• Development phase - Evaluation phase that reviews all design element and tests that

has been conducted; based on these, a design system that regulates the essence and

’feeling’ of the brand going forward is established. The system is meant to be used as a

guiding reference and can be extended into services, products, symbols, and overall

experience. The design system is meant to work as a guiding document that expresses

the feeling and idea of the brand, rather than a set of rules that must be followed. Some

elements are best not to alter (such as brand name) in order to maintain consistent

in the eyes of the consumer, but merely providing a design system built on rules and

regulations will lead to ignorance from employees working with design in the long

term.

• Implementation phase - Everything gets rolled out and more people get involved in

the interpretation of the design principles. The implemented document is tested on all

the companies touch-points and adjustments are made accordingly.

Step 2: Defining your requirements

Creating this strategy and making it visible for employees to implement on the companies

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different touch-points requires an understanding across four vectors of the brand, from

communications and product design to environment and behavior. A better and clearer

understanding of the brand strategy will make it easier to streamline the identity to consist

of the most vital parts. For example, a more communications oriented company needs to

focus their brand identity around parts and tasks that are specific to them. In the case of

communication driven brands (offline or online), the focus should revolve around tone of

voice, typography, imagery, and attitude. In order to keep communication fresh and up to

date it is important to design brand strategy in a way that allows internal interpreters to make

use of the strategy with their own creative flexibility.

2.5 Brand strategy

A modern business is constructed of many moving parts, but from the customer’s perspective

what they see are facets of one unified single thing. From users’ perspective there is only one

interface that connects them with the business. Services, ads, website, and interaction with

company employees are part of the interface through which value flows and is presented to

the customer [4]. Before starting on the creative process of building the visuals of brand, it is

important to research and understand who the audience is and all their needs [2].

2.5.1 What is brand strategy?

Brand strategy is an articulation of what a company does, how it goes about doing it and why.

The answer to these questions must be detailed in a way that is clear and easily understood.

Research has shown that inspired employees are three times more productive than those

that are uninspired. People spend about a third of their time at work, this forces companies

and organizations to motivate and inspire employees. Having a clear brand strategy that

resonates with the values of the employees becomes a crucial factor [11].

Defining a brand strategy involves the following steps: Ask, listen, think and refine [11].

• Ask - In order to identify the driving force of the company, the employees and com-

pany management must ask why the organization exists, beyond financial reasons, in

addition to identify strengths and what distinguishes them from competing companies.

• Listen - Listen to what customers are saying about the company. Ask them what the

differentiating factor is between your brand and other companies that operate in the

same market. The aim is to find or develop a differentiating factor to take ownership of.

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• Think - Based on the information collected in previous stages, identify key insights

and explore how these might be articulated. Craft them into meaningful messages that

inspire and guide employees and customers. Construct short and clear sentences that

describe the brand essence.

• Refine - The last stage consists of testing the constructed brand idea, is it relevant to

external audiences, does it demonstrate value to them, Will it be understood, and is it

unique enough to separate itself from competitors. Does it motivate employees and is

it a message that they can rally around.

Once brand strategy has been established is important to ensure that everyone in the orga-

nization stays true to what the brand is communicating. Companies that have clear brand

values, but fails to live up to them often encounter problems along the way [11].

2.5.2 Touch-points

A brand consists of multiple touch-points which can be seen in fig 6. Each touch-point is an

opportunity to increase awareness and build customer loyalty [8].

Figure 6: Different types of branding touchpoints, based on [8].

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Effective design is the strive to make every touch-point as efficient and ’on brand’ as pos-

sible [11]. There are many touch-points to consider and an increasing need to help customers

move seamlessly among them. The task of translating knowledge, insight and intent into

each of these touch-points has become a complex process for companies. Companies should

view these touch-points as an opportunity to increase the engagement with customers [4].

UX needs to be incorporated into all touch-points of a company. The UX mindset must be

used whether it is in sales, customer service or smartphone interaction [11].

To ensure that the brand identity is cohesive and all-encompassing, it is important to decide

which brand elements that should be applied and used on individual touch-points. The

minimal structure of a modern digitally native brand needs to be defined by a symbol for the

app icon, typography, colors, motion, tone of voice and UX principles. Product, behaviors,

environment and systems are the core touch-point categories that needs to be knit together,

in order to deliver an cohesive experience for customers [11].

2.5.3 Competitors

To position a new brand within a competitive marketplace, a good understanding of competi-

tors is needed. Brand analysis is a method used to evaluate and compare how other brands

have positioned themselves. This method consist of asking a number of questions about

your competitors, who they are, what consumers they are targeting, their positioning, tone of

voice, USP, and so on [2] [10].

Market sector analysis is the process of identifying which position the brand will aim to

occupy in consumer perception [2].

• Economy - The success of brands positioned within the segment is often linked to sales

price. Often marketed as bringing value for less money.

• Mid-market - Designed for middle-class consumer and are priced accordingly. Gives

the appearance of providing higher standard and quality than economy, but still show

value for money.

• Premium - Targeted towards the middle and upper income brackets. Luxury focused,

often playing on the consumers desires and aspirations.

Visual language is used differently within these categories in order to trigger particular

reactions or emotions among consumers. Economy brands often use basic imagery and

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simple design with a reduced color palette. Mid-market brands are more decorative and can

use many different colors and typefaces. Premium and luxury brands revert back to simplicity.

The thing that separates economy and premium brand is the effort and meticulousness they

craft brand appearance. Apart form having well thought through colors and type, premium

brands place a big effort on conveying brand story, and delivering an experience to customers.

Premium brands attract new customers and keep existing ones by enhancing the feel of

luxury and the story of an ’exotic lifestyle’ [2].

2.5.4 Vision and mission

Vision and mission statements often get mixed up. The vision statement describes the future

position of the company, while the mission defines the company’s business, objectives and

its approach to reach them [31]. Commonly asked questions to establish a vision and mission

for a company includes: [32]

Vision

• What are our hopes and dreams?

• What problem are we solving for the greater good?

• Who, and what, are we inspiring to change?

Mission

• What do we do?

• Whom do we serve?

• How do we serve them?

2.5.5 Audience

Since their introduction by Cooper in 1999, personas have been integrated into company

design processes to better understand their audience. Personas can be described as a "ficti-

tious", specific, concrete representation of target users. A persona represents target users

that all share common behavioral characteristics and needs [33].

The use of personas helps designers focus on a singular individual or small set of individuals

and helps break away from the attempt to design for everybody. The persona description

28

should be formulated thoroughly and include details such as, age, gender, behaviors, occupa-

tion, as well as, needs, concerns and goals [34],

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3 Methodology

This section outlines the research methodology’s used during the study.

3.1 Double diamond

The double diamond design model is a visualization of a creative process or design sprint

[35]. The process consist of four stages (see fig 7):

Figure 7: Image that showcase the double diamond design process [36].

• Discover - This phase consists of researching the problem space. The discovery phase

starts out broad and consist of investigating and understanding the context of the prob-

lem. The problem can be found and formulated by conducting research, interviewing

stakeholders, or performing different kinds of workshop exercises [36].

• Define - Phase two is about defining the core problem. This phase consist of sorting all

data gathered in discovery phase, and narrowing down on the actual problem to solve.

It is an important time to question whether the initial problem still is relevant, or if the

research collected in previous stage has changed the understanding in the problem

area [35].

• Develop - The development phase consists of exploring and testing different solutions

to the problem. Gather knowledge and feedback regarding different solutions by cre-

ating low fidelity prototypes or mock-ups that can be tested on the target audience

[35].

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• Deliver - The final phase is about producing a final solution to the problem. Evaluating

lessons learned from previous development stage and narrowing down on one solution

that can be tested on users. It is fine to iterate the design process again if the outcome

is not received as well as hypothesized [35].

3.2 Interviews

Semi-structured interviews are used to gain insight and understanding from interviewees.

Semi structures interviews allows the interviewer to depart from the determined script of

questions, and lets the conversation go where it may. Additional questions such as can you

tell me more about that... or how does what you just said relate to..., can be added in order to

gather more information on a subject [37].

3.3 Desirability testing

The Microsoft Desirability Toolkit can be used to measure users responses to aesthetic

qualities of a website or brand [38]. The need for measuring more than product usability, lead

them to develop the desirability toolkit. The toolkit enabled the team to measure intangible

emotional aspects of the user experience in a lab setting [39]. They created 118 physical

cards with different emotional reactions written on each card. During a usability testing

session the team would ask the participants to select 5 cards that best described the product

or how the product made them feel [38]. The practitioner then asked for details about why

the participant chose these 5 words. The words used targeted a 60 percent positive and 40

percent negative /neutral balance, to ensure that users were not forced to only choosing

positive descriptive words [39] (see table 1).

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Accessible Advanced Annoying Appealing ApproachableAttractive Boring Business-like Busy Calm

Clear Clean Collaborative Dated DesirableDifficult Disconnected Disruptive Dull EffectiveEfficient Effortless Empowering Energetic Engaging

Entertaining Enthusiastic Essential Flexible FragileFresh Friendly Frustrating Fun Helpful

Impersonal Incomprehensible Inconsistent Ineffective Innovative

Table 1: Some of the words used by Microsoft during desirability test, based on [40].

According to Nielsen Norman Group, the list of product reaction words should be altered

to better fit the intended measurement goal, other things to keep in mind include [38]:

• Choosing words - The words chosen should be relevant for the study goals. Own words

that fit this goal can be added to the list.

• Measure aesthetics - To measure the aesthetics, remove word that are only relevant for

functionality, content and performance.

• Number of words - A list of 118 words can take a long time for participants to read

and consider. Reducing the number of words in the list to 25 or less will help decrease

respondent fatigue and ensure a better response rate. However, the words used still

must cover the range of possible reactions.

• Randomize list of words - Randomizing the order of which the words are presented

will help dilute the impact of respondents that merely choose the first words in the list.

• 60 / 40 mix - The words used should include a mixture of positive and negative/neutral

emotions. Only including flattering words in the set will limit the opinions of testers

and have a negative impact on the outcome.

• Interaction - Interaction with the product can directly affect the desirability measure-

ments. Measuring desirability focuses on the users first impression of a brand or

product. Showing participants a design mockup can reduce distractions and emotions

that could arise from directly interacting with the product.

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4 Method

This section outlines the methods used to create a brand identity and strategy for the Kurr

start-up company. The double diamond design process was chosen because of its compat-

ibility with the brand development process. A literature study and interviews with experts

within the field was conducted to gain knowledge and a better understanding of the process

of building a brand. Based on information gathered from literature study and interviews,

a branding workshop consisting of 11 exercises was constructed and carried out with the

founders of the company. Information gathered from the literature review and workshop

was used to implement a new brand identity on the company website. The website was then

desirability tested on the company’s intended audience to measure its impact.

4.1 Literature review

A literature review was conducted to gather knowledge about the branding process, exist-

ing frameworks and best practices. The study researched what parts a brand consists of,

how visual elements such as logotype, color and typography are used to strengthen brand

positioning and message. The review mainly focused on answering the research questions

formulated in section 1.2.

4.2 Interviews

Semi-structured interviews (see section 3.2) was held with five handpicked experts within

the branding field. These interviews were held to gather insight into best practices, common

pitfalls, and the overall process of building a brand. The interviewees were contacted through

the social network LinkedIn. Each person was separately interviewed for 30 - 45 minutes

through an online video meeting. The meetings were recorded to later summarize any

findings. Seven openly formulated questions connected to the research questions (see section

1.2) were formulated before the interviews. A short description of each person interviewed

and questions asked can be found in appendix B.

4.3 Workshop

A brand development workshop was held with the founders of the company. The workshop

started with a 10 minute long verbal introduction to brand, and all of its various parts.The

workshop consisted of 11 exercises, each exercise started off with an introductory description.

The workshop was held with the two founders of the company and took three days with

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a total of 21 hours to complete. The workshop was conducted online with the help of the

collaborative whiteboard platform Miro 1, and the video communication tool Zoom 2. Below

is an overall description regarding the content of each individual workshop exercise (see

appendix C for all workshop questions). The workshop exercises were conducted in the

following order:

1. Brand purpose - The first exercise consisted of understanding why the company exists

beyond commercial intentions. The purpose of the company can be understood by

answering questions regarding why and to whom the company plans to deliver value.

2. Vision mission - The company’s vision and mission gets formulated based on the

previously established brand purpose.

3. Core values - Establishes the company’s core values by brainstorming different key-

words and composing core value sentences out of these.

4. Audience persona - Examines the company’s target audience, and establishes a fic-

tional persona. The exercise consists of formulating a demographic and psychographic

segmentation, as well as emotional and personality insights about the persona.

5. Competitor audit - Explores how the brand can differentiate from competitors, by ex-

amining their brand identity, personality, design and UX. The competitor audit exercise

were conducted within a excel spreadsheet 3, where each of the audited companies

were separated on different tabs.

6. USP - Formulates the company’s USP (unique selling proposition). Establishes possible

differentiators by analyzing content from competitor audits.

7. Brand positioning - Establishes the company’s brand positioning. This exercise sum-

marizes the content from each of the previous ones into shorter sentences, and sepa-

rated them into five categories: target audience, pain points, key benefits, competitors,

and differentiators.

8. Brand personality - A brand personality and archetype is created, based on target

audience and competitors. Brand personality affects what tone of voice the brand uses

to communicate with its audience.1Miro - https://miro.com/2Zoom - https://zoom.us/3Excel spreadsheet - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/excel

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9. Core message - Develops the message that the brand wants to convey to the outside

world. This message is formulated by adding one of the following questions; who, what,

why, how, where or when to the different categories created in the sixth exercise.

10. Storytelling - Creates a framework for the customer journey with the brand. Gives an

understanding of what message and information that should be given at any specific

touch-point.

11. Brand tagline - The last exercise consists of developing the brand tagline, by brain-

storming different keywords and formulating sentences out of these.

4.4 Prototype and test

Brand color, logotype and design of the company website was developed based on insights

from brand development workshop (see section 4.3). An iterative process of design and testing

was used.

4.4.1 Target audience research

Thirteen friends of the researcher, recognized as being part of the target group (established in

4.3, exercise 4) were contacted through social media, and asked to share insight into brands

and websites they found appealing. 22 websites and brands were collected, studied and

analyzed for similarities (see fig 8).

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Figure 8: Screenshots collected from some of the websites and brands that people from the targetaudience found appealing.

4.4.2 Desirability test

Five feelings that the brand wants to evoke were chosen, based on brand personality and

brand archetype established in workshop exercise 8, These words were chosen based on

brand archetype theory (see section 2.4.2). Additionally, 15 words were chosen for the test;

these words consisted of a mixture of 60/40 percent positive and negative/neutral words, and

were picked from Microsoft original list of words (see section 3.3). A translation of these 20

Swedish words can be seen in table 2.

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Brand archetype words Additional positive words Negative/neutral words

Simplistic Complicated BoringThe feeling of relief Overwhelming Emotionless

Humorous Serious (earnest) ChildishSustainability Cheap Annoying

Empathetic Colorful ConfusingExclusive OutdatedFamiliar Deadpan

Time consuming

Table 2: First list of Words chosen for the desirability test.

4.4.3 Color, logotype and typeface

Color

A board that specifically tested different color styles and palettes was designed in the collabo-

rative interface design tool Figma 4 (see fig 9). Colors was selected based on color psychology

research (see section 2.4.5), in combination with differentiating colors discovered in brand

development workshop (see section 4.3, exercise 5). The different color suggestions were

shown, and discussed in an online meeting with the founders of the Kurr company.

4Figma - https://www.figma.com

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Figure 9: Screenshot of different brand color suggestions explored in Figma.

Logotype

A number of low fidelity, hand-drawn suggestions of logotypes was designed (see fig 10).

These were shown among company founders during same session as colors were discussed.

Drawn logotype suggestions was based on logotype theory (see section 2.4.6).

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Figure 10: Some of the hand-drawn suggestions of logotypes discussed during meeting with founder.

Typeface

Typeface chosen for the brand, and implemented on the company website was based on

typeface theory (see section 2.4.4), and brand archetype/personality established in workshop

(see exercise 8).

4.4.4 Low fidelity

Prototype

A first layout and low-fidelity prototype of the brand and website, was created in Figma.

The structure of the website was based on insights gathered from workshop seen in section

4.3. The prototype consisted of placeholder elements, no colors were used. Fig 11 shows

a overview of the different low fidelity prototype pages in Figma, the prototype has a red

gridstyle background for easier structuring of elements.

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Figure 11: Overview of low fidelity prototype pages constructed in Figma.

Test

Findings from target audience research (see section 4.4.1), and first layout of website was

shown and discussed with founder of the company via a online Zoom meeting.

4.4.5 Mid fidelity

Prototype

A mid fidelity prototype of the company website was created and tested on users. The mid

fidelity prototype contained brand elements such as, color, typography and brand voice

(see fig 12). Insights gathered from low fidelity test regarding layout and structure, was

implemented into mid fidelity prototype.

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Figure 12: Overview of pages shown in mid fidelity prototype.

Test

The prototype was tested on five users within the company’s target audience. These five users

all have a background in working with graphical design, and were previously known to the

researcher. The test was performed via Zoom, the users were sent a typeform 5 link containing

basic questions, such as gender, age and relationship status. The typeform included a link to

the Figma prototype, and words chosen for the microsoft desirability test. After answering

the basic questions in the form, the user got to open the prototype on their computer and

view it for as long as they wanted. When the user felt satisfied and considered they had got a

5Typeform - https://www.typeform.com/

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feeling of the brand, the user were asked to choose five words from the list of words chosen

for the microsoft desirability test (see table 2). The test followed by an interview where the

user was asked questions such as, initial thoughts of the brand, which describing words they

had chosen and why, in addition to general thoughts about the test itself.

4.4.6 High fidelity

Prototype

A high fidelity prototype was designed in Figma, based on brand identity, and insights

gathered from previous iterations (see fig 13 - 16). The prototype consisted of a one page

design, and were meant to mediate parts of the story established in workshop (4.3, exercise

10). According to Nielsen Norman group, users often leave web-pages that lack a clear value

proposition, within 10 - 20 seconds (see section 2.3.3). Figure 13 was designed to be the first

page the user encounters when entering the website. This first page was designed to arouse

the user’s interest as well as mediate what type of service the company provides.

Figure 13: Landing screen and hero section of the company website

Further down on the web-page, the user were presented with content seen in fig 14. Using the

company’s tone of voice established in workshop exercise 8, the user were asked questions

connected to the company’s value proposition. These questions were meant to make the user

aware of the obstacle section in the storytelling process (see workshop exercise 10 in appendix

C), in addition to personally relating to the situation expressed. GIF: s was implemented

and used in the prototype as a means of conveying a feeling of humor (see chosen brand

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archetype words in table 2), these were also considered to fit well with the audience persona

established in workshop exercise 4.

Figure 14: Website screen used to make user aware of the problem solved by the company.

The third part of the web-page consisted of introducing the user to the company’s service and

solution (see fig 15). To strengthen the understanding of the service provided, images from

the company’s mobile application interface was used in combination with explanatory text.

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Figure 15: Website screen used to showcase the company’s provided service and solution.

The final part of the web-page (see fig 16), contained a image of the mobile application

interface, as well as a button to influence a call to action.

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Figure 16: Last screen of the website containing image of mobile application interface as well as abutton to influence a call to action.

Test

The prototype was desirability tested on users (see section 3.3). A Typeform survey was sent

out to approximately 40 people, containing the same initial questions as mentioned in mid

fidelity test (see section 4.4.5, in addition to the Figma prototype. The list of words chosen

for the Microsoft desirability test (see table 2), was slightly altered based on insights from

mid fidelity test. New list with altered words (highlighted) can be seen i table 3. The users

were asked to choose 3 - 5 words that they thought best described the mediated feeling of the

brand and website. To ensure that people did not just choose the first words presented in the

list, the order of words were randomized for each user. The survey contained two follow up

questions regarding how well the user understood the service provided by the company, and if

the user thought the brand looked like any other brand they had been in contact with.

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Brand archetype words Additional positive words Negative/neutral words

Simplistic Complicated BoringThe feeling of relief Overwhelming Emotionless

Humorous Serious (earnest) ChildishSustainability Cheap Annoying

Thoughtful Colorful ConfusingExclusive Outdated

Known DeadpanTime consuming

Table 3: Altered list of Words chosen for the second desirability test.

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5 Results

5.1 Interviews

Five interviews was held with experts that work within the branding field. A summary of their

insights can be seen below. The summary has been divided into six parts consisting of:

Overall process of branding

All the interviewees commented that the most important and first thing a future brand must

do is to understand the company’s underlying purpose, why the company exists beyond

a commercial intent. One of the interviewees defined this as finding the company’s value

proposition.

The next post, which everyone commented on as important, was to understand which target

group and customer the brand primarily should target. Three of the interviewees talked a lot

about the importance of putting the target group and user in focus, to understanding what

problems they face.

Once these previously mentioned parts are in place, the brand can focus on creating the

visuals of the brand to position itself correctly in the customer’s mind. Once the brand pur-

pose has been established, it is important for the brand to continue its consistency in its

messaging. One of the interviewees said:

"It is only when you have repeated, repeated and repeated a message several

times that people begin to understand what your brand stands for and how

this relates to their world. This is required to be able to create the emotional

connection to people and to confirm people’s worldview, if you succeed, you get

people, not just as customers but also as loyal followers."

All interviewees considered that the brand’s objectives in the form of vision and mission, as

well as tonality, should be included in a brand manual. However, all agreed that a complete

brand manual cannot be constructed at the beginning of a start-up. One of the interviewees

expressed that this must be seen as a "living document" that is updated as the company

develops. The reason why the company exists must, however, be present at the start so that

everyone internally within the company knows which direction the company is striving.

Brand manuals

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All five of the interviewees had previously worked with different types of brand manuals.

However, one of them was skeptical about the use of these manuals and said that many

problems can arise with these when a company grows too large. He claimed that it was hard

to translate these into different languages and to keep the message consistent. Instead of

having all departments relate to a manual, he had switched into hiring brand ambassadors

who internally could ensure that the brand conveyed a unified message.

Target audience persona

Three out of five interviewees thought that the use of personas in brand creation was valuable.

However, one of these felt that personas could be a little too specific and that it was instead

better to focus on the target audience’s driving forces.

Brand archetypes

One of the interviewees thought it was good, and had previously used archetypes in brand

creation. He stated:

"Archetypes are great because you are forced to think through who your primary

target group is".

Three had not previously used archetypes and one stated that he instead used "living person-

alities", ie ambassadors who could convey the brand’s message.

Desirability testing of brand

None of the interviewees had used the Microsoft desirability test to evaluate a brand. However,

all felt that it was a good idea to test the brand on the target audience. One of the interviewees

pointed out that it could be difficult to test a brand before it is launched because then there

is not as much data to analyze, it is instead very much about personal taste and liking. He

also points out that it is important to test your brand against accessibility frameworks, such

as contrasting text and colors. One of the interviewees claimed never to have used market

research, but instead used trend analysis to gather insights. Alternative test methods men-

tioned by interviewees were; A/B tests between different design proposals, as well as focus

groups and surveys to gather opinions.

Designing visual parts of brand

All interviewees had different approaches when it came to designing visual parts of a brand.

However, everyone agreed that it was important to find a position that was unique, that

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the brand could "own" over time, as well as free from competitors. One of the interviewees

pointed out that the visual identity must be simple and scalable for the brand to grow with.

5.2 Workshop

A branding workshop was held with the two founders of the company. The workshop resulted

in a brand strategy, where internal driving forces such as purpose, vision, mission and values

were established. It also laid the foundation of the company’s positioning on the market by

researching competitors, target audience and differences in the form of USP. A brand identity

were developed in the form of verbal and visual expressions, based on established brand

strategy. Results from three important parts which lay the foundation for the company’s

brand identity are listed below.

Audience persona

A persona was created based on the company’s previous knowledge of the target audience.

The persona consisted of demographic and psychographic segmentation’s, as well as emo-

tional and personality insights (see fig 17). A short summary of the persona created can be

read below:

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Figure 17: Audience persona developed in workshop exercise.

Target group: DINK (dual income, no kids)

Klara is a 28-year-old woman who lives in an apartment with her partner in

Stockholm’s inner city. Klara is educated within the field of human resources,

and currently works at Filippa K’s HR department. Klara likes outings, playing

Padel tennis, talking interior design, and cooking good food with friends. Klara

has a casual clothing style. She hates feeling left out and missing out on things

(FOMO). Klara is passionate about gender equality issues, and strives to eat a

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vegetarian diet, this becomes a problem in her everyday life because she does

not feel that she has time to hang out with friends, family and at the same time

cook the food she wants to eat. Klara wants to travel and experience the world

while she is young.

Competitor audit

Looking at competitor within the company’s market resulted in a number of insights, the two

most important being; none of the competitors uses humor as a strategic brand decision, and

the design and UX of most competitors felt cluttered, i.e., the opposite of simplistic.

Brand personality

Two brand archetypes were chosen to underline the positioning of the brand, taking previ-

ous strategic brand insights into consideration. The two archetypes chosen were Jester, and

Caregiver (see section 2.4.2). The Jester archetype, known for using humor in its communi-

cation, were chosen as a strategic branding decision to differentiate from competitors. The

Caregiver archetype, often known for using a direct and concise language to communicate an

emotionally charged message, was chosen to bring a sense of "seriousness" and validity to

the brand. These in combination were thought to be able to deliver a serious message, in a

more humorous and "easily digested" way.

5.3 Prototype and test

5.3.1 Target audience research

Following conclusions could be drawn by analyzing the 22 websites that was requested from

13 people within the target audience:

• The majority of websites displayed a simplistic appearance. They were stripped down

in their color choices and mostly used black, white and their accent color to highlight

important parts.

• Most websites made use of "angular" and "boxy" shapes, only a handful used soft

shapes in their design language.

• All websites had bold headers to directly convey their brand feelings, and value proposi-

tion.

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5.3.2 Color, logotype and typeface

The result of visual parts of brand identity are presented below.

Color

Two primary brand colors, chosen to evoke emotions and differentiate the company from

competitors were chosen after discussion with company founder. Color cards with three

different color codes are presented in fig 18. Background color and color used for headings

are presented in fig 19.

Figure 18: Primary colors chosen for the brand.

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Figure 19: Black and white colors chosen for the brand.

Logotype

Logotype designed for the brand represents a macaroni and can be seen in fig 20. Logotype

symbol and name was designed based on logotype theory (see section 2.4.6) and discussions

with founder. One of the brand colors selected were used in order increase brand recognition.

Figure 20: Logotype symbol and name.

Typeface

Helvetica Neue was selected as the main brand typeface (see fig 21), based on typeface theory

(see section 2.4.4), and describing brand words (see table 3). The typeface was selected to

convey a sense of simplicity and ensure readability on all types of screens.

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Figure 21: Typeface selected to be used by the brand.

5.3.3 Low fidelity

The following conclusions were drawn from discussions held regarding low fidelity prototype:

• The structure and flow of content is good.

• It should be clear that the service offered by the company is in the form of an mobile

application.

• The number of pages on the website should be shortened and limited.

5.3.4 Mid fidelity

Several insights were gathered from mid fidelity tests with users, a couple of insights can be

seen below:

• The website must be divided into clearer parts so that the user more easily can under-

stand the company’s value proposition.

• The size and blackness of headlines should be reduced.

• Pictures containing the company’s mobile application interface needs to be communi-

cated in a clearer and better way.

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• The whiteness of the background color must be toned down so as not to strain the

viewer’s eyes.

A number of conclusions regarding the Microsoft desirability test was drawn from the test:

• A number of users had difficulty in choosing exactly five words to describe the feeling

conveyed by the brand and website. The users claimed that it would be easier for them

to perform the test if they instead got to choose between three to five words.

• Two of the words from the list was altered, due to misunderstanding regarding the

meaning of the words.

5.3.5 High fidelity

The microsoft dersirability test containing the final design of the website and brand was sent

out to approximately 40 people, 17 out of these participated in the test. The distribution

between men and women who participated in the tests was approximately 76.5 percent

women and 23.5 percent men (see fig 22). Roughly 76.5 percent of the respondents claimed

to be in a relationship (see fig 23).

Figure 22: Gender distribution in test.

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Figure 23: Relationship status among respondents in test.

The top five words chosen during test can be seen i fig 24. 82.4 percent chose the word

humorous to describe the website and brand. The word thoughtful and simplistic was chosen

by 58.8 and 47.1 percent of the respondents.

Figure 24: Percentage of the five most chosen words during desirability test.

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5.4 Target group analysis

Fig 25 plots a Venn diagram of the words chosen to describe the brand and design, as selected

by respondents within and outside the target group. Roughly 47 percent of the respondents

belonged within the established target group. The diagram was created by looking at the top

five descriptive words chosen by each group as suggested by Nielsen Norman Group (see

section 3.3). Words chosen by both groups are displayed in the center segment, where the

two circles overlap. In the segments of respondents belonging outside the target group, four

words were chosen an equal number of times and has been written within parentheses.

Figure 25: Venn diagram of chosen words during desirability test.

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6 Discussion

The research questions formulated in section 1.2 have been answered in the following way.

What does a brand consist of?

The literature review and conducted interviews answer the question of constituent compo-

nents of a brand. The various parts that go into the process can be seen in fig 1. The interviews

and literature review gave a solid foundation on which further work could be performed.

How does a start-up company create a brand that connects with its customers?

The constructed workshop exercises performed in section 4.3 suggest one approach that

could be taken in order to create and design a brand that connects with its target audience.

The founders of the company all indicated that the workshop exercises were beneficial, and

that it helped the company understand the importance of positioning and branding. Because

these decisions form the basis for how the brand speaks, looks and behaves, it became clear

that all participants in the workshop must be familiar with the brand and have a "decision-

making role" in the company. Performing this workshop together with employees without a

"decision-making role" would most likely, over time, lead to an inconsistent design language

or other forms of questioning.

There is limited scientific literature regarding the use of archetypes when constructing a

brand. However, the use of archetypes made it easier to formulate and decide how the brand

should be perceived. These laid the foundation of words chosen to describe the brand in the

desirability test later conducted.

How can a new brand be tested on users?

The results indicates that Microsoft desirability test can be used to analyze and test how

the audience perceives and feels about a newly created brand. The data indicates that the

intended "feelings" conveyed by the brand on the company website, match with how the

target audience experienced it. All five words chosen to represent the brand was picked as

the top five emotions among the target audience. The fact that respondents, not part of the

target group chose different words to describe the brand, strengthens the hypothesis that

the brand is designed to suit the intended target group. Another factor that strengthens the

results is that the order of words in the test were randomized for each participant, this helped

dilute the impact of "lazy respondents" that only would choose the first five words in the list.

58

However, one aspect that should be considered is the choosing of words in the test. Words can

have a different meaning for different individuals. By performing an initial test where some

participants were asked about their interpretations of the words, I got a better understanding

of which words to use, and which to change. Because of Covid-19, I could not perform my

tests on site, but had to perform these via an online survey, this limited the amount of words

used in the test. According to Norman Nielsen Group (see section 3.3), the number of words

used when performing the test via online survey should be held to a lower amount (lower

than 25) than the 118 words that initially was used by Microsoft. By using more words in the

test, the participants would get a bigger "range of emotions" to choose from. However, by

performing the test online the anonymity of the participants was ensured, this may have led

to participants in a greater extent dared to choose words belonging to the negative/neutral

group. Another aspect to keep in mind is the number of participants in the test. Although

the result indicates that the target group reacted as intended, a larger test group had further

validated the result.

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7 Conclusion

The aim of this research was threefold: firstly, to develop a framework that could be used by

companies in the process of building a brand; secondly, utilize the framework to develop

and design a brand for a company within the food-tech industry; thirdly, implement the

newly created brand on the company website, and test its impact on the company’s target

audience. Based on literature review and interviews with experts it can be concluded that

a company needs to have a well thought through brand strategy and identity in order to

increase its chances of becoming successful in the marketplace. The result indicate that one

way of achieving this could be by making use of brand archetypes. The result further shows

that a desirability test-method created by Benedeck and Miner in 2002, refered to as Microsoft

desirability test, can be used to measure people’s attitudes towards a brand, and validate its

impact on the intended target audience.

Further research in the field could include measuring the difference between, perform-

ing the Microsoft desirability test on site, versus in an online survey. Based on findings from

this research, practitioners should consider the number of words used in each test-session.

Other areas to research could include, using archetypes in different design scenarios or

in re-branding purposes.

60

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Appendices

A Brand Archetypes

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Leave a legacy

A fundamental human motivation is to be remembered. Archetypes in this category want to know that their lives meant something and that they leave a legacy behind. Creating change that is remembered often requires a certain degree of risk-taking and perseverance. The archetypes within this category are looking for change that extends beyond normal everyday life. The thought of this boosts the archetypes' self-esteem.

The Hero: The Hero archetype is the most iconic and used archetype of them all. The hero archetype is often portrayed when they win over desire or overcomes difficult adversity and challenges. The Hero archetype wants to be the best in their field and use these skills and abilities to create an impact on the world around them. That is, the hero loves to take on challenges, overcome obstacles and defeat injustice. Brands such as Nike and Adidas offer products that will help consumers build self-confidence and become stronger. Although many brands that connect to the archetype want to help consumers meet their challenges, there are also brands within the archetype that focus on being "the hero", such as the company FedEx which promises to overcome all challenges to deliver packages on time.

The outlaw: The Outlaw archetype is based on disruption and disobedience, yet it does not have to be associated with evil, instead one can think of the archetype as Robin Hood (stealing from the rich to give to the poor). Many take on the archetype when they want to break out of the mundane or want to stand out from the group. Outlaw brands usually must change positioning and archetype when their message has become "mainstream" (i.e., how rock music was once seen as controversial). One brand that uses the outlaw archetype is Harley Davidson, Harley Davidson wants to associate itself with selling a product that allows anyone to unleash their wild side and rebel from the mundane.

The magician: The magician archetype believes that anything is possible and wants to create change in the world by letting others' dreams come true. Brands that want to create "magical moments" with their consumers such as Disney fit into the magician archetype. The Magician archetype's grandiose goals and refusal to accept restrictions also mean that many brands that research in pharmaceuticals or other technological fields benefit from being associated with the archetype.

Pursue connection with others

Having a connection with other people is one of the three basic motivations. This desire can be heightened in connection with emotions such as fear or dread.

The lover: More than just feeling a sense of belonging to others, the "the lover" archetype is driven by creating a deep intimate relationship with others. The archetype wants to strengthen the feeling of love and help consumers find and give love to others. Brands associated with beauty products and intimacy often use this archetype to convey their message (i.e., Victoria's secret, Ghirardelli).

The jester: Driven by a desire to make other people laugh and make connections through humor. The Jester archetype is often used by brands that want to convey the feeling that things do not have to be complicated, instead they want to convey the feeling of a pleasant moment. The positivity and

optimism of the archetype means that it is most often used by brands that market themselves to children (e.i., M&M, Skittles). The Jester archetype is also known for breaking the rules to liven up everyday situations. An example is how the brand "The dollar shave club" uses humor to liven up the everyday in shaving and having to buy new razors.

The everyman: Also sometimes called "regular Guy / Gal". The Everyman archetype wants to strengthen people's sense of belonging and the instinct of tribalism that people have. The Everyman archetype argues that everyone is the same because “we are all human”, this means that all elitism and attempts to "stand out" are not well received by the archetype. Brands that use this archetype include IKEA and Target.

Provide structure to the world

People in this category are motivated by controlling the world around them in different ways.

The caregiver: The caregiver archetype seeks to help others by reducing problems and pain. The caregiver archetype is selfless and has a goal of helping others feel safe and secure. The archetype is suitable for brands in medicine and health (e.g. Johnson & Johnson) or non-profit associations such as UNICEF. Companies that consider their consumer service to be their major competitive advantage can also benefit from using this archetype (i.e., Nordstrom).

The Ruler: The ruler archetype is in stark contrast to the caregiver archetype. The ruler archetype struggles to find structure in the surrounding environment by controlling others. Even though this idea of having to control everything, it is often this archetype who is placed as responsible for leading many tasks. An example of this could be a so-called "soccer mom" who is responsible and leads all the children. Ruler archetype does not believe that other people can protect themselves, which leads to the archetype wanting to "take control" of the environment and the situation to ensure that everyone is safe. But power and prosperity are also important for the archetype. Brands that emphasize "status" such as luxury cars or credit cards often use this archetype.

The creator: The creator archetype also seeks control, but mainly seeks control over projects where their way of expressing themselves emerges. The goal of the creator archetype is to create something new that will last. The archetype is often used in "arts and crafts" brands such as Crayola or Lego. The use of this archetype is quite widespread, fitness brands can use the archetype and express that their users can "create a better body" or make-up brands can express that consumer can create art with the help of their products.

Explore spirituality

Mark and Pearson argued that this category of archetypes is motivated by self-fulfillment and strives to reach their deepest desires. In philosophy, it is believed that self-fulfillment is about finding one's full capacity through creativity. According to Maslow's pyramid of needs, however, this can only happen when one's psychological and basic desires have been achieved.

The innocent: The innocent archetype believes that people can find happiness just about anything, and that people do their best to be who they are. The innocent archetype wants people to believe and find the basic good in everyone else. Brands that manufacture baby products are often drawn to the innocent archetype. Likewise, brands whose goal it is to create reverence and wonder that one can feel in their childhood. One example of company’s that use this archetype is Coors beer, which raises the feeling of wonder by highlighting the "purity" of the water they use to brew their beer.

The explorer: In contrast to the innocent who believe that you should live in the present, the explorer archetype believes that through adventure you can find freedom and that there is something out there that is better, "the grass is greener on the other side". The Explorer archetype is restless and a little dissatisfied and wants to help others find independence and to fully live an authentic life. Brands that encourage adventure and getting out, such as North Face or Patagonia, use this archetype. Also, other brands that call for adventure such as Jeep "get of the beaten path", or Starbucks that call for exploring coffee from other countries. The archetype calls for an eternal pursuit of the unknown.

The sage: The sage archetype seeks self-fulfillment by searching for wisdom, turning primarily to experts and searching for the absolute truth. The sage archetype wants to help people understand the world around them. Brands such as universities or news channels often use this archetype to spread knowledge (i.e., CNN, The New York Times)

B Interviewees and interview questions

69

Founder & CEO - Cak Founder & CEO - PO Founder - Swecod Founder & CEO - Cb ...

Stefan Ytterborn

Co-founder - Marketinglevels.co Author - Bang For The Buc Author - Understanding Advertising Creativit Manager - Erik Modig Art & Desig ...

Erik Modig

Chairman Of The Board - People People Peopl Founder & CEO - Oh My Chairman Of The Board - SIGMAR Metodbyr Chairman Of The Board - Trickl ...

Niclas Wikström

Head of Brand and Creative - Vo Head of Brand - Houdini Sportswea Lead Communication Designer - Spotif Head of Corporate Visual Identity - Veryda ...

Fredrik Hurtig

Group Manager - Knighte Manager Range Identity - Rust Business and Design Strategist - Reload Desig Co-founder - Narrativ ...

Thomas Herrström

1. Vad är enligt dig det viktigaste att ha i åtanke när det kommer till att bygga ett varumärke?

2. Hur ser processen att bygga ett varumärke ut för dig?

a. Något man skapar ensam eller i team? b. Har du något specifikt tillvägagångssätt? (workshops eller andra ”frameworks”) c. Hur går du till väga för att bestämma vilken målgrupp eller segment varumärket

ska riktas emot? d. Har du jobbat med "personas" för den specifika målgruppen eller för varumärket i

sig? e. Har du använt dig utav ”branding arketyper”? f. Har du jobbat med varumärkesmanualer? (hur varumärket ska hanteras)

i. Är detta något du skapar innan du påbörjar processen med att designa produkter eller tjänster?

ii. Vad anser du ska ingå i en varumärkesmanual? iii. Hur använder ni er av varumärkesmanualen inom företaget? (endast

något som visas vid nyanställning eller är det något som medarbetare och du själv återkommer till regelbundet)

3. Hur ser din process ut för att skapa visuella delar av ett varumärke? (logotyp, välja typsnitt osv)

4. Brukar du på något vis testa hur varumärkets mottas och uppfattas innan du

lanserar?

5. Har du något tillvägagångssätt för att mäta effekten av varumärket när det väl lanserats?

6. Har du några ytterliga tips eller rekommendationer?

7. Har du någon varumärkesmanual eller annat intressant dokument som du kan dela

med dig av?

C Workshop exercises

72

Bran

d.

Tou

ch-p

oin

tsB

rand

pu

rpo

se / Id

ea

Brand purpose

Bortsett från kommersiella avsikter,varför gör vi det vi gör?

Till vad eller vem gör vi detta åtagande?

Vad ska vi göra?

Hur ska vi göra det?

Vilka resurser kommer vi använda?

01.

Bran

d v

ision

& m

ission

Vad strävar varumärket efter att vara?Vart strävar det efter att ta vägen?Vad strävar det efter att uppnå?

Vilka åtagande ska varumärke anta för att nå den satta visionen i framtiden?

Vision & mission

02.V

isio

nM

issi

on

Co

re valu

es

Värdeord: Påstående:

Core values

03.Formulera varumärkets kärnvärderingar.

Au

die

nce

pe

rson

a

Ålder:

Kön:

Civilstånd:

Barn:

Bosättning:

Utbildning:

Sysselsättning:

Personlig inkomst:

Inkomst inom hushåll:

Audience persona

04.

Demografisk segmentering Psykografisk segmentering

Målgrupp:

Persona namn:

Intressen:

Värderingar:

Politisk åsikt:

Musik:

Film:

Böcker/tidskrifter:

Klädmärken:

Sociala medier:

Bilmodell:

Emotionella insikter Personlighets insikter

Smärtpunkter:

Utmaningar i vardagen:

Behov:

Övertygelser (citera):

Drivkrafter:

Önskningar:

Rädslor:

Arketyp:

Co

mp

etitor au

dit

Competitor audit

05.Konkurrentanalys(excel)

Diff

ere

ntiato

r aud

it / US

P

Vad är det vårt varumärke göra annorlunda än konkurrenter, för att leverera ett högre värde samt upplevelse?

Nyckelord:

Differentiator Vad kommer vi att göra annorlunda och vad kommer det att betyda för vår publik?

USP

06.

ESP Vilka känslor vill vi att vårt varumärke ska förmedla?

Bran

d p

ositio

nin

g

”Vi hjälper” --> [målgrupp]

”Vilka” --> [smärtpunk(er)]

”Att uppnå / uppleva --> [viktigaste fördelar]

”Till skillnad från” --> [konkurrenter]

”Vår lösning” --> [differentiator]

Brand positioning

07.Definiera varumärkets positionering genom att definiera mål-grupp, smärtpunkt,fördelar, konkurrenter samt differentiatorer.

Bran

d p

erso

nality

Brand personality

08.

Vilken varumärkesarketyp lämpar sig bäst gentemot målgrupp?

Varumärkets personliga attribut:

Tonalitet: Drivkraft:

Språkbruk: Utseende:

Attityd (citat):Rädslor:

Co

re m

essage

Segment: Budskap:

MÅLGRUPP / PUBLIKKom ihåg vilka varumärkettalar till, samt lägg fokus på hur målgruppen kan kännaigen sig i beskrivningen.

SMÄRTPUNKT(ER)Vilka smärtpunkter upplevermålgruppen i förhållande tilllösningen som erbjuds, samt hur påverkar dessa smärtpunkterderas liv?

VIKTIGASTE FÖRDELARVilka fördelar kommer lösningen att ge till kunder samt hur kommer dessa att påverka deras liv?

KONKURRENTERVad är det varumärkets konkurrenter inte har förstått?

DIFFERENTIATORVilken är varumärkets främsta skillnad, samt hur påverkar denna skillnad upplevelsen bland publik och kundgrupp?

Kär

na

Ytt

re k

ärn

a

PURPOSEBortsett från kommersiell vinning,varför existerar varumärket?

VISIONVart är varumärke påväg,samt vad strävar det efter attvara eller bli?

MISSIONVad har varumärkethängivit sig till för att uppnådet större formulerade syftet.

VALUESVilka värderingar stårvarumärket fast vid?

För varje segment, arbete fram ett budskap genom att addera någon av frågeställningarna Vem, Vad, Varför, Hur, Vart eller När:(I det här fallet är semantik viktigare än syntax)

Core message

09.

Sto

ryte

lling

Skapa ett ramverk för berättelsen som varumärkets kunder befinner sig på:

THE EXISTING WORLDHur ska varumärkets målgruppkänna igen sig i varumärkets beskrivning?En karaktär introduceras som representativför varumärkets målgrupp.

THE OBSTICLEKaraktärens liv är inte perfekt. Hen har begär och viljor som skapar konflikt i tillvaron. Lyft fram dessa hinder hos berättelsens karaktär så att varumärkets målgrupp kan relatera.

THE CALL TO ACTIONNågonting händer vår huvudkaraktär, vilket tvingar till handling.Detta är ett tillfälle att belysa potentiella faror samt konsekvenserav att ej gå till handling.

MEETING THE GUIDEGuiden (varumärket) lugnarkaraktären och vägleder mot det önskade resultatet.Demonstrerad trovärdighet och förmåga, fångar karaktärens uppmärksamhet.

THE CHALLANGEKaraktären öppnar upp och visarsin sårbarhet. Bakom karaktärens problem återfinns en emotionell koppling.Målgrupp inser att de inte är ensamma i attkänna dessa känslor. Skapar en starkare emotionell koppling till kund.

THE TRANSFORMATIONKaraktären får utdelning för sin resa. Målgruppen känner igen sigsamt noterar kontrasten mellan karaktärens liv innan samt eftertransformationen.

THE NEW WORLDKaraktärens liv utan det initialaproblemet lyfts fram. Ger publikeninblick i hur deras liv skulle kunna vara utan det lyfta problemet.

Storytelling

10.

Taglin

e

Formulera varumärkets tagline:

Brand tagline

11.

Värdeord: Tagline: