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I recently shared that what we need to know about branding can be learned from Pavlov’s famous experiment on classical conditioning.
Branding is similar in that marketing professionals use a stimulus (usually a logo, color, font, and even experiences) to elicit the desired response (feelings, perception). The stronger the association/conditioning, the stronger the brand.
Just as Pavlov had to use a distinct and consistent bell to train his dogs, brand professionals need to zealously control the use of an organization’s corporate identity to define the specific stimulus to be linked to the desired response.
Repetition is needed to link the stimulus to the desired response. If during the brand-building phase, the association is not made, then we have failed. This is especially true for startups where the brand experience needs to be closely curated and (if possible) delivered as close to the stimulus as possible.
Consistency of stimulus and response needs to be maintained. While an established brand can occasionally fail, repeated failure will weaken the association and in turn, weaken the brand.
I hope this gives public relations professionals something to think about this long weekend. As I have always said, there is a science to our strategy.
