Yes, brands live. Some would argue the most iconic brands even have a soul. Granted, brands are not people. However, they are similar to people in that they pass through many of the same phases (and face some of the same challenges) we do.
In this article created for Medium.com, Willoughby Design creative director and partner Zack Shubkagel leads us through the many stages of a brand’s life.
- Brand Conception and Babyhood, where baby brands are attended to by a team of caretakers (investors and employees) who work hard to ensure the baby brand delights and inspires and keeps its promises while introducing it to everyone so it can make lots and lots of friends (consumers and customers).
- Brandolescence, a painful, awkward stage where the adolescent brand starts to notice that fewer people are talking about how special it is, and are starting to notice and talk more about its blemishes.
- Brand matrimony where brands merge or are acquired and then have to figure out whose name to take, whether to hyphenate or change it completely.
- Prime of life and mature brands that have figured out how to adapt quickly and intelligently to fast changing market conditions and are now focused on growth and staying ahead of the competition.
- Sage brands characteristics and how to identify brand zombies.
