This is the stage of the design process when the brand comes to life. All of the design process so far has been isolated, and the roll out stage is when the brand gets used in context and we really get to see whether the brand works or not. Roll out examples include merchandise, touch points, advertising etc. This is when the design turns into a functioning brand that is open to be seen by the world.
Touch points are any occasion where the customer will interact with the brand. This may be digital, like interacting with an app, website, or physical such as phone calls, and interactions with employees. There are so many opportunities within each touch point where we can create a great user experience with the customer. We need to ensure that the customer’s task is made as easy as possible, whether it is buying a coffee, ordering a package online, or transferring money from one bank account to another. We want to be able to brand in a way that shows that we are actually helping people, and not just trying to make money. We want to create an emotional connection with the user, so tone of voice is important to think about when considering using touch points as a way to develop this relationship.
Motion is another way that the brand can become more tangible, and come to life more. An example of this is TV idents, where the logo moves in different ways such as sliding into the frame, shapes moving around, or having the logo fade away. An example of this that I always found quite cool is BBC one, who use different motion backgrounds depending on what the show is. This is a great way to get the viewers ready for what they are about to watch, and makes the brand come to life in a way that it couldn’t without using motion.
Merchandise is a fantastic way to showcase a brand in a personal way, and when done correctly it can really develop a good emotional connecting between the brand and the customer. Merchandise can act as an incentive toward the customer, for example giving them a free lanyard, free hat or notebook for signing up or subscribing. It is important that you brand logo and work mark are placed in areas that are visible to the customer, and in places that they use daily such as pens or water bottles. Another way of doing this is by selling clothes, and this is commonly done as a way to not only make more revenue, but can also create excitement around customers. It is important though when designing clothes for your brand merchandise, that it actually looks good and isn’t just a logo, as people won’t want to wear it. Trying to make your merchandise fashionable is of great benefit in this scenario. Here is an example of Nintendos merchandise, and as you can see they have a pillow case with all the Nintendo characters, and have key rings and pencil cases that also showcase the characters.
Advertisement is also a touch point commonly used by brands to showcase themselves visually. Some examples of this include posters, billboards and leaflets. This is a great way to showcase your brand as this may be the only time someone sees your brand, so there must be thought and consideration into how advertisements look. The brand name and logo must be clearly seen, and customers should be able to work out what the brand is from just looking at the advert. Down below is an example of good advertising, as it clearly displays what the company does, and gives the name of the brand. It also uses effective imagery to reinforce what the company does, so that the customer can have a quick glance and know straight away what the brand is all about.
Although todays lecture was quite short, I still learnt a lot about what is involved in a brand roll out, and the different techniques and methods of showcasing your brand there is. I never realised that there were so many touch points, and now that I have learnt about them, it is cool to see how every time we buy something or use a product, there has been lots of different planned and thought out touch points, which take you on a journey from seeing an advert to using the product for yourself. I will definitely use what I learnt in todays class for my banking brand, and experiment with different mockups for roll out.