The world is made up of two types of brands: brands ‘doing digital’ and digital brands, writes Adam Reader, senior strategist at LIDA.
The former are brands that have come from an offline world and have, at some point, had to ask themselves the question: “How can we be more digital?”
This question is quite often answered with a series of digital channel strategies. Which of course are fine as tactics to help play by the rules and survive in an online world. They do not, however, make a brand digital.
Truly digital brands are more than a collection of channel strategies. For these brands, ‘digital’ is a mind-set that permeates every aspect of their business.
They understand that there is no differentiation between your online customer and your ‘real world’ customer. That these customers are one and the same, just interacting with your business at a more granular level across multiple touch points and devices. With all of these interactions laddering up to a greater holistic brand experience.
Millennials of the business world
Arguably, brands established post the dawn of the digital revolution are at a distinct advantage. Much like their consumer counterparts, these brands are the millennials of the business world.
The likes of ASOS, Amazon and comparethemarket.com were established in a digital age, with a digitally-enabled consumer base; and therefore everything they do is geared towards providing intuitive and integrated experiences online. They know no different. Their intrinsic understanding of digital provides for a ‘give it a go’ attitude. They trial new products and services quickly, all in the name of progression.
The above being said, as digital brands come of age, they are learning that old branding theories still apply. None more so than the delicate notion of brand integrity.
For the past 17 years, Google has been the embodiment of a digital brand; trialling new products and services from Maps and apps to YouTube and driverless cars. This has allowed the company to enter new markets both on and offline.
And while this experimentation has not been without its pitfalls – Google Glass and Google+ being two high-profile duds along the way – Google’s trial and (sometimes inevitable) error is no bad thing. After all, it’s experimentation that helps a brand learn what works.
Yet repeated failure and over fragmentation of services can have a negative impact, as they serve to dilute and detract from the core brand. Google has learnt this lesson all too well and the recent move to re-position itself as a subsidiary of larger parent company, Alphabet, is a smart one.
It allows the business to continue the experimentation in safer, lower-profile set ups, while keeping the core Google brand focused on what its best at.
‘Tidying’ the brand identity
The recent logo re-design continues this ‘tidying’ of the brand identity. Google claims the sans serif font and softer colours are a nod to a more simplistic and friendly business: “We think we’ve taken the best of Google (simple, uncluttered, colourful, friendly), and recast it not just for the Google of today, but for the Google of the future.”
Whether or not the new logo really does achieve what it sets out to, I’ll let the designers decide. What is clear, however, is that a bold repositioning and rebranding is a line in the sand for Google – and for the brand standing for something pure. Well played Google.
