Emotional Branding

by Marc Gobe

Review

This book contains a foreword by Sergio Zyman, legendary former CMO of Coca-Cola. The foreword is a bit on the rambling side, but it contains more clarity and definition than all the rest of the book put together.

I believe a kick ass creative is critical to the success of a brand.
- Sergio Zyman

I have always believed that brand design in packaging is a critical part of marketing.It should translate the meaning of the brand for the consumers. Marc and his partner, Joel Desgrippes, understood very clearly that packaging could actually serve to translate the meaning of the brand to the consumers everyday, on every shelf, in every aisle, on every truck, and in every vending machine all over the world. I could probably write a book about my experiences with Marc, about how much I learned from the color blue that Marc had used in creating a corporate identity for the Albertville Winter Olympics, for the Boucheron perfume bottle and store design, and later on in the redesign of Gillette's packaging. It was eventually a color that changed the refreshment appeal of Sprite.
- Sergio Zyman

In Other Words...
Emotional Branding is a misnomer. Sensory Branding would have been a better title for the book, and is more descriptive of the activities described.

In many, many more words than needed, Marc Gobe makes an argument for using the corporate and product attributes to build a brand. For example, the name. "Lexus" sounds like luxury. "Viagra" suggests vigor and virility. The Ford Expedition, the Ford Excursion and the Ford Escape are all named with less than subtle ulterior motives.

Use of color may also assist in conveying a desired brand image. Red conveys one thing; blue another. Blue, pink, orange, black - each color is stereotyped with certain personality traits.

The shape of the bottle that holds your soft drink; the texture of the paper that brochure is printed on; the font used for the corporate logo; all these things add up to build a brand image.

Emotional Branding

the new paradigm for connecting brands to people

Table of Contents

Foreword by Sergio Zyman

Preface
Acknowledgments

Introduction: Emotional Branding: Fuel for Success in the Twenty-first Century

section I: relationship - customer, customer, customer!

Introduction: It's the Twenty-first Century: Do You Know Who Your
Customers Are?
Chapter 1: A Generational Explosion: Targeting New Emotional Criteria
Chapter 2: Disconnection Alert: The U.S. Melting Pot Is Hot!
Chapter 3: Women: The New "Shoppers in Chief"
Chapter 4: Gay and Lesbian Consumers: Sincerity Is the Best Policy!
section II: sensorial experences - the uncharted territory of branding

Introduction: A Sence of Strategy
Chapter 5: Sounds That Transport
Chapter 6: Colors That Mesmerize/Symbols That Captivate
Chapter 7: Tastes That Tantalize
Chapter 8: Shapes That Touch
Chapter 9: Scents That Seduce
Couclusion: Soothe the Senses: Some Peace, Please!

section III: imagination - innovation is a brand's best friend!

Introduction: Thinking Out of the Box
Chapter 10: Sensory Design: The New Branding Power Tool
Chapter 11: Emotionally Charged Identities: Unforgettable Brand
Personalities
Chapter 12: Retailing with a Passion: Sensational Stores of Tomorrow
Chapter 13: Brand Presence with Presence: A Fresh, New Approach
Chapter 14: Emotional Packaging: The Half-Second Commercial
Chapter 15: Emotional Advertising: Not Gratuitous, but Relevant
Emotions

section IV: vision - inspiration for change: how to get there from here

Introduction: E-motions
Chapter 16: Branding Emotions on the Web: The (Real) Future of Cyberspace
Chapter 17: d/g*'s Recipes for the New Millennium
Chapter 18: Key Trends for the New Millennium
Conclusion