Lessons in branding from the Royal Wedding

Love it or hate it, everyone seems to have an opinion on Will and Kate's wedding. It was highly scrutinised the world over -- even more so than Charles and Diana's.

Anyone who has ever organised a wedding knows it's a big job, but every detail in Friday's Royal Wedding was controlled to the nth degree for one big reason: this was the Royal Family's biggest branding opportunity in three decades.

Sure, there was a lovely couple who wanted to be joined in holy matrimony -- and I have no doubt that Prince William and Kate Middleton are completely in love -- but this was more than a wedding: this was an event that will turn half-hearted republicans back into monarchists (at least for a few days), and at the moment, the Royal Family needs all the support it can get.

In my opinion, the Number One rule for good branding is consistency. It's all about managing expectations and the Royal Family has been very particular about giving people what they want. So let's look at a few aspects of the Royal Wedding to see what we can learn.

Sticking with tradition
Let's start with Kate's dress. I was expecting something a bit more modern and understated, but I should have known better. Instead of the white halterneck gown with a floaty a-line skirt that I was envisiaging, lace sleeves and a long train emerged, ultra elegant, somewhat conservative, and reminiscent of Grace Kelly's 1956 wedding dress. It was fitting for the occasion, tying in with a traditional ceremony -- and it's not like they couldn't afford the extra fabric! It was flattering but didn't flaunt Kate's figure. Her slim physique has been both praised and criticised, but Kate's wedding dress quelled the body image debate. She looked stunning, and nobody could deny it. The dress was big, but not as big as Diana's. If it was any more daring, it would have been compared to Diana's and that was something the Royal Family, and no doubt Kate herself, wanted to avoid. Kate was also rumoured to have wanted flowers in her hair, but acting on the Queen's advice, wore a crown. It was more important for a non-Royal to look Royal.

Sticking it to tradition

So there's the traditional Royal brand, and then there's the new Royal brand. Princes William and Harry are adored because they appear more down-to-earth. Marrying a commoner (although there is nothing 'common' about Kate) reinforces this modern, edgy version of royalty, so it was fitting that there were a few modern touches in the Royal Wedding. Kate arrived in a Rolls Royce, instead of the traditional carriage. Their vows were fairly traditional, but there wasn't a sign of the 'honour and obey' clause. The freshly-married couple drove off in a 1969 Aston Martin, driven by Will, and decorated with streamers and L-plates by Prince Harry. Prince Harry and Kate's party planner sister, Pippa, also organised a disco-themed reception in Buckingham Palace so they could all dance the night away. Young, fun, modern. It was all about identifiable aspects of normal life making the Royal Wedding more relevant to the public, and thus increasing the popularity of the monarchy.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Choosing new titles for Will and Kate wasn't just a matter of plucking a name out of the air. Now, I don't know anything about how this works, but it looks like there were a few options available including Clarence and Sussex. The Royals had to avoid anything with a negative connotation, no matter how outdated that connotation may now be. According to Tim Ross (The Telegraph - UK), the last Duke of Clarence had been "been subject to speculation over his sexuality and mental capacity", while the 'Duke of Sussex' simply "sounded too suburban". Neither of these options (among others) would do. The decision to go with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was the right one, in my opinion, because of all the positive attributes associated with Cambridge such as education, sophistication and tradition. It's also apt because a previous Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, married his true love (a commoner) in 1847, although the Royal Family never officially recognised the marriage. If you're really into this stuff, read Tim Ross' original article.

The hot bridesmaid
Let's face it, Kate's younger sister, Pippa, looked amazing and the Middletons couldn't have found a better opportunity to thrust her into the spotlight. Overnight she became Britain's most eligible young woman, even though she's not single. Pippa's dress -- which could have made a lovely wedding dress itself -- showed off every inch of her figure, and yet somehow she stopped short of upstaging her sister. Pippa's name quickly became one of the highest-trending topics on Twitter and it was entertaining to read the speculation about a possible romance between her and Prince Harry. As much as Pippa and Harry would make a cute couple, and the Middletons are as good as royalty now anyway, such a pairing will never happen (or at least the Royal minders will make sure we never hear about it if it does). It would just be too weird for two brothers to marry two sisters. The Royal Wedding has done wonders for Pippa's public profile and even if she does wed her current boyfriend, the publicity will be very good for her party planning business. She was her own business card.

Comic relief

Apparently sticking a ridiculous hat to your forehead is the latest in Royal fashion. With the official wedding party looking so beautiful, it was up to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson (the one dressed as a Smurf) and even Posh Spice (who looked like she was going to a funeral) to provide audiences with a well-deserved belly laugh. Nobody could have predicted that Beatrice, in particular, was going to turn up with an elaborate papier-mâché door knocker on her brow, but at the same time, everybody eagerly awaited the worst-dressed list. With guests dressed like that, even Camilla Parker Bowles escaped unscathed.

The aftermath

Footage of a verger cartwheeling down the aisle of Westminster Abbey was a nice follow up to the Royal Wedding. Let's face it, he probably got a bit of a dressing down for being 'disrespectful', despite a representative from Westminster Abbey publicly defending him. In the real world though, who doesn't love a cartwheeling verger? Religion will also benefit from this spontaneous (or ingeniously set up) act.

It's so easy to be disappointed when an actual event doesn't live up to the hype, but thanks to meticulous planning, there has been almost no criticism of the Royal Wedding at all. Perhaps the Queen has quite a marketing brain under that lemon hat.

Until next time,
Gem.

Welcome to this brand spanking new blog

You may have a business.
You may have a logo.
You may have a sign out front.
You may even advertise.

But do you have a brand?

When many people think about branding, they think of the visual aspects: logos, slogans, advertising, staff uniforms. They're all important, but a brand is more than all those things.

We live in a heavily commoditised world. So many products and services, so much choice. If you sell a product, or offer a service for a price, YOU must differentiate yourself. Everyone thinks they're unique (and I am no exception) -- but without a good brand you just end up being a different shade of beige.

A whiff of something wonderful

Have you ever stood in front of a supermarket shelf pondering which washing powder you should buy? Do you go for the one with enzymes or optical brighteners? Do you choose 'Ocean Fresh' or 'Summer Breeze' scent? Do you choose lower residues or environmentally-friendly packaging? In the end, like most people, you will choose a brand you know - a trusted brand.

It probably wasn't the product itself that determined your choice, but it wasn't the logo or the packaging design either. And, if you mulled over your decision long enough, price probably never came into it. It was the feeling that brand name gave you. Something warm and fuzzy, safe and secure. You probably thought "My mum used this washing powder", or "This company has been around for ages", or "I don't want to risk using something different". It's probably all true, but that feeling you get when you choose that brand is based on emotion, not logic. And, when you wash your towels, hang them on the line and then take them back down again, that washing powder will -- in all likelihood -- live up to your expectations, and reinforce the feelings you have about it.

Nothing shatters a good brand faster than a bad experience

So now that you've made your washing powder decision, what would happen if you got home, opened the pack, and instead of sweet-smelling powder, the box was filled with something that smelled like vinegar? You notice a little starburst on the box saying "New environmentally-friendly scent!". You trust the brand so you use it anyway. After the washing machine has finished you open the lid and see that the powder hasn't dissolved at all. It's now in big clumps all through your clothes. It won't come off. In fact, it's taken some of the colour out of your favourite T-shirt. So now your clothes are ruined, and they stink like vinegar. You take a closer look at the pack. It used to be 1.5kg, but now it's only 1.3kg. Now it's a rip off too!

Had you chosen a new brand, and this had happened, you would think "I should have stayed with the brand I trusted". But this was your brand. It betrayed you. You are angry. You want revenge.

The next time you are at the shops you choose a different brand. "Suck on that!" you think to yourself.  It's going to take a lot of convincing to get you to change back to your old brand now.

This is what it's all about

It's so easy to make big branding mistakes -- and some of the biggest companies in the world have done just that. But it's also easy to create a good brand, and keep it that way.

I'm not going to pretend that I've got 50 years worth of experience in FMCG marketing. The experience I do have is practical. This blog is about my observations of good and bad brand moves. It's no-nonsense. It's not going to cost you a lot of money.

I hope you enjoy the journey.

Until next time...
Gem.