Contributed by Amy LoParo, Senior Copywriter and Brand Strategist
When constructing the identity of a place—whether it be a residential community, an office campus, a mixed-use development or an entire urban district—there are many universal branding principles that are important to keep top of mind. In this Thinking post, we lay out a few of our favorites and share relevant lessons we’ve learned from our decade of experience Branding for the Built Environment®.
A brand can’t be all things to all people.
When your quest is to appeal to everyone, you run the risk of failing to form a deep connection with anyone. Similarly, when you claim to be the best at everything, you not only lose credibility but also miss out on an opportunity to build brand loyalty by presenting your audiences with the single idea you want to be known for.
How do you feel when you think about Target?
Whether walking into the store gives you a rush of joy or a feeling of anxiety that you’re likely about to purchase 27 impulse items beyond what’s on your shopping list, it’s easy to see how confidently Target owns its place in the market. Its positioning is focused and palpable: Target stands for accessible design. Washed in the brand’s iconic red, Target’s retail experiences, signage and advertising exude fun and freshness. Its warm and welcoming personality ushers in a specific community of shoppers seeking style and quality at reasonable price points.
Attention to brand position and audience definition is just as crucial for place brands as it is for retail and consumer brands. Before diving into the creative process, invest time into a discovery process with the goal of building a clearly defined brand strategy.
Consistency and Flexibility.
There’s an obvious tension between the principles of consistency and flexibility, but your brand identity needs both—and striking the right balance can be tricky. Too much looseness, and your brand might seem unprofessional, careless and even difficult to recognize. Yet too much rigidity can make your brand feel dull, predictable and uninspiring.
Well-crafted brand guidelines are a powerful tool to enforce when and how elements of your brand remain consistent, while leaving room for playfulness and campaign-specific extensions. Of course, guideline documents for place brands factor in unique considerations and include additional sections pertaining to spatial and experiential design.
As part of Nimble.’s scope to help The RMR Group introduce 20 Mass, a new mixed-use atmosphere in Capitol Hill, we delivered a flexible design system to serve the property’s hotel, retail and office facets. Our 20 Mass case study showcases how we were able to stretch and adapt the brand for brochure, website, e-blast and experiential design purposes.
Sneak peek of the 20 Mass Case Study
Sneak peek of the Oxton Case Study
It takes effort not to come off like you’re trying too hard.
Have you ever read marketing copy that makes you cringe?
Usually, that cringey feeling is a sign that a brand’s voice doesn’t match the brand itself. Perhaps messaging for a large buttoned-up corporation is adopting trendy phrases of the moment to sound cool or youthful. Or perhaps the misstep is less about voice and tone and more about the content itself. For example, a brand might superficially weigh in on a current event or social issue without drawing connections to its previously expressed mission or values.
Regarding brand voice, a good place to start is with a colloquial, straightforward and earnest tone. Then, dial up the friendliness for a more down-to-earth and organic destination, and infuse more formality for a more professional environment. No matter what, usage of contractions will make your voice more approachable.
When Nimble. helped launch Oxton, a 35,000 SF ground-floor office conversion within Buckhead’s Piedmont Center, we took an understated approach to brand voice and crafted messaging that leaves the reasons to visit and explore Oxton open ended. To learn more about our creative thinking and the outcome, check out our Oxton Case study.
Speak truth. Always.
We’re all weary of marketing speak—and this is especially true of younger generations, like Gen Z. Even if the claim you’re making is factual, if you overstate it, there will be doubters. Use superlatives sparingly and only when you have the proof points to back up your assertions. Above all, avoid corporate buzzwords and jargon.
In the commercial real estate world, many marketers overuse industry clichés such as “vibrant,” “creative” and“unparalleled” because they’ve neglected to pin down the true differentiators of the destination they’re creating or repositioning. Taking the time to participate in a Discovery Workshop with your marketing or branding partner will help you identify the core truths behind your place brand and define authentic strategy drivers to guide the creative process—from visual identity to messaging to marketing extensions.
Brands are alive.
Dedicated fans showing their support for their favorite fashion line, sports team or consumer product might say they’re“living the brand.” It’s rarer to hear that brands are living—but they are. Especially place brands.
At Nimble., we believe that your place brand is a culmination of what you build, how you sell, how it’s serviced and ultimately, how people (tenants, residents, visitors, etc.) feel about their connected experience. Brand is a reputation propelled by human emotion. To convey this concept more poetically than we ever could, we’ll leave you with a quote from Maya Angelou:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
––Maya Angelou
Thanks for reading this special edition entry. For questions or to add to the conversation, contact us at hello@nimbledesignco.com.