Brand Blueprint

Just a few years ago, the branding strategy for many blue-chip companies was full of hype.

It wasn’t so much the product per se but the excitement generated by the product. Rather than focusing on the products, companies tried to project a “cool”, “hip”, “trendy” image for their brand. This was understandable because the bulk of consumer electronics, like cellphones and laptops, increasingly appealed to the younger demographic. Nokia, for instance, didn’t concentrate on the features of its cellphones. Instead, it portrayed young successful people using them, to the tune of music like D’Sounds’ “Talkin’ Talk”.

In recent years, however, the branding direction for tech companies has changed. The charge was led by Apple, who actually focused on the features of their products like the iPod and iPhone. Rather than artificially creating hype for their brand, it was the groundbreaking innovations they made that did it for them.

Below are the new branding elements now being used by most tech companies.

Simplicity

Once again, Steve Job’s Cupertino, CA. based company took the lead.

Apple’s strategy is to use a very simple motif which extends to everything: from product launches (such as its yearly Devcon) to the very packaging of its products. Even the colors are simple. Nokia used to inundate us with bright, splashy colors, and tons of packaging material. Apple, on the other hand, used only black and white, and minimal packaging. All of these served to highlight the product itself and the innovations it carried.

Message

The branding message used to focus on being “in”:

“Buy me so you can be part of the cool crowd. I’m the newest in thing on the market.”

This was true for everything: from Ericsson’s latest phone to Sony’s newest Vaio series. In fact, the message seemed to focus exclusively on the “new” part.

Apple, on the other hand, took a different approach:

“Buy me for my features, you won’t regret it.”

Essentially, Apple pointed to the innovations of its product. The simple design and polished interface that attracted people to the company, and ironically, turned it into the “hip and cool” pop culture icon that it is today.

Informality

Finally, a common element that unites all tech makers today are is their informal atmosphere. Whether it’s a a new Galaxy tablet from Samsung or a mobile phone from Sony Ericsson, gone are the images of tie-wearing executives in their corporate housing N.Y. penthouses. Tech branding is reaching out to the everyday consumer, showing happy users lounging around in their homes. Even IBM’s business line laptops have gotten in on the act, showcasing features that can be used for entertainment at the end of the day, and not just business applications.