Shelves of food

A recent D&AD Branding discussion was held at the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in Notting Hill, a building I admit I had heard of without really registering what it was. I scooted around before the event began (the free bar would greet us at the end of the exhibits) and immediately regreted it. There are shelves upon shelves, from ceiling to floor, of packaged goods, all arranged chronologically into decades, as well as posters, toys and other merchandise. The exhibits are crammed into each glass display but not to the detriment of being able to appreciate each item - it's fascinating being able to compare so many products at a glance, and being able to understand their historical context. After all, that is how they were intended to be displayed in the shops. Well worthy of another, more considered visit.

It's been repeated many times, but I still find it interesting how the concept of a 'Brand' has evolved over the past 20 years or so. When I was scampering around at the feet of my mother, a Brand was the name of a product, generally bought from a grocery store. I always found it difficult to understand the difference between, say, Unilever the company and the products they sold such as Surf or Comfort. Surely I was buying a product from a company? So why is their logo not on the front of the box (Or why is it so small?) Don't even start when I found out the same company owned two different Brands that were competing with each other. I can now differentiate between the Business and the Brand, but the term has come to mean so much more. Services are Brands. People are Brands. Invisible or virtual products are Brands. It is a phenomenon that will continue to develop exponentially in this century as brand value and emotional kinship becomes more important to a consumer than the mere product itself. Businesses are having to find new ways of influencing consumer behaviour as the traditional one-to-many marketing channels (such as atl advertising) are losing some of their resonance - consumers are making buying decisions via 3rd party sources.

Gone are the days when a brand was a soap powder, and my brand allegiance was formed in the middle of Coronation Street.