How to Brand like Apple, McDonald's and Coca Cola

How to Brand Like Apple, McDonald’s & Coca Cola

The ultimate guide on the branding strategies of Coca Cola, Apple, and McDonald's.

The primary steps for branding a successful company include the message, research, values, education, perception, and experience.

The branding strategies implemented by three of among the world’s most valuable companies take this a step further.

They have become masters at simplifying complexity with their brands.

Their techniques can also get implemented into your own life and business.

In this short article, you will learn some of the approaches taken by three large companies to become and stay world-renowned brands.

1. How to brand like Apple

Brand Like Apple Logo

Steve Jobs was excellent at branding.

Here are three of the lessons that you can take away from Jobs’ branding success:

1. Make the buyer’s experience clean and simple.

When you walk into an Apple store, you can find the product you are looking for without being bogged down by signs.

Everything that Apple does centres on being fast and straightforward – from their advertising to their buying experience.

2. Appeal to your audience visually.

Rather than merely writing an advertisement for your new product, make a video about it.

Show users why they should buy it.

Take Apple’s iPad or iPhone, for instance: after watching a video presentation on either of these products, it generally becomes hard to resist the urge to try it out.

3. Create an advertisement that tells an authentic story.

What does the customer lack in their life? How can your product make life easier?

2. How to brand like McDonald’s

Brand like McDonalds Logo

I cannot think of one person I know who has not eaten at McDonald’s at least once in their life.

With that said, it becomes evident that the company has been successful in its branding strategies.

Even amid the politics involved in commerce and negative press produced by competition, McDonald’s is still thriving and has a powerful international brand.

Tailoring advertisements towards specific demographics is one of McDonald’s main branding strategies.

In this way, the company could promote what will be highly successful in one place that may not be as successful in another. 

Just because market research shows that particular food will be a high seller in America, it does not mean that it will sell as well in Europe.

Thus, McDonald’s aims to tailor its message to the audience.

Keep in mind, though, that their advertisements stay memorable, exciting, fun, and repetitive through their slogan: “I’m lovin’ it.”

Also, there is a goldmine behind the McDonald’s Monopoly, which is a powerful prize-game and marketing technique running since 1987.

So, be sure to stay consistent with your promotions.

3. How to brand like Coca-Cola

Brand like Coca-Cola Logo

The Coca Cola company has long been recognised as one of the most successful companies in history, and a part of this gets attributed to its outstanding branding campaigns over the years.

As unhealthy as most of their products are – when most people see a red soda can or a bottle with a red label or logo, their minds immediately jump to “Coke.”

The company is also known for its use of polar bears as well as the different font of its logo.

Coca Cola has kept the same font since they started branding in the 19th Century, with only minor adjustments on the emphasis.

Attention to detail is of the utmost importance to this company, and so is consistency.

Coke acts by the company’s traditions, even throughout its branched products such as Coke Zero.

Long-term use of these staple advertisements and graphics over many decades (since 1886) has created a brand like no other.

There are countless approaches when it comes to branding a name – and the list can go on.

Apple, McDonald’s and Coca Cola took things a step at a time.

It took them decades to spread their brands.

In the 21st Century, branding has become more scalable.

Google, Facebook, eBay and Amazon have done it at a faster pace.

Conclusion

The time-frame in which brands could get established has decreased, and the trend looks like it will continue.

The fundamentals are the same – build your brand, offer something constructive, be ethical and remain consistent.

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Also, be sure to read our 20 powerful branding ideas from the most popular companies in the world.

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