When it comes to “branding,’ marketers take it pretty seriously. Especially those at big corporations. It’s more than just the name of the product or company and the protection thereof.
When I’ve worked at “branded” concerns, there were thick manuals dealing with brand, specifically logos and other brand identity items. Specific colors (not just “red,” but red Pantone 220-pc), typefaces, location on letterhead and envelopes and other items were all spelled out in those manuals.
Think about the big corporations you know. Don’t many of them have a specific color associated with them? You wouldn’t expect to see the word Ford in a red or green oval, now would you.
One of the fastest growing retail companies in the U.S. is RedBox. See, it even uses a color in its name. You see them everywhere…stand-alones, Walgreen, McDonald’s. I checked. There are ten different spots withing five miles of my house where I can rent a movie for a buck a night.
Last spring, driving down to the in-laws for Spring Break, it was fairly easy to find different RedBox locations, since my son was insisting on watching “2012” , and it took us three stops to find a RedBox that had it in stock.
Today, I was in my local Wal*Mart store, which also has a placement deal with RedBox. Imagine my surprise to find the RedBox by the door, not red….but Wal*Mart blue. Same machine as all the other places, same computer screens….different color.
RedBox was originally owned, in part, by McDonald’s. I’m sure the folks at RedBox are very familiar with the “brand” manuals the McDonald’s people use. I’m sure RedBox has a “branding” manual of their own.
So, why is it one of my local RedBox locations isn’t a red box at all, but a blue box. Was it so important for the RedBox people to be in Wal*Mart, that they’re willing to become a BlueBox? And what about the new rental kiosks being started by Blockbuster? That company’s key color is a blue…not the same as Wal*mart blue, but a blue nonetheless.
Just a thought to ponder as you thinking about “branding.”
KT
Teale's Turn 
How can the Redbox machine be blue? Wow. That is such a mistake. One thing I learned in my many years at the Red Cross (yes, a brand also defined by a color), is that the color IS the brand.
I think Redbox is making a huge mistake making concessions for retailers such as Wal*Mart. In the end, they will be sorry they diluted their brand.
Posted by AndreaAnglin | July 29, 2010, 9:02 pmOne word: Target.
Posted by willswords | February 5, 2016, 9:09 pm