We ran across this story in the Guardian yesterday which highlights that Tesco have bought into a new coffee shop concept chain which some feel is misleadingly branded as if it’s an independent. This struck us as particularly interesting as since starting up last year, we have received briefs from both small upstarts which are hoping to pass themselves off as more established brands, as well as larger corporate ones who are spinning off ‘independent concepts’ and selecting branding and design firms outside their normal stable so that no essence of their existing brands will taint the new firm’s.
This leads us to question which is the greater sin: appearing to be more, or less ‘corporate’ than in reality? Or is either mission sinful at all?
Of course, one mission of branding is to create a corporate personality which will resonate with a firm’s target audience. In this way, I believe parallels can be easily drawn between acceptable practices in corporate branding, and grooming oneself for a social outing.
So, with this in mind, let’s put things in perspective. Growing up, my Christmases were spent scampering between grandparents’ homes and our own home. My father’s mother was a classic perfectionist. She was the type of lady who spent the weeks and months before Christmas personally knitting stockings for her 12 grandchildren so that they would be hung by the chimney in time to receive Santa’s gifts. She would wear her pearls on the day and see to it that the house was decked with cedar and holly. It was a lovely, warm and caring house–but as children, we knew to wear our Sunday’s best. And we were expected to present ourselves in the best light in our interactions with others–perfect attendance, straight A’s, honour school acceptance and a proficiency in piano were to be discussed whereas any family drama was off the playlist. Children would open their prettily wrapped and thoughtfully selected packages one by one as our pleased grandparents looked on.
Following lunch at my father’s childhood home, we’d then scamper home for a quick wardrobe change. Comfy jeans and sweaters would do fine as we were off to my mother’s parents’ dairy farm. My grandmother would have a small ceramic Christmas tree sitting atop the TV and the small house would be filled to the gills with squealing children and raucous laughter amongst the adults. The family room was dismantled on Christmas Eve so huge cafeteria style tables filled the common room. Family drama was still off the playlist, but we were encouraged to play rather than highlight our accomplishments amongst the others. Grandma would have huge stacks of presents waiting for each child and everyone would rip into them simultaneously and then personally thank grandma for her thoughtfulness once things had quieted down.
Both grandmothers had the same childhood story. Both very smart women from humble roots with roughly the same (relatively high) net worth at the time of these celebrations, living within 10 km of one another. But one had branded herself as a classy, well-to-do traditionalist whereas the other was positioned as a comfy, practical woman true to her own humble roots. She had no airs.
If asked pointed questions regarding their roots or status, either woman would have volunteered the truth without hesitation.
So, in our view, the small start-ups aiming to be seen as more established could have something in common with my father’s pearl-clad mother. And Tesco’s new independent cafe may have something in common with my mum’s cozy, comfortable mum. Both the Tesco concept cafe and the small upstarts wishing to seem more corporate and established would volunteer the truth without hesitation. Is either sinful? GIven our experience in living this analogy, we think not…
