25.04.2024 - 16.05.2025 | Week 1 - Week 4
Maisarah binti Mohd Sufian | 0358458
Creative Brand Strategy | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Project 1: Case Study
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LECTURES
Week 1
For this week, our class was replaced with a meeting the TBS and Cyber Psychology students to listen to their pitch deck about DYO. In this meeting they introduced to us their bottle inspired by dual compartment cups and brands like Stanley and Hydroflask. Their product is an insulated stainless steel bottle which can hold two different types of drinks.
In my opinion, I thought the idea was not unique enough and there wasn't sufficient information to generate packaging/brand design ideas. This was our last MLE meeting with TBS, so I decided to go for ThermoBrew.
Besides that, we just went through the MIB to get a gist of what to expect for our assignments in this module.
Week 2 - Branding Process
Brand Experience
= the collective responses an individual/group has with a brand.
This includes emotions, interactions, sensations, thoughts, or any other kind of reaction. It is the lasting impression a company creates with their customer.
- Essential for building positive associations between the brand and audience.
- Boosts brand recognition + awareness.
- Demonstrates shared values and beliefs between the company and customer.
Direct Marketing
- makes an enormous impact on the perception people have of your brand in the wider marketplace.
- adverts should showcase core values, and the design should elicit positive emotion.
Indirect Marketing
- online presence, the way your brand interacts with people on social media can make or break a first impression.
Personalisation
- a personalised experience is a great way to get customers to feel valued, creating a depth of connection capable to bolstering your brand experience.
Creative Process
Week 3 - SWOT Analysis
SWOT Analysis
= a simple but powerful tool to evaluate a company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Provides a clear picture of your current position in the market, helping you identify areas for growth.
(S)trengths
- Internal factors that give you an advantage over competitors.
- E.g. brand reputation, strong distribution network.
(W)eaknesses
- Internal weaknesses that drain your performance.
- E.g. limited product range, weak online presence.
(O)pportunities
- External factors that present potential for growth.
- E.g. emerging markets, changing customer needs.
(T)hreats
- External factors that could negatively impact your business.
- E.g. new regulations, economic downturn, competitor innovations.
SWOT analysis is used in several scenarios:
- Developing new business strategy: Ensures the strategy leverages strengths and opportunities while addressing weaknesses and threats.
- Launching a new product or service: Evaluate market readiness and potential challenges.
- Entering a new market: Understand the competitive landscape and market dynamics.
- Evaluating your competitive landscape: Identify where you stand relative to competitors.
- Responding to industry changes: Adapt to new regulations, economic shifts, and technological advancements.
Week 4 - Brand Positioning
Brand Positioning
= a strategic process where a company defines and communicates its unique value proposition to its target audience, creating a distinct place in their minds relative to competitors.
- Brand positioning sets your brand apart from others.
- Helps your brand stand out by defining it's unique personality, benefits, and values.
- Done right, it creates a strong emotional connection with your target audience, encouraging them to choose your brand.
Finding a powerful brand positioning:
- Step 1
Analyse:
- Understanding what your customers want
- Understand what your company's and brand capabilities are
- Understand how each competitor is positioning their brand
- Step 2
Choose a positioning statement that:
- Will resonate with your consumers
- Can be delivered by your company (capabilites)
- That is different from your competitor
- Step 3
Reflect this brand positioning in everything that you do
- E.g. brand personality, packaging design, product, service, visual identity design, communications, etc.
Brand Positioning Strategy
Creating a brand positioning strategy:
1. Asses your current brand positioning
2. Identify and research your competitors
3. Compare your positioning to your competition
4. Pinpoint what makes your brand unique
5. Create a brand positioning statement
6. Implement your new brand positioning
7. Evaluate your statement and measure success
Types of Brand Positioning Strategies
- Convenience: Demonstrate why your brand is more convenient that competitors, from product availability, design, or ease-of-use, even if it is at a higher price point.
- Niche service: When your brand is considered niche, it means you offer services/products that aren't widely available. Instead of focusing on differentiating from competitors, spotlight the fact that you offer something unique.
- Problem and solution: Is your product a solution to a problem? Position that as a powerful solution, making the audience think of it when the problem arises through marketing. Address the customers' pain points to prove that you offer an immediate and actionable solution.
Examples of Positioning Statements
Apple believes their customers (their target market) are innovative, imaginative, and creative and willing to pay a premium price for computers and phones. They love to connect with customers and provide value through innovative products like iPad and iPhone.
Coca-Cola “For individuals looking for high-quality beverages, Coca-Cola offers a wide range of the most refreshing options. Each creates a positive experience for customers when they enjoy a Coca-Cola brand drink. Unlike other beverage options, Coca-Cola products inspire happiness and make a positive difference in customers’ lives, and the brand is intensely focused on the needs of consumers and customers”.
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Project 1 - Case Study & Campaign Proposal
Instructions
For this exercise, as partners we must choose a brand that has done a rebranding, and analyse the brand's strategy and positioning.
Final Slides
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FEEDBACK
No feedback given
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REFLECTION
Experience
I used to see SanDisk just as a memory card brand, but exploring the campaign showed me how it evolved into something more relatable and lifestyle-focused. It wasn’t just about tech anymore—it became about how people use and trust their products every day.
Observation
SanDisk’s new strategy focused on being dependable, innovative, and user-friendly. The brand shifted its message to connect with a wider audience, including creatives and everyday users. Instead of just selling storage, they started telling stories about preserving memories and supporting creativity.
Findings
Visually, the rebrand felt fresh and clean. The bold red logo, modern fonts, and simple design worked well across social media, packaging, and ads. It gave SanDisk a more current, consistent look that fit better with today’s digital lifestyle and helped attract a broader, design-aware audience.
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