The Brand Mark Competitors Map as Visual Research Tool. Using Graphic and Symbolic Data in the Brand Visual Identity Project

Abstract

In the scope of Branding projects, the (re) designing of the Visual Identity of Brands or in the scope of audits of Brand Image, we proceed to the research on Brand Marks. This analysis falls on the Brand Marks that will be intervened, but also on Brand Marks of competitors or cases considered as good practices. The research stage on Brand Marks is common in academic or professional projects and students and professionals have difficulty in giving meaning and usefulness to the information collected. The most widely used visual analysis tools allow for the characterization of samples made up of Brand Marks, but these do not help in the extraction of specific conclusions centered on meaning and design. This article describes the development of the competitors map, the Visual Research Tool which allows the objective analysis of Brand Marks, which allows for decision making about the design effectiveness of an isolated Brand Mark or about its (re) design by comparison to a sample of competing Brand Marks. This Visual Research Tool has been developed through literature review, analysis of other tools, the inclusion of a semantic, syntactic and pragmatic analysis, which also includes classifications such as the iconicity scale or the Vienna Classification, as well as principles of visual rhetoric. Using visual and symbolic data, this Visual Research Tool supports professionals and students to create strategic strategies for Brand Visual Identity. This article reports on the creation and evaluation of the Brand Marks’ competitor map.