Conceptual theory (I)

I came upon the study of conceptual models (also known as conceptual schemes or mental models) awhile ago. It stems from their presence all around us. From definitions of entities to the meanings of signs to the route you take to work. As creatures of habit, our minds are wired to sense patterns. They enable us leapfrog, certain processes preventing mental and sensory overload. In a sense the conceptual model is our recognition and interpretation of a pattern.

For example, the definition of a chair is “a seat for one person with support for the back”. Therefore where it’s long or short, made of wood or metal, ancient or contemporary in design, one is still able to recognize it so long as it fits this definition. Here we attempt to recognize a pattern (in this case, the definition) and assess every material accordingly before admitting it to this class of furniture.

When you really get to the basics, a conceptual model is our perspective on how the world really is. It belies of our need to classify, to name, to bring within the sphere of what we know, what we do not know.

In other words, it alludes to a universal truth which is abstracted in different forms. It is our attempt at simplification or discovery of the simplicity of the world we live in.

In the theory of branding, similar transference of meaning occurs. Although in this case, it is the reverse, the brand on its own being, for the sake of our discussion, a fundamental truth (a pattern) which expresses itself through images and representations. It is in these images that the core of this brand or pattern may be recognized. This means that just as the experience of the brand begins from the representation to the pattern, brand strategy works from pattern to representation.

KING OF THE MEME

2008 may have been the year of the rat. But on the Nigerian scene, it was definitely the year of the sunglasses We witnessed the rise and rise of a Nigerian musician on a national and continent wide scale. Decked in his trademark dark shades, D’banj helped define pop culture, with a message that resonates with all through humorous appellations and jives. His loud sayings (koko, kokolet, mamalet, no long thing…the list goes on) entered our vocabulary and with it a new perspective on what it means to be of the Nijar breed.

His gibberish have gained the popularity that is the envy of any brand adverting. His strings of memes (his behavior, style or lyrics) are at that point of conflict between what the ideals of the society are and our understanding of who we are. The ideological contradictions, which results between both parties, enable us experience desires which must be creatively satisfied. His brand resonates with our spirits and allows us to an outlet (assuredly humorous, maybe a little naughty even) through which we can express this newfound identity and satisfaction. I think that’s the strength of memes. The ability to be contextually relevant greatly boosts their ready transmission/spread. It is the same way great literature gives voice to our unspoken thoughts and articulate truths which lie within us and art accurately mirrors our experiences in its expression, affirming our connection to the core of the world

BRAND U

I discovered this hit TV show a while ago. A combination of channel surfing and luck landed me on The Style Network one evening when the programme “Peter Perfect” was on the air. You see, Peter was the kind of guy you called an image or brand consultant (at least in my own mind). His playing field was the world of perception. The idea was each week Peter would work with entrepreneurs who were not doing so well in terms of building their businesses. Most times, he would work out their problems as stemming from how poorly these businesses and/or their owners where perceived by everyone from current to potential customers, suppliers to investors. Most times, he is correct. It’s amazing how much the worth of a business is attached to something as seemingly intangible as how people perceive you or what your brand really is. It appears to exist in that grey area in the margins of a business’ accounts book but could make all the difference in breaking even.

That is why some say we live in a reputation economy within which the currency of transaction is a strong image or brand. Take shoes for instance. The stamp of a famous brand – say Jimmy Choo – markedly pushes up its market value though the cost of production is significantly reduced. Simply put a good reputation as crystallized in a brand is a means of building this new form of capital and power.

Now branding is not just the within the purview of corporate organizations and government agencies. Individuals from Oprah to Obama or Madonna to Mandela have consciously or unconsciously adopted strong messages through their brands. Messages which deeply resonate with many; developing for them a following, admitting a throng of admirers who accede to what they are about – love it or respect it.

A personal brand is what you represent in the mind of those who come in contact with you. It begs questions such as: What aura do you carry? What word pops into mind when people see you or relate with you? What would you be more readily associated with?

This presents an evident problem. While this runs the risk of appearing contrived as window dressing, one should view the brand as an outward representation of what is within or what you aspire to. The brand is an interface, a device through the seemingly intangible is made less so. It is not an attempt to hood wink any observer but to synthesize a coherent message and afford yourself a favourable representation in every mind.

But what people think of you resides in their own minds and in that sense is not under your control. However the materials with which they construct these impressions could be heavily influenced by their own values, perspective on the world, experiences or even culture. It is largely out of your own control what people think only as far as you are able to design expressions which help elicit the sort of mental reaction from others which you desire. This is the appeal of a conscious effort at a personal brand.

Another way to look at the idea of the personal brand is to consider how we view stereotypes. The image of the school boy brings up a specific picture in your mind. Say young, dressed in a uniform, bearing a bag of books on his way to school in the morning. These are examples of characteristics which you associate with that entity of a school boy. May be if you look closer, you would discover he is a bit scruffy looking (after a hard day), or wears a beret. If we go a little deeper still, we come across features which for the sake of this write up, we would call image components. Words like learning, independent, puberty, energized or playful and the likes could come to mind.

Note that these image components could have been derived as subsets of a typical school boy based on our frequent contact with school boys either physically, in stories or even what others have said about them. For instance you might never have met an Eskimo before, but I bet you would recognize one if you did. Invariably, we bring these image components to the table each time we meet someone and assemble them in a form that is readily recognizable. Because the sum total of these image components may elicit specific mental reactions in the observer, it is possible to express what lies within you accurately.

Naturally, we gravitate towards expressions in such a manner. How many times have you developed particular affinity for a song because it mirrors what you feel within or a book/story because it characters convey virtues we admire or aspire to? So even our likes and dislikes are a reflection of what lies within no more than my father would prefer old school jazz to contemporary hip hop because that is just him.

Some strong brands have been developed from strategic campaigns in growing favourable perceptions from logos to blogs. Others have inadvertently or by stroke of genius created and sustained such brands through their daily activities or interactions. What is most important is that at every point of interaction (touch points for short), the brand is perceived as a complete whole.

You don’t need to be movie star or internet millionaire to build and sustain your brand. You don’t need to be able to afford to deploy some PR campaign to be able to improve your market value. Every single one of us is a brand anyway. The point is to ask yourself what you represent and do you think it matters.

Origin of ideas

Came accross this information about the world’s top ten ideas being generated in the following places

1. In the toilet (no. 1 on the list)
2. While commuting to work
3. In a boring meeting
4. While exercising
5. Waking up in the middle of the night
6. While listening to a church sermon
7. In the shower
8. While falling asleep or waking up
9. While performing manual labour
10. While reading for leisure
    

I for one will pick no. 10 as my most effective period spent generating good ideas. What is yours?

Redesigning the bookstore

The other day, I was at a bookshop and then walking through the shelves, I came across a book I had read a few months before and it brought back memories of what the book was about and what I was going through at the time, career wise and all. The same thing happened with a second book I recognized and then a third – each one I touched; each a unique piece of me. In a manner of speaking each book was like a (computer interface) window which when you clicked on open up this universe of sensory and cognitive experiences.

The truth is this experience was entirely personal. In a way, the bookstore created – with its shelves, cool décor, books and their arrangements – expressions, raw materials which together with the input of my past memories brought about a specific experience. In other words, the bookstore had inadvertently played a crucial role in “designing” this experience.

The design of the bookstore has stayed essentially the same for many years. Shopping for a book hasn’t changed significantly even with the advent of the internet (alright I give up, there is Amazon.com). Perhaps this is largely on account of the pristine nature of books themselves.
Should we really trust blurbs and book summaries to help the consumer make an informed choice? Most bookstores tend to be conservative in their architecture and décor. Next time you take a walk through a bookstore, notice how people interact in that environment. In all happens in their minds. There is a huge divide that consumers can be helped across, especially those who do not have experiential knowledge of the books and thus have no idea what lies behind that “window”.

Perhaps, stores should have book consultants (not attendants who shadow you asking over and over if you have found something you liked) who can relate with the client. Better use of interactive media could help. I admit that book clubs have come in handy. But if what is really purchased by the consumer is the experience, then more needs to be done to bring them home.

Judging a book by its cover (a case for design in enterprise)

Tom Peters, the management maverick, is one of the most vocal proponents of getting design to have its rightful place in corporate strategy. Not only in the creation of products but in the development of what he calls “Beautiful systems” as well. In short, he speaks of design as being a pervasive philosophy in strategy (Check out his book, “Re imagine!”).

It is as important for the small business as it is for the blue chip company. It is at the interface of the consumer’s interaction with the product, service or company. Thus it is an important frontier for the battle for the consumer’s mind space. From print adverts to invoices, product packaging to corporate culture; design has the capability of creating a level playing field (just as websites or “internet real estate” has come to be) among competitors.

Apple did it with their sleek designs and the birth of the celebrity creatives like Jonathan Ives while for a company like Bang and Olufsen, it gives wings to its poetic flight. Thankfully, the idea has trickled down form product development to a new way of thinking. As a conceptual model, design’s essence is revealed and can be readily seen in everything the organization does.
Everybody loves good design. They want to perceive things as affirming their sense of form without compromising functionality. They want something truly beautiful.

About FinBank brand

Came accross this article in Vanguard online about FinBank's new brand (http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/18063/49/). I think it is a nice article. I even find the new appreciation for design in corporate strategy laudable. Again branding is serving as a new frontier for competition among banks which offer similar services anyway. However, I do not think it is limited to logo design or a new website. Though it is yet to be seen if there will be excellent execution of the brand strategy document which I am sure would have come with that colourful logo, I believe we can only wait and see it go beyond lip service. About the logo, I do not see all the qualities listed in article without help. If a logo is a symbol and should be representative of certain features then it should not "need an instruction manual" for us to understand it. Or at least it should be simple enough for us to grasp.

In all we wish them the best

For more, check my post on "Logo design:a consumer's perspective" below