Is Your Brand Overly Excessive?
I recently visited one of my favorite restaurants and ordered a crab cake sandwich. It arrived, and to my surprise, it had the restaurant’s logo branded and seared into the bun.
I’m all for contrasting subtlety with boldness and ingenuity in advertising. But I wondered, when is branding and use of a logo too much?
It’s not always simple to discern where the lines fall between creative, weird and just plain awful. When ads on toilet stall doors came out, I was appalled. Isn’t there anywhere we can go and expect privacy without being sold? Why can’t a surface just be what it is: a bathroom door OR a white bread bun?
So let’s take this on. It’s important to pause before slapping your logo on something – especially if customers are paying for that item.
Three Important Questions I Ask Myself Before I Recommend Branding Something With Your Logo
- Is there a reason or story behind the item that makes a logical connection to your logo’s appearance on it?
- Was the Shula bun actually made by Shulas? Nope.
- Did seeing the mark enhance its taste or experience? Not so much.
- Do I trust my sandwich more, knowing that the restaurant “claimed or endorsed” that white bun? Um, no.
- Does the use of the logo create any prestige or add value for the consumer?
- Some customers gain tremendous value in having items that bear certain branding and logos. (Think about the conspicuous consumption of high-end handbags, shoes, or other luxury goods.)
- Does it give me increased social capital when I tell you that I eat at Shula’s, such that I post about it on social? Is it unique, or a strange curiosity? Well, no.
- Do customers want the logo or branding on the item?
- In the case of ad specialty items like cups, travel mugs, key chains or water bottles, the answer is often yes, customers just want that logo on there. But on MY bun, the answer was no. I had to stop and consider how it got on there. I wondered, “Will it change the taste?”
- In the case of ad specialty items like cups, travel mugs, key chains or water bottles, the answer is often yes, customers just want that logo on there. But on MY bun, the answer was no. I had to stop and consider how it got on there. I wondered, “Will it change the taste?”
The Bottom Line
Does a logo enhance the customer experience OR is it an ego-centric brand attempt to generate more impressions?
Customers are smart and sophisticated. They will feel the distinction, and the latter is a major turnoff. Save logo placement for when it really makes a difference – for your customer.
So now I ask you, my amazing community: what do YOU think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this case and any others that make you go “hmmm.”
Light your fire,
Theo
((UPDATE)) Captains log: Stardate 4212019.2:
I polled Shula’s servers and they report that customers LOVE the branded bun. Servers consider it part of the “wow” factor.
Fair enough!
NOTE: Being the Captain doesn’t always make you right. 🙂
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