Is it time to refresh your brand colors?

Brant Wansley


Quick, when you think of McDonald’s, what color comes to mind?  Or, what about UPS?  Or, Starbucks?  And, why do you think these companies chose these colors?

As an integral part of brand identity, color elicits specific emotions and sets the stage to drive purchase decisions.  At Engine, we take great care to select colors that align with the Essential Idea and personality of our clients’ brands.  Then, we make sure to weave that color throughout the entire customer experience—logo, website, advertising, packaging, point of sale, collateral, even uniforms. With each style guide we create, we identify primary, accent and neutral colors to foster strong, consistent branding.

With the increasing importance of differentiation in today’s marketplace, smart marketers take the choice of color more seriously than ever.  With that in mind, the announcement of the 2023 Color of the Year by Pantone is exciting.  Click here to learn about Viva Magenta and how it reflects a courageous energy for brands looking to emerge from isolation and embrace the future fearlessly.

https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2023

By the way, who can forget the golden arches when thinking of McDonald’s?  The perfect color for a fun and delicious experience and clear reflection of its tagline, “I’m Lovin’ It.”  Reach out to us if you’d like a complimentary appraisal of your brand colors.    

“Purpose to inspire positive change is the new way forward.”

Brant Wansley

It began as words painted on rocks by children in my neighborhood.
An idea that sank deeper into my consciousness each time I passed by on my daily run.
The words: One Human Family.

What does this have to do with branding and marketing you ask? May I suggest—everything!

Who among us has not known someone affected in this past year by disease, prejudice, gun violence or economic hardship? The trials we’ve gone through as a nation have made it clear. We’re all connected as individuals, communities, businesses and governments, regardless of our backgrounds and beliefs. We’re one human family.

How can corporations manifest this message?

Well, there’s Procter & Gamble,

a longtime leader in raising important social issues. Last year, they responded to the death of George Floyd by speaking out against racial inequality. P&G’s “The Choice” campaign is a prime example of how marketers might leverage their voices to affect change with purposeful marketing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7bnS8R994I

Closer to home, HanesBrands Inc.

launched its sustainability website > [https://hbisustains.com/] with ambitious goals to “improve the lives of people, protect the planet, and generate world-class sustainable product.” “Comfort is more than the clothes we make” is more than a slogan for HBI. In 2020, it partnered with Mark Horvath and Invisible People to provide socks to the homeless. https://vimeo.com/298588210/8e164ea05c

Then there’s Mattel, Inc.,

which turned its Barbie doll’s sexist image on its head with this purposeful effort to demonstrate how dolls can be powerful means to impart empathy to children. And, as all good marketers know, “Without empathy, nothing works.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXLiK8whHPc

On my morning run today John Donne’s famous poem popped into my head: “No man is an island. Everyman is a piece of the Continent...Any man’s death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind.”

Marketing involved in mankind is the best kind of marketing. Inspiring positive change is the new way forward. It’s the kind of marketing and branding that truly matters to your customers.

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No Brand is an Island.

COMPLIMENTARY BRAND CONSULTATION

Did you know two-thirds of customers would switch from a product they typically buy to a new product from a purpose-driven company? Let our experience work for you. Reach out to us for a complimentary one-hour review of your current marketing campaign and our thoughts of how to better lead with heart and humanity—what our world is crying out for right now.

In the midst of challenges, head in this direction

Brant Wansley

              Here’s a pleasant surprise. Our new reality is taking us farther in the direction we were already headed. Many brands already were trending toward a new purpose: contributing to the greater good. That’s much more meaningful right now as we focus on helping one another through this

            There’s a Deloitte study on 2020 marketing trends that’s more relevant now than ever: “Businesses are using purpose to create deeper connections with consumers, do more for the communities with which they work, attract and retain talent, and in the process, are achieving greater results and impact.”   

            We’ve been helping brands embrace a more purpose-driven approach for several years. In fact, we recently codified our company's purpose: Enrich people's lives. So while we’re living in a newly distanced world, we’ve put together some ideas to start on now. We feel they’re especially practical when human capital and digital transformation are top of mind.  

·      Put Humanity First.  Brands that lead with purpose occupy a meaningful place in the hearts and minds of the people they touch. They connect with their audiences through timeless human emotions expressed in exciting, authentic ways. Click to see Engine’s CEP Embrace the Pressure campaign. 

·      Show you care- in concrete ways.  Consumers select companies based on how they are supporting their communities. Our work for The Produce Box positioned the company at its best, as an alliance, with local farmers and members “growing together” to promote healthier living, while also providing nutritious meals to underprivileged kids. 

·      Tell a much bigger story. Procter & Gamble’s push to act as “a force for good and a force for growth,” for example, is rooted in stories about issues close to its purpose and what its customers value. Check out P&G’s Like a Girl campaign for its Always brand, a relevant story in P&G’s long-running support of female empowerment.

·      As you strive to care for your work families, anchor your customers’ loyalty, and uncover opportunities despite all, things become easier when the greater good centers your endeavors. There are a thousand ways to express it—and that’s our expertise. Now more than ever—to quote a line from an Engine campaign—it’s time for us all to “rise together with purpose for good.”