LA week 04-05 – Understanding positioning

1. “Look at the following logos and explain in your own words what you consider their positioning to be (do this for each one).”

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Positioning refers to the place that a brand occupies in the minds of the customers and how it is distinguished from the products of the competitors.

wikipedia.org

There is no way you don’t immediately recognized the first logo, unless you’ve been living under a rock. Yes, that it right, it is the Instagram logo. And after having seen quite a few hours of LinkedIn videos on how to create a logo, I certainly think it’s possible to copy this. Yes, Instagram, we see what you did there.

Instagram holds a strong position as a photo- and video sharing social network. It is owned by Facebook and was first launched in 2010. Instagram has positioned it self to be the number one choice for young adults. From teenagers to adults, it’s a hugely popular service, and out of its one billion monthly users, over 500 million of those use Instagram every day. Without a doubt, Instagram has managed to position itself for more than one demographic group. The easy recognizable logo is a symbol of a camera, and it’s colors vibrant and crisp.

The metal colored three-pointed star of the Mercedes-Benz logo is also widely known. It signalizes quality and exclusivity, both in color and shape. The company itself has managed to build this brand so that it matches and compliments the logo, both speaking of a high-end brand of cars. Mercedes-Benz has positioned itself towards the adult generations, signaling that they are a more expensive and exclusive brand.

MasterCard used to be a more exclusive credit card, not for everyone to achieve, but now a days they cater to all, young and old, families and businesses. Their logo is a wordmark, and is easily recognized, which is useful, i.e. when you want to pay with your MasterCard, online or at a store.

2. “Let’s work backwards! Look at the logo on the Apple iPhone and, by doing your own research, investigate the history of the product and the company that manufactures it. Give an outline, in your own words, of what you consider the following to be:
* Describe the iPhone’s brand identity – exactly as you see it.
* What do you think its positioning is currently?
* What do you think the strategy for this specific product was?
* What research do you think was done on this by the company who made it? “

The iPhone is, as all Apple products are, easy to use, intuitive and suitable for all ages. There are apps made for everyone, from the youngest children to the elderly. iPhones are seen as quite expensive, but they also have a high quality mark, and so those who buy an iPhone usually will feel that they get their moneys worth. As it does cost a lot to buy an iPhone, there’s no doubt some feeling of exclusivity and luxury about the brand. The combination of high quality and price has given the iPhone a very special position in the market, as one of the two most popular cellphones available today.

The iPhones polished look, clean surfaces combined with stellar technology attracts a wide variety of customers. Apple has created a “clean look” for its products, which I believe is very relevant for the time we are living in. Classic, simplistic looks, yes, but there is nothing simplistic about the quality and power of what lies underneath the surface. I believe Apple wants to keep their products, in this case the iPhone, easy to use, but also cater to those who want and need more. Businesses and people who need a cellphone that can “do it all” while they are on the go. Students and professionals, developers and just your average “Apple head”. Apple has managed to build a large feeling of loyalty. Customers will keep buying iPhones, often not even considering trying another brand. Some of this loyalty I believe comes from the fact that iPhones just always works. There are rarely big problems with an iPhone or Apple products in general. They do not get viruses, they start up really fast, and are safe to use.

I believe Apple does a lot of research continuously, to make sure they keep up with what people want, what they like and what they need, both in their personal life and professionally. I’m sure they also do a great deal of research on what the competition works on at all times, to keep on top of their game.

3. “Now take the same product as in question 2 and explain, in your own words, how the visual element (in this case, the logo) fits in with the brand identity.”

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The logo itself started out as Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree reading. Later the apple alone was fine tuned into the simplistic symbol we now often see in metallic colors. According to Rob Janoff, designer, the apple was chosen for the logo to signalize that an Apple computer was not some hard metal box that your family would be terrified to touch. The bite mark would symbolize taking a bite out of knowledge.

Apple likes to be secretive and making a fuzz over new releases. They know how to build expectations. Leading up to new releases the media is filled with speculations about what we can expect. The market value of this free advertising must be enormous. And maybe it’s wrong to call it free marketing, this is the way it works. Apple has built a name and a brand that speaks of quality and exclusivity. Their costumers are loyal.

For me, the logo indicates a company in tune with the world, organic, full of life, easy to understand, yet full of surprises.

Disclaimer: Oh, and in case it didn’t shine through, we are an Apple kind of family.

Resources:
https://en.instagram-brand.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positioning_(marketing)
https://www.oberlo.com/blog/instagram-stats-every-marketer-should-know
https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/about-mastercard/who-we-are.html
http://apple.com
https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/apple/135231-the-apple-iphone-is-10-years-old-look-how-much-the-iphone-has-changed
https://www.fineprintart.com/history-of-the-apple-logo/