Article - Could Corporate Branding Be an Ancient Art?

25 Oct 2020

Corporate branding has been an integral part of business for a long time. It is so much part of daily life that this practice is almost taken for granted, unless an organisation re-brands itself, adopts new corporate branding insignia, or when a completely new concern or concept is launched, leading people to become curious about the brand, what it represents, and what the nature of its business may be.

Aspirational Trademarked Products

Even in relatively undeveloped regions, one may encounter awareness of certain world-famous, highly successful trademarks – Coca Cola, Levis, iPhones, Ray Bans, Mercedes Benz, BMW, and the like. People strive to attain and be associated with products that they perceive as representing status, affluence, good taste, and sophistication.

In reality, these perceptions are also prevalent in developed countries, where there’s an even greater appetite for a wider range of big-name goods. Famous labels and their products are aspirational, irrespective of the person’s financial position and social standing in a community or country.

Brand Customisation Specialists

Because corporate branding is an extremely component of modern marketing initiatives, it’s an enormous achievement for companies, specialising in the enhancement of brand awareness, to be appointed as official, accredited suppliers of corporate branded merchandise. XCO Group is proud to be one such leading supplier, known as a brand customisation specialist.

Typically, such merchandise consists of clothing and apparel, accessories, promotional items, headwear, work-, sports- and team wear, plus sundry equipment – all of which are products in which XCO Group specialises, as manufacturers, custom branding experts, and online wholesale suppliers to the corporate sector.

In-House Branding

All our corporate branding takes place in-house, at our XCO premises, and is performed by our own experienced staff members, who specialise in this vitally important function, be it embroidery or our variety of cutting-edge printing techniques. Since we don’t make use of sub-contractors and our merchandise is triple checked for faultless quality, our products are superior.

Once designed and approved, it is absolutely imperative that company insignia is 100% accurate and correct in every respect. Those who aren’t involved with these functions are generally unaware of the multitude of diverse factors that constitute the precise design, artwork, and execution of these identifying marks.

Science and Art

Typically, “outsiders’” knowledge begins and ends with adherence to an organisation’s specific Pantone shades, but, important as colour is, it’s only one element of perfect logo reproduction – a science and an art. It is worth keeping these ideas in mind when creating a logo:

• As mentioned, required shades and hues must conform to those of the originally approved emblem. If you’ve ever tried matching fabric or paint colours, you’ll know that not even the two extreme opposites – black and white – are without different hues and shades. Moreover, even when colours carry the same name, dye-lots and batch numbers differ, which invariably leads to colour variations.

• Location – if a logo is placed an appropriate distance from those who would view it, it’ll be clearly visible. Is the emblem to be placed near a queue, on a billboard, a TV or cinema screen, adjacent to a parking area, or attached to a lamppost, where it may be seen from a passing vehicle?

• The ratio between surface dimensions and logo size should be proportionate. An emblem on a sports field must be prominent, whilst this artwork should provide a multidimensional image. A logo on an online, printed document or shirt pocket may be compact. It should be larger on a laptop bag and bigger still, on the door or window of a vehicle.

• Background colour may detract from or enhance the appearance of the corporate brand. Ensure that your design takes this factor into account and compensates for variances, when and where necessary.

Although it has evolved to the precise science and art that it is today, a form of corporate branding actually existed in ancient times, notably that of the Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans of antiquity. Precious liquids, such as oils, resins, and wines, were stored and transported in clay or earthenware amphorae.

The amphora was a narrow-necked vessel, with a handle on each side and a pointed bottom. Its bottom’s shape ensured that the amphora would remain upright when placed in the sand, and if placed between the necks of a layer of amphorae below, these vessels could remain fairly stable and safe, also in an upright position, during transport by cart or ship. 

Sometimes, amphorae were stamped with the maker’s name, that of the wine or oil producer, the owner or the place of origin. Thus, modern corporate branding just might have a very colourful history, spanning many millennia. Get in touch with us today, and we’ll happily be of assistance to your brand-related needs.