Editor's Guide: If there is any recent marketing rollover case, it is the squinting incident of three squirrels. This kind of symbolic marketing with malicious intentions is a big damage to the brand, and it is also a pit that marketers often step on. The author of this article has conducted an analysis around symbol marketing, and hopes to help you.
Recently, the three squirrels squinted at the marketing event, suffered from a tidal wave of opposition, and became the hottest marketing rollover event for a time.
In the final analysis, what we are against is actually the rejection of "symbolic" Chinese image. In particular, this kind of "symbolization" is malicious and ugly, and it is an insult and satire to the Chinese.
As a marketer, you should know the theory of "symbol marketing", or have read the book "Super Symbol is Super Creative". It should also be known what the consequences of Chinese being "symbolized" in the form of a squint (in fact, it is not a portrayal of a squint, but a paradoxical cold face).
So how should symbols be designed, and how should they be marketed for symbols?
- The meaning of the symbol
- The category of the symbol
- The use of symbols in marketing communications
- The core of a brand/product is not a symbol
This paper mainly analyzes symbols and symbol marketing from the above four aspects.
First, the meaning of symbols
Symbols are features that can be quickly and accurately identified.
The symbol that is touched by the consumer at the first time, and the correct cognition of the symbol is generated at the first time. I call this contact "first sense contact", which is the most basic role of symbols, but it also requires a lot of work, design, dissemination, and influence to be realized.
A further effect is to use symbols to make the target associative, emotionally resonant, and even behaviorally traction. Thus, every contact is reinforced and deeply bound to the relationship.
A deeper effect can be achieved is the smashing effect, i.e., the information represented by the symbol can also be accurately identified through fragments, partial or fragments.
The ultimate goal is brand branding, and the symbol at this time has become a unique and deep-rooted symbol concept, deeply rooted in the minds of the target group.
The design and memory of symbols is not only a judgment of differentiation, it is the mining of the value of brands/products on their own, as well as the deep psychological link of the market and consumers.
2. Symbol categories
Symbols can be divided into two broad categories: explicit and implicit.
Dominant symbols: that is, with clear and obvious recognition characteristics, visible, touchable, and can be actually perceived. For example: visual design LOGO, image IP, advertising audio, etc.; actual products, through touch, use, etc.
Implicit symbols: Through the internalization of explicit symbols, transformed into potential consciousness symbols, through certain clues, can be awakened, so that it can cause emotional resonance, and even physiological changes. For example: thinking of "sour plum", the conditioned reflex will produce jin liquid, the brain will send sour signals; hearing the name of a brand, causing emotional resonance and corporate culture.
Therefore, in brand planning, product design, marketing planning, from the two directions of explicit symbols and implicit symbols, planning can be more comprehensive and efficient.
Third, the use of symbols in marketing communications
There are six common pitfalls for the use of symbols in marketing:
- The symbol is equal to the LOGO: the LOGO is just an expression of the symbol. Text, LOGO, color, texture, sound, smell, language, etc., all the features that can help the target group identify, are symbols;
- Complexity design: Product design, marketing communication, are accustomed to complicating simple things, so as to highlight their differences and differentiation. In fact, this will fall into the misunderstanding, the more complex things, the more difficult it is to know and understand, and it is not easy to remember;
- The pursuit of "eyeball effect": especially in visual design, in order to stand out, excessive novelty, blind pursuit of visual impact effect, too much element expression, but will drag down the main body, ignore the audience group, can only express the brand or even the designer's own personality and appeal, so it leads to the failure of the communication effect, as well as the invalidity of the psychological link with the audience;
- Only you can understand: the common mistakes made in terms of text, slogan, design, etc., only the symbols that the planner can understand, and the audience does not know their meaning;
- Too advanced design and expression: unpopular or only a small number of people with relevant knowledge and literacy can understand and understand, most people can not understand, can not identify, can not produce emotional resonance;
- Poor relevance: Words do not reach the meaning and cannot accurately convey the meaning expressed. Alternatively, the meaning expressed is not strongly related to the ontology, and may even be unrelated.
All six of these pitfalls illustrate one thing: God's perspective.
Falling into the trap, it is already decided to cut off the link to the audience.
The way to avoid the trap is actually very simple, there are only two words: correlation.
What elements are associated with this chain of relationships? What behaviors are associated with? What scenes, objects, people, psychology, etc. are related?
What about after the association?
What needs to be done after association is impact.
Symbols are the most intuitive, the most perceptible, the most influential.
So, how should symbols be used in marketing communications?
The answer is the symbol that builds the system.
Independent symbols can only affect for a while, and the symbols of the system can have a long time to have an effect and influence.
Think and design from the following five aspects:
1. Element reinforcement, synergy with each other: List all the elements related to the product/brand that can affect and be exposed to the audience. For example: LOGO, packaging, color, texture, text, sound and other elements.
Amplify as much of the elements, overlays, and impacts that can affect the audience.
2. Focus on emotional guidance: guide mood and sorrow, generate empathy, call for memories and experiences, and prompt emotional decisions. It should be noted that emotional guidance is not blunt.
The most common way: public emotional reactions caused by certain specific festivals or events, with appropriate guidance or reinforcement.
The difference between triggering group emotions and individual emotions is that group emotions explode at the same point.
The most difficult way: after a long period of emotional cultivation, experienced with the audience, had an impact on the audience, and is worth remembering and remembering. This is a kind of long-term companionship, long-term contact, common survival, and the most difficult way to guide emotions. (This difficulty is not a methodical difficulty, but a time constraint)
3. High-frequency behavior correlation; related to high-frequency behaviors such as scenes, habits, and life, and repeatedly emphasize a certain high-frequency behavior, rather than blindly highlighting how good the product is.
With a certain high-frequency behavior inducement, when stimulating high-frequency behavior, the first time it is associated with success.
4. Easy to pass: make a fuss in three directions.
The first is to make the audience willing to share and spontaneously transmit the message autonomously and spontaneously, rather than "coercion". The simplest way is to make it have a strong association with the sharer, stimulate the sharer's desire to express, and share the topic (content, product, brand, etc.) is to share yourself;
Second, it is convenient to pass, simplify and uncomplicated. Oral sharing is convenient to express, a few sentences or even a sentence or two can be described. The recipient of the information is equally receptive, easy to identify, and the basic state can be associated with the description;
Third, impress, so that the transmission is not the purpose, the purpose is to make people remember, leave a deep impression, can become the topic or talk of each message recipient.
There needs to be a precaution, especially as a talking point, oral transmission, the process will be easy to deform, or lose information or exaggerate some parts or add oil and vinegar, so we must enhance the core of the transmission, and build around the core, so that the content of the transmission has a clear direction.
5. Easy to identify: Remembering three key words is convenient, simple and prominent. Convenient and easy to generate associations, which can be touched through certain daily information; simple and easy to remember; prominent to attract attention, enhance interest, enhance recognition. Improve the test of the crushing effect.
These five aspects can be integrated, but also independent thinking and design.
Emphasize the importance of "symbols".
For example, blind date or looking for a partner, a person is very kind, loving, and considerate inside, but this person's appearance is sloppy, or ugly, or strange costumes, in short, at the first glance, he was dissuaded by the "symbol" on this person, so are you still interested in understanding his heart? Do you still have the idea of contacting him to get to know him as a person?
Maybe he will be your talking point later, but he will never be your future partner.
It is mentioned frequently when it is not needed (high-frequency behavior correlation, easy to transmit), it is awakened at the first time when needed (element reinforcement, mutual coordination, easy to identify), and decisions are made left and right when making decisions (emotional guidance).
Fourth, the core of the brand/product is not a symbol
The core of a brand/product is not a symbol, not to deny the importance of the symbol, but to recognize the established facts.
The role of symbols is to serve brands and products, but it is not a substitute for becoming the core strength of brands/products, or even enterprises.
Since it is a service, it belongs to the category of tools, that is, methods and means.
The vitality of a brand/product is never given by a "symbol", and no brand/product is based on a "symbol" as the core of survival.
The vitality of the brand/product is the source power composed of resources, technology, management, marketing, etc., and is the result of multi-party struggle.
Emphasis is placed on symbols, but not on symbols as the basis for survival, but on symbols as a development lead.
5. Summary
When brand planning, product design, and marketing planning, planning from the two directions of explicit symbols and implicit symbols can be more comprehensive and efficient.
In the process of marketing communication, symbols should avoid six common traps, build a systematic symbol group, and think and design from five aspects.
Symbols are the connection points of emotions, are to establish cognition, to deepen memories, to stimulate arousal, to establish brand loyalty, and so on, comprehensive shaping.
This is also the purpose of symbol marketing.
In addition, doing a good job of marketing is to solve the conflict between product interests and user interests.
So we can know why the "three squirrels squinting incident" has been so loud.
At the same time, in the process of marketing, we must also be vigilant, pay attention to avoid some pits that are easy to step on by marketing, and improve professionalism and specialization.
Author: Rosson, public number: the most logical plate
This article was originally published by @Borscht and is not reproduced without the permission of the author.
The title image is from Unsplash, based on the CC0 protocol.