The Brand Weather Matrix
When the weather in London is mostly cold and wet, what does a brand with a rich, recognisable heritage do? Own the trend of course.
“If Shakespeare asked me, ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’ I would ask him what the weather’s like.” ~ Burberry
It’s a winning move, especially for an aspirational British brand like Burberry, standing out coolly in a sea of crowded campaigns and spurring a novel idea.
Your brand is not just about colour, logo, or tone. It’s also about climate.
The weather has a visceral effect on your mood, and its context is universal. Most people, as a ritual, keep themselves updated about the daily forecast. Take it from someone who inaugurated her spanking new leather jacket for her nieces’ birthday party, only to have it rain mercilessly during the ten minutes it took her to reach the venue from the parking lot.
Sober, wiser and with the jacket miraculously intact, I now think perhaps there’s a lesson for brands as well. Not everyone can be sartorially glamorous in the rain, better to have a mood board handy.
Here’s a simple 2x2 matrix to map your brand’s meteorology.
The Brand Weather Matrix - coincidentally, it works like a bildungsroman (a literary genre about coming of age).
Sunny Brands, as the name suggests, can add joy to your day. Guileless like children, these have bright logos, a cheerful tone and help the buyer feel good and energised. Innocent packs 100% natural orange juice in a variety of variants (pulpy, smooth, with bits); Duolingo has added chess and music practice to keep users engaged; while Ben & Jerry’s (with possibly the best co-founders) adds social joy to the world (along with the literal joy of ice-cream) by moving beyond symbolic gestures and fearlessly and consistently speaking out against global injustices.
Stormy Brands are the rebellious teenagers. They come unannounced, challenge your assumptions, and leave behind a trail of excitement and flurry. Diesel breaks the box, not just thinks outside of it; Vice is famous for its countercultural, alternative perspectives; and Revolut’s digital-first approach (soon joined by the likes of Monzo) has changed the game of traditional banking.
Rainy Brands are the grown-ups. They have reached a good place in life and feel poetic and nostalgic. They are your constants in an unpredictable world and emphasise emotional storytelling, soothing colours and cinematic resonance. Think Dove with its Real Beauty campaign or, more recently, Burberry, celebrating London in Love.
Finally, we have Snowy Brands, the old souls of the group. They are calm and collected, believe in muted tones, white space, and precise typography. Muji is the ‘antithesis to consumerism’ while Apple, paradoxically, seems to have spawned the ecosystem of consumerism. They are both, however, content as market leaders and exude sophistication and confidence in their minimalism.
Now, your brand doesn’t have to stick to one quadrant alone. It can evolve with time and be a fair-weather trend. You can even have seasonal shifts in the same campaign, going from sunny and playful in your packaging to snowy and thoughtful in your communication.
The idea is to help your brand find its elemental language.
If I were to find mine, it would be a cosy drizzle in sunny weather with a flash of rainbow.
