We are often asked by clients about creating the “magic” in their branding. It’s not surprising really, the analogy has been used endlessly. Everybody has heard stories about the razzle and dazzle of a great multi-platform ad campaign that matched perfectly with the slick packaging of a revolutionary gizmo and the oh so sweet customer experience that brought droves of consumers through the doors. Or perhaps you prefer the more sinister stories about the smoke and mirrors of marketing building up an illusion of quality where there is none?
In any case, we believe in the “magic” of branding, but we have a slightly different take on the analogy.
In an interview on NPR’s All Things Considered, Teller, the usually silent member of the duo Penn & Teller, said, “The biggest secret that any magician has is that he’s willing to go to way much more trouble than you would ever believe a person would go to to achieve an effect onstage. And the trouble is ugly and strenuous and involves trial and error and many things that you just wouldn’t want to know about as a viewer.”
The same can be said for branding. Like magic, branding isn’t something that spontaneously takes place and comes together. It must be thought out, practiced and refined until you have it down to a science. Magicians spend hours developing a new illusion and working out the precise movements to make it come to life… and outstanding magicians practice and refine those precise movements until they can execute them perfectly every time.
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Develop your perfect vision of a magical brand.
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Work out the methods you will use to bring that vision to life.
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Refine your messaging over and over until it precisely aligns with your vision for the brand.
You must be willing to go through more trouble than most people would believe. It will be strenuous and ugly at times. There will be a certain amount of trial and error, but you can put the magic in your brand, and Thinker can help.
Jason Todd