Your brand is your story for customers. Through it, you tell your customers, your aims, your motives and your specialization. Your brand represents your beginning and the direction you are moving in. And branding itself also has a long and colourful history. In this article we look into this history and the evolution of branding.
Defining branding and its etymology
When you create a unique name or an image for your products and services, you are ‘branding’. It is an act that enables you to make your products and services distinct in the market. This not only serves to create an impression in the customers’ minds but also attracts potential new customers.
Branding is not a modern concept. Although it has been in practice since ancient times, it is only now that it is being acknowledged and conceptualised.
The word ‘brand’ is also not new. But it’s meaning has changed over time mainly influenced by the change in its usage. It is derived from the word “Brandr”, a word from Ancient Norse meaning “to burn”. It was used to refer to the act where producers and owners would burn their marks (brand) onto their products as a mark of ownership. Products often ranged from breads to slaves.
Around 950 A.D. a “brand” referred to a burning piece of wood. During the 14th century it was used primarily to describe a torch, essentially a burning piece of wood that is used as a tool. It took another 200 years for the meaning to change – ‘brand’ now referred to a mark burned onto cattle to show ownership. These brands had several features – they were simple, unique and easily identifiable. In fact, modern logos still carry these essential traits giving rise to the concept of modern branding.
History of Branding
We can trace the history of branding all the way back to around 2000 BC. It was initially used purely as a mark of ownership. As time progressed, the evolution of branding led to more modern ideas and interpretations. In modern times, branding is a method of marketing which allows companies to establish themselves in the market and build a trusting bond with potential customers.
Branding in ancient and medieval times
Branding was utilised by producers in ancient civilisations in order to sell their goods to the masses. This was mainly to aid the illiterate public in identifying what they were buying and who they were buying from. There were three typical forms of branding:
Brands applied to cattle – South western Europe has cave paintings from the Stone Age that depict branded cattle. Examples of such branded cattle can also be found in Egyptian wall paintings and tombstones dating back to 4000 years ago. It helped to establish ownership and acted as a deterrent against thievery.
Brands applied to products – Similar to cattle, various goods like pottery, masonry items (bricks, tiles) would often be branded to identify the producers. In some cases, it also identified the constituent materials, while in others, the period it was made in. Examples of this can be found in potteries unearthed in China, India, Egypt and Rome.
Brands applied to humans – Branding has been used as a source of stigmatisation in case of humans. Slaves, fugitives, gypsies, thieves and pirates were often branded so that authorities could easily identify them. This ancient practice was put to use even by Nazi Germany, where Jewish citizens were forced to wear a badge in the form of a Yellow Star as a means of identification. This is indeed a shameful practice which thankfully has almost ceased to occur.
Branding in Medieval Times – After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the world saw a period of commercial decline. From the beginning of the 13th century, a more functional and cultured society emerged which led to the recovery of the trading industry. Craft guilds started forming along with the start of trading between the east and west. A form of middle-class society also emerged who were mostly consumers. The guilds made it mandatory to brand goods with proprietary marks in an effort to control trade.
With the invention of paper and technological advancements in printing, different early forms of branding – like printed wrappers, signboards and printed advertisements emerged in China during this period.
With advancement in printing technology, advertisements became a part of branding since the 16th century. These advertisements were simple messages – often considered predecessors to the modern-day advertising slogan.
The 18th century saw the introduction of patents, trademarks and copyright laws. This was because the governments of that time wanted to encourage development but at the same time regulate the system.
The impact of Industrial Revolution on Branding
The Industrial Revolution began in the mid-18th century. Many industries including branding and advertising were revolutionised with the help of petrol and coal powered energy. The era saw the beginning of mass production of goods in a cost-effective manner. A wider consumer base was thus the need of the hour. And advertisements were effectively utilised to inform the new middle class about products.
Branding was no longer only a mark of the producer; it emerged a symbol of quality during this period.
The beginning of the 19th century saw a wave of new products like cars, sewing machines, etc. Companies started using the newly developed advertising agencies in order to find increasingly new and innovative ways to reach customers. Advertising tactics included banners on hand-held poles, people wearing placards, and umbrellas with signs on them. Brand names were established and promoted through attractive packaging and eye-catching slogans. In fact, according to Forbes, 30% of the World’s 100 Most Valuable Brands were developed before the 20th Century. These included brands like
| Brand | Year Founded | Logo |
| CitiBank | 1812 | |
| Johnnie Walker | 1820 | |
| Heinz | 1869 | |
| Johnson & Johnson | 1880 | |
| Mercedes | 1890 | |
| Coca-Cola | 1892 |
The end of the 19th Century saw various progresses – literacy rates increased, the telephone was created, better communication occurred through a developing postal system and railways.
All these modern inventions and innovations contributed towards the success of advertising and branding.
Branding in the 20th Century
The history of branding takes a thriving turn from the beginning of the 20th Century and can be divided into several stages.
Till 1920s – This time period was marked by the rise of the brands. The world was introduced to new commerce forms and industries. Several iconic companies – many born during the last decade of the 19th Century offered innovative, one of its kind products. Ford offered American-made, gasoline-powered vehicles, LEGO offered building blocks advertised as beneficial to childrens’ development, Chanel offered suits for women. A majority of the companies that developed or came into existence during this time period, went onto become brand leaders in later years. This was the time when consumers slowly became aware of brands- more willing to spend on ‘branded goods’.
Companies used the print medium during this time to promote their goods and services. Thus, branding started acquiring a more widespread visual aspect.
Advertisements during this time period were aimed at familiarizing the consumer with a particular brand. They were often excessively informational and even contained instructions on product usage. (As observed in the following advertisements from the 1910s)
1920s to 1950s – This was the time period when branding turned audible. Radio developed in a big way, following multiple advancements in technology during World War I. Companies intending to make their products more famous and businesses more sustainable, paid for broadcasts during radio programmes. Radio jingles, catchphrases and targeted messaging brought branding alive and to the listeners’ ears. Listen to Bubble Up Gum 1920’s Radio Commercial.
Companies paid for entire radio shows which in turn made their brands audible, memorable, relatable and entertaining.
The first television commercial occurred on July 1, 1941, when Bulova Watches presented an advertisement before a New York baseball game. Brands, which till date were audible, now had access to a superior visual presentation method. Advertisements on television rapidly grew in popularity. They projected the notion that brands could bring about happiness.
Watch this Coca – Cola advertisement from the 1940s.
1950s to 1960s – The era of ‘Mad Men’
This was the time period when modern branding was born. The post-World War II era is marked by the car culture, the expansion of the middle-class, suburbanization and the rise of television. Branding became big- with loud and highly visible forms. The creation of colour television in 1953 paved the way for more commercials with a definitive brand identity. Billboards, subway signs, loud architecture, product packaging all were geared towards providing a branding experience to the consumer.
This was the era of brand management. Most companies were offering similar products – it was the (PUT THE IMAGE BEFORE OR AFTER THE PARAGRAPH)
job of the brand manager to create a unique identity for a good or a product that was different from its competitors. The aim was to create professional and cohesive images to represent their products.
Advertising companies started conceptualizing branding in a quantitative manner. An emotional aspect was introduced to maintain brand loyalty among existing consumers. Branding had moved from being informational to emotional.
Watch this clip from Mad Men on why brand matters.
1960s to 1990s – The era of brand revamping
By now the world had changed – the hippie movement of the 70s, the end of the Cold War, the rise of pop-culture, modern inventions like computers- all contributed towards a shifting perspective. Companies understood that to stay relevant, they would also need to change.
Many major brands that had existed unchanged till-date, revamped their branding to fit into the modern world. Brands often gained new identities in spite of having an established image, merely by changing their slogans. The existing slogan for L’Oreal “Because you’re worth it” was written in 1973.
New brands emerged in the retail industry. The retail industry realised they could actually curate their offerings and demand better branding from companies. Big retailers targeted specific audiences by injecting a certain ‘look’, style and personality. This reflected in companies like Target, Walmart etc.
One of the earliest examples of a corporation selling an ideal was the Apple Computers’ iconic ‘1984’ television advert. It showed how the rigid confines of society could be broken by using their branded Macintosh computer.
Watch it here.
The 1990s was the time when instead of short ad-campaigns, companies wanted to invest in a long term corporate identity by establishing their brands.
Branding in the 21st century
The rise of the digital age is marked by the overcrowding of brands in the market. Consumers are exposed to around 3000 brands on a daily basis, via digital and traditional paths. Aspects like the ability to target a certain demographic through social media posts and custom hashtags have made advertisers more powerful and the consumer more brand conscious.
But customers are also highly demanding and with short attention spans. Branding is no longer limited to corporate sectors. It includes political parties, charity organisations and celebrity branding. Brands today are also affected by customer reviews.
Brands now have to be highly creative to capture the consumers attention, engage with them, and to have impactful recall value in order to increase and retain loyalty.
A perfect example of modern-day branding done correctly is Starbucks. Essentially, it is a fast-food chain which serves coffee. It engages with consumers at a community level (Starbucks mission statement is – “To inspire and nurture the human spirit—one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time.”). Through clever usage of a loyalty program, a well-crafted retail experience, signature colours and an unmistakable logo, Starbucks has been able to capture and retain a loyal niche of consumers. Such is the power of its brand, that it has been able to increase its prices consistently without losing business.
Conclusion
Branding has indeed come a long way from being a mere mark of personal property, today it has evolved to rule the consumer’s psyche. This article deals with the evolution of branding in the world. Read about the evolution of branding in India in our next article to analyse a country-specific approach.
To stand out you need to embrace technology, evolve with your customers and their demands, and also connect emotionally with them. As advertisers and brand managers, it is our job to increase your brand interactivity, create viral marketing and perform search engine optimisation for you and your company.
