Mosaic Branding: A Way of Thought? - Issue: 2004 Qtr 4
Mosaic Branding is based on the theory that alignment, associations and cohesion are as important to branding as any single brand touch point.
It simply recognizes that brand perceptions are not based solely on touch points, but also from the overall pattern, logic and image that the brand projects.
Two schools of thought support mosaic branding: pattern identification and Gestalt studies.
Pattern identification is simply the mental process of linking identifiable characteristics into a pattern that aids cognitive recognition and recall. The process acts as a short cut to allow mental processing without having to itemize and rationalize decisions. For example, think of walking down the grocery isle and seeing a red and white can in the soup aisle. You know it is Campbell’s soup. You don’t need to read the label. You simply looked at the half red, half white label and knew it’s Campbell’s.
Gestalt studies are defined as a school of psychology where the response to a situation is a complete and unanalyzable whole, rather than a sum of the responses to specific elements in the situation. Like holistic thinking, the experience is greater than can be derived from the elements of the whole. In branding, the “gestalt” is experiencing the brand promise in all of its dimensions. Take for instance, the last time you were at a trade show. You located a particular booth, you walked into the booth and were greeted by the first affable attendant. You felt good about the experience. Chances are you also saw the sign, the display, the lighting and an attitude that made it feel inviting. The experience was more than just individual touch points. They all worked in harmony to deliver a consistent welcoming message.
As marketers, we can map out and call out a plethora of product features, and we can communicate benefits day in and day out, but selecting a brand is about more than the individual attributes. Marketers need to paint a total picture of the brand promise, by combining functional benefits alongside emotional benefits in a way that allows cohesive and recognizable groupings of identity elements.
First off, consider your brand touch points, how they form patterns, how they strengthen brand loyalty, and how they work together to form a whole in the consumer’s mind. Consider the touch points like the tiles in a mosaic.
Touch points for consideration:
| Facility image Landscape image Employee impressions Word–of–mouth Receptionist image Referrals Associations News coverage |
Paid media messages Earned media messages Point–of–sale Packaging Co–branding initiatives Event marketing Cause marketing Editorial and financial coverage |
Once you’ve outlined and analyzed your brand touch points consider them as a “whole.” Is there consistency? Are they aligned? Is there a common “voice”? If not, you may need to consider a stronger thematic approach to the product or service. A strong thematic or “voice,” may allow consumers/customers to form a mental personality of the brand, that can group the touch points together. In some cases the personality can help form emotional attachments as well as rational attachments to the brand. This theme or voice acts like the grout to help bring your tiles into a mosaic pattern.
When FedEx says it absolutely, positively has to get there overnight, we know the brand will work hard to achieve that claim and we feel comforted by the security of knowing they guarantee their service. FedEx’s voice comes through loud and clear, and they understand your deadline!
Help your customers form an image of your brand by thinking of the total picture, and the pattern it projects. Branding is more than the individual pieces; it’s the image the pieces form together that builds a strong brand.
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