I’m often asked what the term “verbal branding” means.  Yesterday, the question came up in a phone conference. Here is my take on the important subject:

A brand is all the things (both tangible and intangible) that create your experience of a company, product, service, or organization, and even a destination. That experience leaves you with an impression. And your impression, once formed and reinforced, is the brand.

But where does the verbal part come in?

Verbal branding is far more than just a name. It is how a brand expresses itself in words, regardless of medium. Winning brands pick and choose their words, much like they define a icon system or color palette to represent themselves visually. The result is a very planned style of conversation with consumers.

Our reaction to a brand’s visual presence is complemented by what the company says or doesn’t. When visual and verbal components are aligned, we get the sense that the brand is a cohesive entity with a single personality. When there’s a discrepancy between how a brand looks and what it says, or when the brand fails to engage us verbally, we feel disoriented. And, ultimately, we don’t understand the brand we’re dealing with. That’s a perception no company wants to leave with a consumer.

- Scott Hauman

September 18, 2009, 2:27pm   Comments