Building brand icons

Investec started associating their brand with a zebra in 2001 when the bank launched in the UK...and to this day, they are still using it.

Nike's Just Do It slogan was first used way back in 1988.

Santam's iconic yellow umbrella was first used in 1981.

The Lacoste 'crocodile logo' was first embroidered on one of René Lacoste's blazers in 1927. It was immediately adopted as the Lacoste brand's official icon and is regarded as the first brand ever to display a visible logo on an article of clothing.

Turning a distinctive icon into a valuable brand asset takes time, and patience, and a lot of money, but consistency - over many, many years - compounds the value of these iconic marks in the memories of people.

Symbols like these are far more powerful than a million lines of clever campaign copy.

Building brand icons is like growing a rainforest from scratch. It takes vision, consistency and a lot of patient application to reap the reward in time.

As always...the best time to plant the seed of that glorious brand future is right now.

Then the task is to avoid deviating away some the simple ideas that you are trying to grow with endless repetition.