THE HISTORY OF BRANDS
THE HISTORY OF BRANDS
Wednesday, 13 May 2009 07:36
Brands and the concept of branding as we know it today may lead one to believe that brands were created a century ago. However, brands have existed as long as humankind has existed in social groups. A brand exists only in people’s minds as a collection of feelings and perceptions; hence a brand can be a product, a person or even an event, as long as they portray and communicate a clear focused and consistent character over time.
Michael Jordan, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani are people who have become brands with global influence. The Olympics is a brand which moves its venue but never its venerable position as the premier sporting competition in the world.
In some of her works of fiction based upon findings by anthropologists, Jean M. Auel has written that clans of cave dwelling primates would associate themselves with an animal like the Cave Bear or Cave Lion so as to give themselves identity, and differentiate themselves from other clans. This was probably the first signs of branding.
Through history many brands have been created, some of them so powerful that we still identify with them today. Existing around 1300 B.C. the Pharaoh’s of Egypt exuded an aura of power, wealth and sophistication that set them apart and became famous the world over, intriguing us till this day.
Probably one of the world’s most famous brands is the skull and cross bones insignia known as the Jolly Roger and flown by pirate ships. It struck fear and dread in the hearts of seamen. For merchant ships on the high seas to view this flag atop another ship could mean only one thing, certain death. So clearly and consistently maintained was the positioning of the Jolly Roger that today the skull and cross bones insignia is still used to signify danger. Its use today therefore keeps the brand character alive and focussed.
The term branding itself was formalized by ranchers in the American Wild West during the nineteenth century. Every ranch had a unique symbol that was burnt onto the hides of their cattle in a process called branding. The symbol or brand served primarily to identify cattle in the event of loss or theft, considering that herds from various ranches mingled freely. It also aided beef dealers in the market place to make a choice on which cattle to buy. Some ranches were perceived to have higher quality beef and just like homogenous markets today, the branding differentiated them from the rest, leading to faster sales and even allowing them to charge a premium.
The writer is the Chief Executive Officer of Interbrand Sampson East Africa, a strategic brand consultancy firm.
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