Case Studies

Moreover, the results of customer research made it very clear that the company would need to reposition as “Premium”. More costly and exacting to articulate, many companies would baulk at this expense in time and care, however, premium positioning can be well worth the investment. Once achieved, it is a safe market position to hold. It allows a brand to be the best it can be, without having to compete on price.

How do you achieve premium brand positioning?

Establishment of a premium brand means rigorous and sensitive attention to the visual and behavioural values of premium brands in order to align with the high-end market position. Supporting a “premium” position through visual communications means:

• Professional design by an experienced and qualified branding communications expert; not merely a logo designer or graphic designer. Brand strategy is a separate and elevated area of expertise when compared with graphic design alone. (This brand was designed by Kevin Spark of Onion Creative, and for the imagery we selected top photographer Josh Kelly of Jack Harlem photography).
• Clean lines and superior legibility.
• Usually a minimalistic, “less is more” approach to design implying fewer elements with more thought and attention paid to each. This subliminally implies great care and thought is also taken in the design of products.
• “Luxury” or “premium” colour palette. Certain colours and the way they are put together make a strong psychological connection with “premium” positioning. Such as, strong reds, blues and greens which communicate tradition and longevity, like the colours in flags, medals and crests. (Conversely, pinks, oranges, aqua blues and lime greens communicate “modern and fun”, or “young and hip” and often, “transient”).
• Professional photography with great attention to lighting, colour, layout to create a premium “look and feel”.
• A strong, consistent approach across all marketing materials, from website to brochures and business cards, signage and showroom layout. CONSISTENCY is the key to a strong brand presence, and premium brands pay rigorous attention to this.
• High levels of orchestration across all brand elements. Again, high levels of visual orchestration and organisation subliminally convey the impression that your product quality aligns with this.

Customers cannot always easily, verbally articulate the reasons WHY they recognise premium brands, but they can still pick them out of a group during focus group research.

“Customers are used to companies of a certain size or standing having a certain consistent image. When something other than that image is portrayed, it is subliminally disconcerting.” (excerpt from a FedEx Brand Manual)

To create this brand we were able to save our client money by assembling a team of experts and acting as the “agency”. Using this approach and accessing our extensive book of freelance specialists, we worked with a top photographer, copy-writer and graphic designer, and charged a separate, transparent fee for marketing project management and strategic oversight.

Following the competitor review, we determined that to achieve “cut-through” for this “challenger” brand we would avoid colour altogether except for the logo itself and develop a monochromatic palette with a strong logo mark that would stand out amongst the competition. This stripped back visual approach underlined the brand positioning and values, which were “Reliable, Honest, Straightforward, Genuine, Proud” and the product qualities of “Robust, Sturdy, Solid, Reliable Performance Year after Year”. The black and white treatment communicated strength in simplicity.

One of the major coups for this brand reinvigoration was the fact that one of Cookon’s most loyal customers allowed us to photograph their chefs whilst working in real kitchens. This gave the imagery the authentic feel of “real, hardworking chefs in real, hardworking kitchens” which was a central theme of the launch campaign.

Maintenance of a premium brand is just as important as its creation. Unfortunately, many companies will invest significantly in a rebrand, but after a while, design elements can creep in that undermine the consistency and care which are the hallmarks of “premium”. This will undermine your initial investment, and sadly, due to this cost cutting measure, many brands lose everything they gained after just a few years if they cannot pay attention to maintenance.

If you are considering a rebrand for your organisation, look no further than Gibsons. Our senior marketing consultants have extensive experience with both Fortune 500 brands as well as lesser known, both in brand strategy and execution.

You can see this brand at www.cookon.com.au