Creative Brand Strategy- Task 1: Case Study and Campaign Proposal

24/9/2023- 15/10/2023 / Week 1 - Week 4

SongYang / 0355576

Creative Brand Strategy / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University 

Task 1: Case Study and Campaign Proposal 

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INSTRUCTIONS

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LECTURES

Week 1: Introduction

This module introduces the essentials of brand building through in-depth visual strategies, crucial for establishing a brand in consumers' minds. We will learn to solve brand-related problems by analysing the relationship between the brand and its target audience.

Branding: 

- defines the value of an organization, product, or service, providing a competitive edge

- differentiates businesses and builds a strong connection with customers

Brand strategy:

- outlines how, when, and where to communicate brand messages

- ensuring consistency and building emotional connections with customers

- shapes perceptions and influences market position and customer expectations, guiding effective marketing strategies

Week 2: Branding Process

Brand experience: Audiences crave immersive brand experiences that blend tangible and intangible elements. Brands must engage senses, demonstrate value delivery, and build emotional connections through creative strategies that transcend traditional rules.

Campaign: 

- Consistently delivering a message to the audience over time, reaches the target audience with a single, focused effort to announce and engage.

Concept campaign: 

- The core idea that convinces audience to act, gives them something to care about and a clear message to support

- Audience may not know what action to take or why without it.

Cause campaign: 

- when a business promotes a cause alongside its products to boost profits and benefit society

- involve activist messages in ads

- the focus is on the cause rather than directly selling products

- brands do this to improve their image, connect with customers, or support relevant social issues.

Event campaign:

- use experiences, virtual or in-person, to educate potential and current customers about products, services, or businesses

Launch campaign:

- to achieve specific objectives like gaining new customers, boosting revenue, raising product awareness, increasing interest, enhancing brand reputation, or gathering customer feedback

Personality campaign:

- to take a person’s reputation and career from relative obscurity to high visibility 

- strongly rooted in content marketing

Social media:

- Allows connection, conversations, community, building relationships

Brand story:

- Stories create scenarios for how people engage with the brand, making it feel more real and helping people understand its purpose

SWOT:

- Strengths: things that the brand is good at or distinguishes itself from the competitors

- Weaknesses: examine how and why the competitors are doing better and what the brand is lacking

- Opportunities: chances for something positive to happen (marketing trends, technology advancement, or changes in social patterns, population profiles and lifestyle)

- Threats: external challenges that can have a negatively affect

Customer journey map:

- visual representation of customer journey

- identify customers' experiences on all touchpoints with the brand

- help to visualise current or future states of customer experience

- requirements: focus on customer perspective, map reflects touchpoints, account for customer segments

Brand Positioning:

- the benefits you want audiences to think of your brand

Week 3: The creative brief

Big idea

- The big idea of a campaign is its overarching message, crucial for resonating with the target audience

- This idea should stem from a sharp insight and be aligned with campaign objectives for maximum impact

- The big idea should transcend platforms, allowing seamless integration across various media

- brand building involves guiding and influencing rather than just telling

Understanding > Clarifying > Positioning > Brand essence > Big idea

Week 4: Touchpoints

Brand touchpoints:

- interactions and exposures that consumers can have with brands

- online: website, social media, app, digital advertising

- offline: banners, packaging, print advertising

Step 1:

- refer back to customer journey map 

Step 2:

- determine where to best focus time, money, and energy

Step 3:

- prioritise brand marketing activities and touchpoints, map them

Moodboard

- visual represents brand's visual identity

- photos, colours, typography, quotes, patterns, shapes

- direct the artistic style, tone and manner

- valuable tool for inspiration, affirmation, guidance and communication

Design direction:

- Logo, colour palette, typography, visual style (illustration, pattern, graphic element, photography)

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TASKS

Task 1A: Case Study

In the case study of Task 1A, I chose to analyze the rebranding campaign of Nestlé. The rebranding of Nestlé shows its strategic shift in the market, especially how to adapt to the changing consumer needs and global trends. Studying Nestlé's brand story, goals, purpose, brand values, vision and mission can provide insights into how the brand can establish a deeper connection with its target audience through clear brand positioning. At the same time, by analyzing Nestlé's brand experience, including its core characteristics and activities, it is possible to understand how the brand meets consumer expectations through innovative products and experiences. Finally, by reviewing its key visuals and the application of the brand on different platforms, especially the visual presentation on digital platforms, advertisements and packaging, a more comprehensive understanding of the changes in Nestlé's brand image in the rebranding can be obtained.

Figure 1.1: Draft doc

The primary information I gathered for this study comes from blogs and articles, which provided valuable insights into Nestlé's rebranding process. There are many interesting discussions about the brand's shift in target audience, focusing on how Nestlé adapted its products and messaging to appeal to a more health-conscious and environmentally aware consumer base. This shift is crucial in understanding how the brand evolved to stay relevant and competitive, especially in today's rapidly changing market.

For the visual analysis, I examined how Nestlé's brand identity transformed over time by comparing the design elements before and after the rebrand. Nestlé’s refreshed visuals, including its packaging, advertising, and digital presence, all reflect a more modern and eco-friendly aesthetic that aligns with the company's new values and direction.

Figure 1.2: Task 1A-Draft

FINAL TASK 1A SUBMISSION

 

Figure 1.3: Final Task 1A slides

Task 1B: Campaign Proposal

In this assignment, I focus on rebranding the Mamee snacks brand in Malaysia into a new healthy version. As consumers’ focus on healthy eating grows, Mamee’s rebranding will strive to meet this demand while maintaining its unique brand characteristics and popular taste.

Fig 1.4 Mamee Monster image

My brand campaign will emphasize the new healthy positioning of Mamee snacks, including the use of healthier ingredients such as whole grains, natural ingredients and low-salt and low-sugar formulas. We will attract consumers who pursue a healthy lifestyle through innovative product lines such as healthy snacks, nut and dried fruit mixes, and additive-free instant noodles.

To enhance the brand image, we will adopt a modern visual design to convey the brand concept of health, vitality and deliciousness. At the same time, through promotional activities on social media and other digital platforms, we will emphasize Mamee as a representative of modern healthy snacks and let consumers re-recognize the brand.

This rebranding activity not only aims to improve Mamee’s market competitiveness, but also hopes to establish a positive relationship with the new generation of consumers and make Mamee stand out in the trend of healthy eating.

Figure 1.5: Task 1B draft doc

FINAL TASK 1B SUBMISSION

Figure 1.6: Final Task 1B

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FEEDBACK

Week 2 ：In Task 1A o, I only described the current situation of the brand and failed to effectively highlight the contrast before and after the rebranding. To improve this part, I will refer to other students' PPTs to show the obvious differences between Mamee before and after the rebranding, including changes in brand positioning, target audience, and market strategy.

Week 3 ：In Task 1B , I focused on the Mamee brand itself, but lacked a detailed discussion of the concept of the New Healthy Mamee. Next, I will supplement the section on the New Healthy Mamee, emphasizing its healthy ingredients, product line changes, and how to meet the needs of modern consumers for healthy snacks to ensure the integrity and depth of the brand rebranding.

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REFLECTION

Experience：During the process of rebranding Mamee, I delved into the brand's background, market positioning, and changes in consumer demand. I experienced the complexity and importance of rebranding by analyzing Mamee's current situation and competitors. Discussions with classmates gave me different perspectives, especially in how to effectively present the before and after comparison of the brand. These experiences made me realize that rebranding is not only about product improvement, but also about rebuilding the brand story and consumer connection.

Observation：Through the analysis of the Mamee brand, I observed the challenges and opportunities that the brand faces in the market. Many consumers have an increasing demand for healthy snacks, and the brand needs to adapt to this change. In addition, I found that the current Mamee brand image fails to fully communicate its potential in the healthy eating trend. Compared with other brands, Mamee needs to express the advantages of its healthy version more clearly to attract new target audiences.

Findings：My research and observations have yielded several important findings. First, the key to rebranding is to clearly communicate the new brand image and the values ​​behind it. Second, consumers' perceptions and expectations of brands are changing, especially in terms of health and sustainability. Therefore, Mamee needs to emphasize the uniqueness of its new healthy version during the rebranding process, including the use of high-quality natural ingredients and innovative product forms. Finally, creating an emotional connection with young consumers is crucial to the long-term success of the brand, which requires us to incorporate more elements that are in line with consumers' lifestyles into our marketing strategy.