Understanding positioning

Look at the following logos and explain in your own words what you consider their positioning to be (do this for each one).

So what does «positioning» mean? It’s a concept which was written about in 1969, by Jack Trout and Al Ries. In the article, Ries and Trout wrote about how companies and their products can hold a «position» in the minds of the consumers.

The point of considering positioning is to ask questions that should be answered when you are developing a brand, and also a logo for that brand. Questions like: In what way does the product help the customer? Who do you want to use the product, what do the demographic like? What kind of person will buy the product? For what reason will they most likely buy it? What kind of emotions does your product invoke? You can use questions like these when you are creating the logo for the brand. The questions makes you more aware that you need to know exactly how you want to position your product. By knowing the position of your product, you will be able to choose the font, shapes, colors and other design elements easier.

Instagram

This logo is easily recognizable and simple in its design. We can clearly see that the logo is supposed to be a camera, this is achieved by the use of thick white lines that make out the shapes. The use of gradient has been a big trend the last couple of years, so the gradient coloring invokes a feeling of modernity. The positioning of this logo is youth, fun, socializing, friends, . The team behind this logo did a great job with the simplistic but recognizable design. The logo appeals to younger audiences, and the Instagram positioning is mainly tied in with the social features provided by the app. It speaks to the need we humans have for connecting with each other. The simple shape of the camera in the logo further conveys this idea. The shape is that of an old camera, so it connotates nostalgia, childhood and family. The white line of the camera against the warm, colorful background invokes feelings of excitement, fun and joy.

Mercedes Benz

The logo used by the car-manufacturer Mercedes is perhaps one of the most recognizable logos ever made. The simplistic logo, a star made from three silver spikes, is simple and elegant. Mercedes Benz has used this logo since , with minor differences. Mercedes has been around for over 100 years, and has the oldest automobile line still in production. Over these years, they have developed a brand which represents luxury, quality and excellent craftmanship. This is all conveyed through their logo. The silver color symbolizes something valuable and carries with it a lot of historic and cultural weight. The shape is simplistic but not boring visually. The use of the metallic texture invokes feelings of modernity, toughness and status. It feels expensive, serious and proffessional. With this logo, it seems that the company wants to position themselves as a go-to brand for anyone wanting a car that shows class and sophistication.

MasterCard

Another iconic logo that is a globally recognized signature. The MasterCard logo with an orange and red circles that overlap have been used by the company since 1969. The two shapes that merges into one another symbolizes the identity of the MasterCard brand. The symmetry of the logo also invokes feelings of visual harmony and serenity. The logo also tells us in a genius way what the company does. MasterCard is a company that process millions of payments between banks and businesses. The overlapping shapes represents this transaction. This positions the company as safe, smart and simple. The overlap tells us that MasterCard means connectivity. Also the logos use of colors is visually pleasing, and helps remembering the logos design.

As you can see, all three of these logos have been simplified over the course of time. They have done this without losing their iconic design and brand identity. This shows that you don’t have to sacrifice positioning over a change in logo design.

1. Let’s work backwards! Look at the logo on the Apple iPhone and, by doing your own research, investigate the history of the product and the company that manufactures it. Give an outline, in your own words, of what you consider the following to be:

Describe the iPhone’s brand identity – exactly as you see it

Apples motto has always been ‘Think Different’. Because of this, the company has always put a lot of effort and money into creating new products using the latest technology with never-before seen features. And the act of thinking differently represents the companies strategy with their brands, including the iPhone. They wanted to revolutionize the smartphone market, and wanted to position the iPhone as smart, innovative, clever, and well designed. Many experts have criticized Apple, because most of their «innovative» products like the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone and iPad were in fast not the first products to utilize their respective technologies. Rather it seems that every Apple product had some sort of precursor made by another company. So why wasn’t these products more successful? That may require a more detailed analysis, but it seems that the attention to detail, new technolog and the marketing to their own «tribe» made the iPhone a leasing brand in the smartphone market.

What do you think it’s positioning is currently?

A couple of years ago, the iPhone ranked supreme in the cell-phone market. It was the most sold cellphone globally and enjoyed a cult-like following. This has changed a bit these past few years. It it now being challenged by other brands like Google, Huawei and Samsung. The iPhone brand symbolizes quality, innovation, trendiness and coolness. It has become a product of «desire» more than anything. I have personally seen this displayed in different Apple stores. Last time I was at one of these stores, there was a group of young girls literally drooling over the newest iPhone. Why? They couldn’t have any specific needs that justifies buying a phone that costs 14.000 norwegian kroner. They just wanted it because it was the newest and best iPhone currently on the market. Even though the iPhone brand isn’t as , Apple is still the worlds most valuable company, and it creates billions of dollars in revenue. The iPhone is still one of the most beloved cell-phone model in todays market, despite increased competition. The brands positioning is

What do you think the strategy for this specific product was?

It seems that the iPhone brand as with other Apple products, the strategy was to create an innovative product which they wanted to become a status symbol. It looks like Apple wanted to create a smartphone which would be better than any other cellphone ever made. Apple marketed their products mainly towards the creative industry, like designers, photographers, musicians and film-makers. This strategy seemed very intentional, and has worked wonders for their products. Over time, a shift occurred in the tech-market. The endorsement Apple received from famous creative people helped an enormous amount in selling a «creative» lifestyle. Apple wanted to sell a lifestyle, a ticket to become one of the cool people. When people hear about the iPhone or Apple today, the company want them to imagine hip and trendy creative people sitting in cafes working on the next big thing. They sell you a way of becoming one of those people. They are capitalizing on our need of belonging to a group.

What research do you think was done on this by the company who made it?

I would guess that the company extensively researched both their own history, and also consumer needs. Steve Jobs said that when the company were developing the iPhone, they analyzed other Apple-products released in the past, and tried to replicate the successfull strategies of these products. Also they researched other unsuccessfull attempts at maling a similar smartphone. This way they could deconstruct what went wrong with these products, and how they could avoid maling the same mistakes. Apple probably used a lot of time and money in researching consumer needs and desires. The designers probably worked closely with the higher-ups to be sure they were able to maintain Apples’ brand identity while still making a product which catered to the needs of the consumers.

1. Now take the same product as in question 2 and explain, in your own words, how the visual element (in this case, the logo) fits in with the brand identity.

The Apple logo is one of the most famous logos on the market. It’s simple design echoes the sleekness and timeless nature of Apples products and what they want people to think about their brand. The apple is a symbol which has been used in Western mythology throughout centuries. Apples logo is directly linked to the company name, «Apple». Many articles tend to connect the logo design to the tale of Adam and Eve, and the story of the original sin. But Rob Janoff, the creator of the logo has told a different origin. Janoff has said the biblical references weren’t intended. The bite was in fact created to make the apple more easily recognizable as an apple. The design team was afraid that without the bite, it would look too much like a cherry, So to avoid this, they incorporated the bite element.

«I was going for the silhouette of an apple, but to make it look more like an apple and not some other round fruit, I did what one does with an apple, I took a bite out of it.»

Although the biblical references may be overestimated by some people, the symbolism an apple conjures up is still multifaceted. It projects wisdom, knowledge, healthiness and the enlightenment of the human race. This fits in perfectly with Apples brand identity. The company clearly wants to be seen as an innovative and creative company that wants to expand our knowledge and help the human race through the use of technology.