I was sitting in church last week, fighting distraction because there was a brand in my face.
Specifically, in was North Face—their logo emblazoned on four jackets, all within 3 rows of me and all in my line of sight. I even sneaked out my iPhone and tried to capture a picture of these four very different style/color jackets (alas, it didn’t come out very well).
Apart from the distraction factor, I found myself grinning a bit – not only because of the coincidence of it all, but because that particular logo evokes positive feelings in me.
Why?
- It’s a very nice, simple, meaningful design. Some logos simply don’t need to be changed. North Face has one of those (brand image).
- In my earlier years, when I had the leisure to hike a good bit more, North Face always represented quality outdoors “stuff” (earned brand position)
- The products I’ve purchased in the past from North Face have always been solid (personal brand experience).
Now, I hadn’t spent much time recently thinking about The North Face. Honestly, I have far more pressing concerns each day than considering clothing labels. But a company with a long-term track record of quality, and a long-term brand identity, can indeed move the awareness needle just by logo visibility. If I needed a new winter jacket right now, guess what brand I’d look at first? And the main reason why is because North Face was in my face. In a nice way.
Ironically, if a brand identity is negative, then the repetition effect is just the opposite. I’m sure that the clothing at Jos. A Bank is probably just fine, but I actively CHANGE THE DIAL whenever their radio ads come on, because I cannot stand the voice and ad format they use. Which means they end up low on my list of brands to consider.
Which brand identities make you secretly smile when you spot them? And which turn you off when they’re in your face?
Tags: Advertising, Branding, Customer Behavior, North Face
Here’s the odd thing – I just noticed throughout the post that I regularly get the brand name wrong (North Face vs. THE North Face). I’ve always been in the habit of using the shorter version, so much so that I don’t even notice that it’s incorrect…
Funny, NPR just ran a story on a parody brand called “The South Butt” started by an 18-year-old, mocking the idea of “non-active” people wearing The North Face Brand. Kinda like SUV drivers who never go off-road, I guess. The South Butt brand has enjoyed some runaway success, and is currently fighting off a lawsuit from The North Face!
Steve, I loved this post because, well, I love THE North Face too! I have a great vest that I wore during our AWESOME vacation to Wyoming. Every time I wear it, I am reminded of the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.
As for “in your face brands” I can’t stand… Juicy Couture, Victoria Secret’s Pink, etc. Why? Because they are usually on people’s butts. I hate walking in the mall, grocery store, and church and seeing that (yes, I said church!). I guess it’s one of those brand identities that make people feel good about being able to wear it proudly?! Who knows. I just realized that I am too old and not hip enough to get it… LOL!
When I was in college the North Face represented greek life. In other words, if you wore that brand (which 95% of people did) you were making a statement that you wanted to fit in. This bothered me quite a bit and now I have negative feelings about the brand. I guess I O.D.ed on seeing that jacket.
Anyway, it goes to show you that even a brand that has great quality clothing can’t always control consumer perceptions. It’s too bad bc I know their stuff is pretty good. BTW I have nothing against fraternities, just the ones from my school.
Good post.
I wont be buying The North Face products. And I might have to check out this South Butt company.
I must admit to being somewhat partial to the MarketingProfs logo…(the blue bird)…I especially liked how the logo’s shadow was cast up on the wall by a spotlight, at the B2B Forum in Boston, last June. It was the first thing I saw when I entered, and the visual effect was so clever, it did make me smile!
As for “in your face brands” I can’t stand, I’m with Beth, about getting annoyed by any brand that ends up on someone’s butt, especially college-age girls, brandishing their college insignia there. My daughters will eventually learn that I’m not very hip that way, either.