By Dick Mitchell, President
Dick Mitchell & Associates
The simple truth is a brand is a simple truth.
That’s it. That’s what I’ve learned from over 40 years of brand development.
Many people – including “branding” professionals – call logos “brands.” Well, that was so when hot irons branded designs into hides to identify property ownership. No, sorry, logos are not brands. Logos are identifiable signatures.
A brand is much greater and, quantifiably, more valuable than a logo, a market position, a product, a cause, a leader or a corporate culture. No doubt all of those elements are important to a successful, competitive brand. However, those elements if unguided by the brand’s simple truth, can camouflage or even degrade the brand’s singular promise.
Some companies find the simple truth to be illusive. However, defining the one simple truth is crucial to guide growth, recruitment, product development, corporate values, etc.
Disney defined a brand truth that guides every move made by the enterprise. That truth doesn’t constrain the company from being commercially aggressive in the face of cultural change. The simple truth established for Disney is: Keeping alive the magic of childhood. Now, that’s elegant. And, above all, it’s the honest truth. (I wish I had crafted it.) That simple truth applies to all the complexity of Disney’s business. It works for resorts or cartoons. It works for music and cruise lines. But, if the enterprise wants to make an R rated movie, they must do so using the Touchstone brand. The Disney brand is thus protected and remains a reliable, uncompromised truth from generation to generation.
Many companies, even successful ones, have difficulty articulating their simple truth. Or, worse, they choose to violate it. Sooner or later they will pay a high price. Wells Fargo is a prime example. Brand consensus must not be allowed to rule over brand conviction. Communications will be muddy or untruthful.
Crafting a simple truth isn’t easy. A brand strategist can help convert all of the complexities into a singular, simple undeniable truth.
A Word from Randy about Dick Mitchell
I am thrilled to introduce you to the elegant brilliance of one of the most talented people I know.
Dick Mitchell is a marketing consultant, creative talent, and much more. For over 35 years, he was a trusted leader at The Richards Group – America’s largest independently owned branding and advertising agency. During that time he helped companies such as Dell, Fed Ex, TV Guide and Wake Forest University articulate their brands and tell their stories. He was also one of 5 members of the Leadership Council that plotted the future for The Richards Group. His responsibilities included development and growth of the firm’s brand design, digital advertising, customer relationship marketing and data analytics practices.
Dick’s creative work has received international recognition and is included in The Library of Congress. He won his first gold medal from the New York Art Directors Club at age 25 and his second before the age of 30. He has judged every major graphic design show in America including American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and Communications Arts (CA).
