Historically, branding has been understood (or misunderstood) as a predominantly visual pursuit. “A Brief Overview of the History of Branding” from the Advertising Education Foundation (AEF) notes that “Since the time people created goods to trade or sell, or as far back in time as when people owned cattle, there have been trademarks, symbols, signs or posters, pictorial signs…” One can even argue that the modern branding industry favors the visual over verbal, with leading firms having roots sunk deeply in graphic design and visual identity.
Nonetheless, as branding has evolved, verbal acuity (for strategic expression) and creativity (for brand personality and communication) have taken their places alongside the visual arts as essential skills. And, in fairness to the AEF report cited above, that list of types of branding ends with “… and hawkers,” nodding to verbal branding’s importance from the very beginning.
For the latest edition of The Branding Roundtable, we reached out to three current verbal branding experts to get their thoughts on the nature, importance, and current challenges of non-visual branding:
- Alexander Haldemann, PhD, CEO, MetaDesign
- Martyn Tipping, CEO, TippingGardner
- Claude Singer, Executive Vice President, Senior Brand Strategist, Siegelvision
You’re invited to download the full PDF, take in the discussion and then return to this page with your comments.