Insight: Branding with Letters
Typography has become a powerful synthesis of communication and branding. The spirit of the letter lends support to identity design and makes the message not only understood, but also recognized. One of the first companies to explore the power of typography, Kontrapunkt’s directors Bo Linnemann and managing director Kim Meyer Andersen reflect on how to do things with letters.
Every company wants its brand name to be seen, heard, remembered and recognized. However, in a highly competitive environment it is hard to stand out from the crowd.
Now, to differentiate one’s branding from the competitors is the most obvious aim. Hence, theories on how to achieve differentiation compose a well-established field of discussion within the growing business and branding literature. However, once we start thinking about the role of typography in the process of branding, it becomes an issue of cardinal importance.
Functionality
Elementary speaking, typography is related to functionality. Typography in this sense is a means of communication, and at its best, a mirror of the intention of the sender.
Trivial as it may sound, the message has to be readable. This goes for most printed or graphic communication, but the dogma of readability calls for special attention in typography meant for public use. When, for instance, Kontrapunkt designed the new visual identity of Billund Airport in Denmark, the team was right from the very start highly devoted to making the signage unmistakably clear. Indeed, traffic and road signs must abide to the first law in mass communication: clarity.
Likewise, when constructing a new face of DSB – the Danish State Railways – as Kontrapunkt was asked to do – the job was to find the most instrumental means of communication. In the kingdom of mass transportation and speed, clarity rules.
Branding
The power of typography deals with another and perhaps more crucial dimension. That is the dimension of branding. Here, typography takes on a more prominent role in communicating the brand along with more conventional design elements such as logo, color, photo–style etc.
Until recently, branding has been regarded as a rather static employment. This is branding by way of branding a product, a new headquarters, a specific service, campaign or the like. Today, however, branding attempts at a total and dynamic expression including all present and potential consumer touch points. Successful branding brings along a stronger coherence and a better overall-concept when grouping together various different products from the same corporation or business alliance.
Interestingly enough, typography is a somewhat neglected parameter within branding. Indeed, priority has been given to the logo, the colors etc., i.e. the traditional parameters. But typography is on the rise. Not only is the creative use of typography allied with the shock of the new; what is more convincing is that the right typography is capable of boosting corporate as well as product identities on a scale not yet quite appreciated.
Quantity, substitution and tacit consent
As seen in the experience collected by Kontrapunkt in the last few years, there are at least three reasons why typography has now come to the forefront of branding.
First, typography can be used almost infinitely within corporate communication, internal as well as external communication. As regards the former, accessibility of shared typographies stimulates ownership and team spirit within the organization. As regards external communication, the same typography can be applied to all sorts of genres and platforms. Hence, we may talk about the factor of quantity. It is clearly the case that technology has speeded up the power of creative typography. Once introduced, corporate typography can be used every day and in all possible contexts.
Second, typography can step in or substitute logos or brand names when they are either illegal or irrelevant. That we may phrase the factor of substitution. Typography strengthens the brand’s market value by sophisticating its market communication. Well-put, typography allows the message to compete on a higher level. An example is the brand Marlboro which consequently uses the font Neo Contact in its advertisements. The typeface has a strong personality and is easily recognizable as a communication from Marlboro.
Third, unlike logos or brand names, typography may not cause the usual suspicion or defense mechanism in the consumer or client. In other words, typography contains a subtle message or soft power, often operating in the realm of the unconscious. This we may call the factor of tacit consent, and it is definitely not to be ignores as seen from a commercial point of view.
The spirit of the letter
We see that the font not only carries information or rational meaning, but equally important brings forth a signal below the line by way of font shape and characteristics. This, clearly, is where identity surfaces. Through the spirit of the letter.
By way of illustration, have a look at the below message – and font:
What to make of it? The message is repetitive, easily readable and understandable, a classic, so to speak. And real classics stay classics. Just remember what happened to the spam e-mail with exactly that message sent to thousands of people just a few years ago. For sure, it was read. With compelling consequences... The above message may be universally tempting, but the shown fonts interpret the message differently. Just as love comes in various versions, typography offers a variety of solutions fit for different contexts and situations.
The spirit of the letter addresses the aesthetic or sensual intelligence of the beholder. When encountering a brand, the first thing that is intuitively registered is the shape, color and tone-of-voice of the graphic design – whether a logo, an image or a font – and to a lesser degree the brand name itself. This chronology is extremely important, since we know from psychology that first impressions tend to be lasting.
Summing up the above, it is valid to conclude that communication equals the direction and management of the core message or identity. On the other hand, branding, which includes the rising importance of typography, transport the emotional expression, the feel, the look. Neglecting the latter runs the risk of loosing the identity’s attraction in the eyes of consumers or clients. Without the branding and the right typography, even the best core idea may prove unsuccessful.
Doing things with letters
What is new here is that the right typography can act as mediator between communication and branding. Bridging the needs, a customized typography will allow the corporate communication to integrate better with the corporate branding.
Due to the abovementioned factors of quality, substitution, and tacit consent., typography has come to the forefront of branding.
This is far from saying that the logo, the picture style, layout and colors are not still prime elements in the visual identity enforcing the brand. More to the point, the idea is that a corporate typography will link together all corporate communication, becoming a common denominator. Making the communication work, the typography adds an extra, while strengthening the message. What a successful typography does is to allow you to do things with letters. ///
Download the Kontrapunkt corporate typeface for free.
June 2006, Kim Meyer Andersen, Bo Linnemann