Who doesn’t love a talking animal? They’re cute, engaging and memorable. Think of the Alfac duck or the GEICO gecko. Each insurance company uses animal characters to differentiate their brands, and achieve a first call advantage with their customers.
Animals take a company from being faceless and cold to giving them a voice and a personality. The gecko helps to position GEICO as a servant brand that is accessible to anyone. The gecko is portrayed as a friendly neighbor offering insight into buying car insurance, “fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.” I am sure this tagline would not carry the same meaning if delivered by an actor or actress.
I too use animals in the development of my brands. I like them, because they are effective carriers of meaning.
LEAPJob is a Frog
LEAPJob’s brand is represented by the red-eyed treefrog. Choosing a frog was easy for this brand, because the name LEAPJob is a play on the phrase leap frog. Of course we had to include a frog in the identity.
The LEAPJob character, affectionately known as Leapy, is always presented in motion. This is to convey the excitement and possibilities of career advancement. The personification also helps customers get a sense of LEAPJob’s style and personality.
Sticky Branding is a Bee
Finding the animal representation of Sticky Branding was a little tougher. We didn’t want to use images of glue or honey, because they don’t capture the essence of Sticky Branding. Sticky Branding is about attraction. It’s about drawing in customers, building relationships and creating a first call advantage.
At first we chose the peacock to represent Sticky Branding. Peacocks flare out their plumage to attract a mate, as well as to scare off an attacker. But the peacock image did not resonate with Sticky Branding. It wasn’t sticky.
We came to the bee imagery when we used an analogy to describe what Sticky Branding does, “attracting customers like bees to honey.” The visual identity fell into place very quickly after that.
I am a Raven
I don’t have a logo for my personal brand, but I do associate my brand with the raven.
Ravens are smart, playful and effective problem solvers. They are also portrayed as creators and tricksters in folklore. Their tricks go against expectations and norms, but the results of their actions often lead to profound, positive change.
What is your animal?
What animal is your brand? This is a simple and fun game. What animal best represents your company and why?
