How Brands Violate Our Expectations - For Better and For Worse
Written by: Ava Privratsky
Former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Michael Eisner, famously said that “a brand is a living entity” - and he was absolutely correct. Brands are much like people - they have values, they express themselves through what they wear, and they communicate messages to everyone with whom they interact. A brand is more than just the design assets and the marketing strategies a company chooses to use - it is the values, missions, and experiences of its employees and customers.
And just like how we have expectations about people’s actions and behaviors, we also have expectations about what brands should do, how they should look, and what they should provide for us.
Our brand expectations are formed through our experiences and what we are exposed to throughout our lives. Everyone grows up using different brands (often because of the influence of their family, friends, and geographic locations), and eventually, we choose brands for ourselves based on who we are as individuals.
But what happens when a company makes unexpected or non-traditional decisions for the look or representation of its brand? We can see throughout history that some brands decide to take a leap and create branding that violates our expectations to try to stand out in their market. This results in either a good or bad perception from consumers, depending on a handful of factors (e.g., affordable price, attractive/interesting look (design assets and packaging), practical use, etc.).
In some cases, unexpected or violating branding can help a product stand out. By creating something new and exciting, companies fill gaps in the market and attract new groups of consumers to their niche. But how far is too far in violating branding? When companies narrow down a brand to too small of an interest, group, or community, the product is no longer universal enough to succeed in consumer attraction and sales on a larger scale.
Companies have to consider what will make creating unexpected branding worth it. This decision is often based on the age and following of the company. Suppose a company has existed for years and has developed a loyal customer base. In that case, they may have more leeway in their branding and violation because they already have committed customers who know and love their product.
On the contrary, new brands might want to use unexpected branding to gain traction in the media or get people’s attention in an existing market. However, due to the low levels of customer loyalty and trust in the brand, the violation might be enough to turn away customers who are less curious or willing to try something new.
And therein lies the final point - at the end of the day, each of our personal identities is the decider of our consumer habits and whether or not violating branding is successful. The modern consumer is incredibly complex in their identities, interests, decision-making, attention spans, loyalty patterns, and overall shopping behaviors. It’s hard for companies to determine who will want and purchase what products based solely on consumer demographics because there are many more layers to the decision than what initially meets the eye.
Designers and marketers need to think about branding and expectations to help companies generate success. But it is just as important for every consumer to be aware of their habits and processes so that they may buy and do what is best for them as an individual.