Marketing and Branding (Essay Sample)

MARKETING AND BRANDING
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Marketing and Branding
Introduction
A logo is a graphic mark that bears the brand value of a given organization or product normally utilized for profit-making purposes. The logo is used to establish a lasting impression on the minds of their target customers. Such organizations or products are represented by symbols, texts and several graphic components that create the core of a given logo. Several logos are composed of a graphic symbol, the name of the bearers of the logo or a combination of both. The main aim of creating a logo for a firm or individual is to establish a lasting sense on the minds of the public. In addition, the symbols used and accompanying texts and graphical components create the foundation of a logo. Therefore, the characteristic of a given logo should be integrated with its intended impressions towards its viewers. An extensive use of a logo ensures that the brand images that relate to its bearers indicate their brand images and involvement in assorted activities. Moreover, it gives an organization or individuals a heightened brand value, passes across the intended messages successfully and helps in avoiding confusion amongst people in choosing their preferred firms or individuals.
Selection of Logo
The selection of a logo is a crucial phase of any organization or individual who intends to make an impact on the consequent marketing and branding decisions. Moreover, the selection process should consider the purpose of the logo. The purposes include the formation of a new firm, changing of an organization’s name or revamping an already existing brand identity (AIREY 2010). The logo forms a strong foundation of a successful marketing strategy and an evident component of an organizations brand identity. During the selection process, the involved individuals should consider the possibilities of a poor choice of a logo and the resulting adverse effects to the firm’s operations. A great logo choice forms a foundation for attention from viewers and separates a firm from its competitors in the markets.
The selections should also consider the design, graphics, and words that indicate the main concepts of the company bearing the logo. This ensures that the logo’s image is similar to the organization bearing it. This entails the reflection of the firm’s mission and brand positioning in the market. The selected logo should also have a clear distinction from those of the competitors to avoid confusion on the brand identity (KLEIN 2001). The logo should also be creative in the use of fonts and colors to enable easy identification and visual interest. This ensures that it is easily memorable and people can recognize it with ease. A successful selection should also ensure that the logo could be used in all marketing channels in all extensive and dynamic markets. In addition, the selected logo should be adaptable enough on marketing media, catalogs, online services, and packaging (GERNSHEIMER 2008).
Overview of the product
Adidas is a name that represents proficiency in all subdivisions of sports ware across the world. Adi Dassler who also established the company that produced footwear in 1949 founded the original 3-stripes mark. The logo was easily recognizable on footwear during national athletic competitions. As a result, the logo gained global recognition with time leading to the identification of the brand as a 3-stripe symbol of footwear.

(YANGJUN & JIAOJIAO 2007)
In the early 1960s, the adidas implemented their expansion strategies by exploiting the leisure and apparel sectors. As a result, the founders of the company established an additional logo for their products. To date, the two logos play a significant role in representing the adidas original product collections.
In 1998, adidas and Salomon merged and this led to the introduction of a new corporate logo to accommodate the changes in the organization. The new and redesigned logo united the values of the brands of the group. The design entailed integrating the original brand logo colors of the two companies that included blue for adidas and red for Salomon. However, the logo only appeared in documents but not on the products in the markets.

(YANGJUN & JIAOJIAO 2007)
The adidas products possess a strong brand quality and sports performance in today’s markets. The logo’s design plays a significant role in creating the brand recognition across the globe. Consequently, the design appeals to many individuals thus encouraging them to make purchases for casual wears off the playing fields. The logo is viewed as a symbol for elegance and durability. In the year 2005, the corporate logo changed after the divestment of Salomon. The new logo was also known across the globe as the “adidas word mark” that had taken various forms since 1960.
(YANGJUN & JIAOJIAO 2007)
Visual understanding of logo
The designers of the new adidas logo had a better visual understanding of the logo. This refers to their ability to implement the methodologies, tools, and methods to create and solve various latent problems resulting from the new logo. The designers solved the redesigning organizational problem that worked across the functions and departments involved in productions. Visual understanding provided a better ground for introducing the new logo and overcoming the possible challenges that accompanied the changes. Furthermore, it helped in achieving the ability to express the interactions between the consumers’ thoughts, concerns, and issues. Visual understanding also offered the designers with the ability to view the redesigning process from the big picture meant to create new visions and strategies for the company. In this case, the changes made ensured the growth of the business through new product lines in the markets. Therefore, adidas Company benefited from the confidence created by the brand even with the minor changes in the logo (MONO DESIGN 2005).
Redesign of logo (Visual ideas)
Redesigning a logo is a crucial aspect of any organization’s marketing and branding strategies in the market. Whenever a logo is utilized for several years, the end users of such products bearing the logo offer a strong asset to a firm’s corporate marketing. However, a logo redesign is frequently implemented for its required slight changes meant to rejuvenate the visual with respect to the customer acknowledgment (WHEELER 2012). The adidas logo, just like other logos, is not always competent in the market place. Therefore, there is need to update a logo’s design in order to fit in the dynamic markets. There are usually few changes made in a logos design that avoids creating confusion and at the same time create a new impression on products. Redesigning a logo is perceived as an effort of redefining a firm’s identity (CARTER 2005).
Adidas brand is an identity that that creates visual ideas to individuals who perceive it. Brand responsiveness and recognition are assisted by a visual identity that is easy to recall and recognize instantaneously (WHEELER 2012). Visual identity is considered a cause of awareness that unlocks the connection of the brand in the market. The identity designers of any company seek to manage awareness through the incorporation of meaning and distinguishing visual form. On the other hand, redesigning a logo to a different image would be a radical change likely to harm the brand’s identity and place in the market place. This is because it takes a long time for individuals to identify themselves with a given logo and create the link between the organization and their products (HODGSON & PORTER 2010).
The adidas logo was redesigned in 2005 after the Salomon group reduced their investment in the company. As a result, the adidas company engaged various logo designers who came up with a new logo. It was unveiled in April 2006. The new design incorporated the group-owned brands standing under an umbrella. However, the redesigning brought back the adidas company to its original word mark logo that was common since its launch. Moreover, the logo brought a visual identity to the business community that resulted to strengthening its image and impression in the marketplace. From a design viewpoint, the new logo is straightforward, clear, and confident. The main objective of such a logo is to enhance future business development and flexible enough to accommodate future changes in the market.
Communication campaign
The company is required to plan for the communications campaign. This is done through the consideration of its basic elements such as objectives, audience, research, messaging, channels, the timing, and assessment. The communication campaign’s objectives should be identified in terms of the expected changes. The changes may entail the attitudes and mannerisms of people and the means to measure the efficiency. Therefore, the communication campaign aims at providing information to the public. This is done whenever an organization introduces a new product or a redesigned logo in order to create awareness (ATKIN & RICE 2001).
After the subtle changes in the adidas logo, there was need for a communication campaign in order to inform the public of the introduction of the new logo. In addition, the campaign’s other objective included maintaining and improving the customers’ confidence in the products. It also helped sustaining the brand identity that represented quality and eminence. The campaign also helped the company in further distinguishing its products with those of the competitors in the market place. In the communication campaign, the target publics included all the adida’s markets across the globe. This included men and women of all ages, sports women and men, and the casual wearers (...