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Branding: In Five and a Half Steps
Michael Johnson is one of the world’s leading graphic designers and brand consultants. His studio, johnson banks, is responsible for the rebranding of many notable clients, including Virgin Atlantic, Think London, BFI, Christian Aid, and MORE TH>N, and he has garnered a plethora of awards in the process.
In Branding, Johnson strips everyday brands down to their basic components, with case studies that enable us to understand why we select one product or service over another and allow us to comprehend how seemingly subtle influences can affect key life decisions. The first part of the book shows how the birth of a brand begins not with finding a solution but rather with identifying the correct question—the missing gap in the market—to which an answer is needed. Johnson proceeds to unveil hidden elements involved in creating a successful brand—from the strapline that gives the brand a narrative and a purpose to clever uses of typography that unite design and language.
With more than 1,000 vibrant illustrations showcasing the world’s most successful corporate identities, as well as generic templates enabling you to create your own brand or ad with ease, Branding explores every step of the development process required to create the simplest and most immediately compelling brands.
In Branding, Johnson strips everyday brands down to their basic components, with case studies that enable us to understand why we select one product or service over another and allow us to comprehend how seemingly subtle influences can affect key life decisions. The first part of the book shows how the birth of a brand begins not with finding a solution but rather with identifying the correct question—the missing gap in the market—to which an answer is needed. Johnson proceeds to unveil hidden elements involved in creating a successful brand—from the strapline that gives the brand a narrative and a purpose to clever uses of typography that unite design and language.
With more than 1,000 vibrant illustrations showcasing the world’s most successful corporate identities, as well as generic templates enabling you to create your own brand or ad with ease, Branding explores every step of the development process required to create the simplest and most immediately compelling brands.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published November 15, 2016
82 people are currently reading
1783 people want to read
About the author
Michael Johnson
4 books6 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Hi my name's Michael Johnson, I'm a designer and brand consultant based in London. My company johnson banks creates brands for organisations and companies across the world. We've rebranded London's Science Museum, Virgin Atlantic and Unicef UK. Globally we've branded a space observatory in Japan, a famous park in Paris, worked for the Guggenheim in New York and the Gates foundation in the Middle East. We're currently working with one of the pioneers of a freer internet, Mozilla, producers of the Firefox browser.
I became interested in writing books about 15 years ago when I started work on my first book, Problem Solved, recently out in its second edition (Phaidon Press, 2012). That identified the recurring issues I faced as a designer, splitting them up into 19 different types and supplying the answer.
More recently I've just published Branding. In Five and a Half Steps (Thames and Hudson 2016). This is an attempt on my part to write a definitive guide to the strategy and design of brand identities. Up until now, you've been faced with a pile of books on strategy, or a separate pile on logo design. I wanted to put all that I've learned in 25 years at branding's coal-face into just one, reasonably priced book, and fill it with good advice and great examples. You can see more of my work at johnsonbanks.co.uk, and read more of my thoughts on the johnson banks thought for the week - our design blog which often gets hundreds of thousands of hits.
Hi my name's Michael Johnson, I'm a designer and brand consultant based in London. My company johnson banks creates brands for organisations and companies across the world. We've rebranded London's Science Museum, Virgin Atlantic and Unicef UK. Globally we've branded a space observatory in Japan, a famous park in Paris, worked for the Guggenheim in New York and the Gates foundation in the Middle East. We're currently working with one of the pioneers of a freer internet, Mozilla, producers of the Firefox browser.
I became interested in writing books about 15 years ago when I started work on my first book, Problem Solved, recently out in its second edition (Phaidon Press, 2012). That identified the recurring issues I faced as a designer, splitting them up into 19 different types and supplying the answer.
More recently I've just published Branding. In Five and a Half Steps (Thames and Hudson 2016). This is an attempt on my part to write a definitive guide to the strategy and design of brand identities. Up until now, you've been faced with a pile of books on strategy, or a separate pile on logo design. I wanted to put all that I've learned in 25 years at branding's coal-face into just one, reasonably priced book, and fill it with good advice and great examples. You can see more of my work at johnsonbanks.co.uk, and read more of my thoughts on the johnson banks thought for the week - our design blog which often gets hundreds of thousands of hits.
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January 26, 2021
The book’s greatest strength and weakness is the same thing. It is a well-designed, easy-to-read book that covers branding with a balanced mix of practical tips, theoretical ideas and examples that illustrate the points. In that, it covers everything it needs to cover in a beautiful package (oh my god, the book is so well-designed, from the fonts and the cover to the images and the layout).
On the other hand, that also means that the book falls just short if you’re looking for complexity and depth in any one of these areas. You will not find hands-on exercises that help you understand technique better or plethoras of practical tips. You will not find detailed theoretical explanations for how branding works. You will not find in-depth case-studies that explore successes and failures of specific projects.
But then, that is kind of the point. If you’re looking for any of those things, find a book that does that. This is more of an broad, well-rounded, beautifully designed exploration of the process of branding. The lack of depth can easily be solved through some self-paced supplementation. If you find an example you like, study it deeply. That’s just something you have to do to get the most out of this.
Overall, it’s focus is on the generalisations. On the ideas that apply across branding projects for all organisations, large and small, profit-based and governmental. In that, the book succeeds. If you wanna get a ground-floor understanding of branding, it’s definitely for you. It’s very general, it covers its bases but only just. It’s beautiful.
Personally, I would have liked the additional depth. I have been reading about branding for a long time, through articles and other books. (How To by Michael Beirut comes to mind). That meant I couldn’t enjoy this as much as someone who’s coming into this with no understanding or a rudimentary understanding of what the branding process is like.
P.S. The steps themselves are really wide. And it’s not really 5 (and a half) steps. It’s more, 2 broad steps (strategy and design), with there being 2 distinct steps for strategy and...well, the 3 design steps are not as distinct, much more merged together. Still, it’s a good layout and it helps understand the process he’s talking about.
On the other hand, that also means that the book falls just short if you’re looking for complexity and depth in any one of these areas. You will not find hands-on exercises that help you understand technique better or plethoras of practical tips. You will not find detailed theoretical explanations for how branding works. You will not find in-depth case-studies that explore successes and failures of specific projects.
But then, that is kind of the point. If you’re looking for any of those things, find a book that does that. This is more of an broad, well-rounded, beautifully designed exploration of the process of branding. The lack of depth can easily be solved through some self-paced supplementation. If you find an example you like, study it deeply. That’s just something you have to do to get the most out of this.
Overall, it’s focus is on the generalisations. On the ideas that apply across branding projects for all organisations, large and small, profit-based and governmental. In that, the book succeeds. If you wanna get a ground-floor understanding of branding, it’s definitely for you. It’s very general, it covers its bases but only just. It’s beautiful.
Personally, I would have liked the additional depth. I have been reading about branding for a long time, through articles and other books. (How To by Michael Beirut comes to mind). That meant I couldn’t enjoy this as much as someone who’s coming into this with no understanding or a rudimentary understanding of what the branding process is like.
P.S. The steps themselves are really wide. And it’s not really 5 (and a half) steps. It’s more, 2 broad steps (strategy and design), with there being 2 distinct steps for strategy and...well, the 3 design steps are not as distinct, much more merged together. Still, it’s a good layout and it helps understand the process he’s talking about.
March 26, 2025
- 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫? Today we will talk but that.
𝐀 𝐅a𝐢r W𝐚r𝐧i𝐧g, this would feel less like a book review and more like an undergrad marketing assignment-but stick with me. Remember my Instagram birthday book haul last year?
[𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA5ENL...
Well, the one book I was practically glowing about getting my hands on was this beauty right here: "Branding: In Five and a Half Steps" by world famous, award winning British graphic designer, Brand consultant and founder of Johnson Banks, Mr. Michael Johnson. And guess what? It's finally been devoured!
But first, a huge thanks to my amazing wife for gifting me this absolutely stunning, beautifully illustrated, and (let’s be honest) quite expensive book. Special credit goes to my sister-in-law Nowshin for helping her pick it out. I’m pretty sure my wife got it from IndoBangla Books, as I had been keeping a tab on this book for quite some times, and they were the only vendor with a copy in stock in Bangladesh. It was published by Thames & Hudson on November 15, 2016.
I told you before that, I’ve had a serious crush on this hotty for a while. Now, you might be thinking, "Marketing? Isn't that for grown-ups?" That might be true but that won’t be a problem. Also, I'm not exactly a marketing major. But the idea of how brands work – how they connect with us, make us feel things, and stick in our heads – has always fascinated me. This book, "Branding: In Five and a Half Steps," promised to break it all down in a way that even I could understand. And let me tell you, it totally delivers.
𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍: Branding is kind of like creating a superhero—it's about making something (a product, company, or even a person) stand out and be unforgettable. Michael Johnson’s book breaks it down into five and a half steps that guide us through the process of building a brand.
🕵️ 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 – 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 & 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲: Before creating a brand, we need to do proper research work. This means researching the market, analyzing competitors, understanding the company’s history, and most importantly, figuring out what people really want. Here, branding experts act like detectives—they study what other companies are doing, identify what people like (or dislike) about similar products or services, and ask important questions to uncover valuable insights. The key idea is to find out what's already out there and what people are looking for before we can build something great. Example: McDonald’s saw people loving coffee, so they launched McCafé to compete with Starbucks.
📖 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 & 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 – 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆: Once we have the research, it's time to make a plan (the strategy) for what the company wants to achieve and how they want to be seen. They also craft a story (the narrative) about the company – what it stands for and why it's special. This step is about defining the brand's soul (Brand Personality). What does the brand believe in (Brand Purpose)? What makes it unique (Brand Positioning)? What story does it want to tell the world (Brand Storytelling)? It's like writing the script for a movie—this narrative will guide everything the brand does. We're essentially figuring out the brand's personality, its core message, and how it should connect with people. Example: Coca-Cola doesn’t just sell soda—it sells happiness and togetherness.
🌉 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮.𝟱: 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗽 – 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: This is the special half-step where we connect our research (Step 1) with our strategy (Step 2) and unfortunately where many brands fail. We've gathered the ideas and seen the instructions from our investigation. Now we need to make sure all these ideas work together, make sense, and match reality. In branding, this means fixing any gaps between the brand's intended message and how people actually see it. We can think of it as the glue that connects the plan with the design—ensuring that what we want to say actually comes across the way we intend 🛠. Example: GAP tried to redesign its logo in 2010, but people hated it because it didn’t match their style. They changed it back in six days!
🎨 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 – 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆: Now comes the visual magic! Here we need to design the brand’s "costume" which should match its personality. The branding experts create the "look and feel" of the company. They design the logo, the colors, the fonts, packaging 📦, websites 🌎, and even the pictures and videos the company will use – anything that visually represents the brand. This is about making the company's "look" stand out and be easily recognized. Example: Apple's design is sleek and minimalistic, making it feel premium and futuristic.
🚀 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲: This is where the brand goes live, i.e., the company starts using the new branding everywhere. For a brand, this means launching ads 📢, social media campaigns 📱, and making sure people start recognizing it everywhere. Consistency is key! The more people see the brand in a uniform way, the more memorable it becomes. Example: Netflix releases trailers, posters, and social media campaigns to hype up new shows.
🔄 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲 – 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲: Brands are like babies—they need constant love and care! This step is about keeping the customers interested and happy with the brand. It could be through good customer service, fun promotions (engage). Sometimes, if the brand isn't doing as well as expected, the company might need to change its strategy or design to make it better (revive). The key idea is to make people love the brand and keeping it exciting, or making changes if it's not working as well as it could. Example: Google slightly updates its logo every few years to stay fresh.
𝐒𝐨, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠! At its core, branding is all about creating emotions and telling a great story. Just like superheroes have a strong identity, branding helps companies tell a story, create a unique look, and make people feel something special - excited, happy, curious, or inspired. Think about it: Disney makes people feel magical, Nike makes people feel powerful. A well-crafted brand can become as iconic and memorable as 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍—standing for something bigger than just a product or service. So, we have to remember, great branding isn't just about looking good. It's about making people feel something extraordinary. Now, let’s talk about the book itself.
𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍: My take? I believe, "Branding: In Five and a Half Steps" is a fantastic read for anyone wanting to understand the power of branding without getting bogged down in complicated terms. It's engaging, easy to understand, and genuinely insightful as this isn't some boring textbook jargon fest. Johnson doesn’t just throw theories at us—he shows us how branding works and why some brands leave a lasting impact while others fade into oblivion. What I loved most was how it made complex ideas feel simple. It breaks down the intellectual side of branding into easy-to-grasp concepts with full of real-world case studies, breaking down how brands evolve, how they fail, and how they become iconic. But — (and here’s the but) I also have to say that—it’s dense. This isn’t a light read. It’s detailed, technical, and visually rich (over 900 illustrations), so it demands attention. If you’re looking for quick branding tips, this isn’t it. If you want a deep dive into the art and science of branding? You’ll love it.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭? Worth every penny.
𝐒𝐨, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭: 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬.
Step 1: Investigate: For the International market, our target audience will be primarily Health-conscious urban professionals (ages 25-45), fitness enthusiasts, eco-conscious millennials. And our secondary target could be travelers, parents (concerned about kids' hygiene), corporate wellness programs, environmental activists etc. Market Trends & Insights shows that, people started caring more about hygiene & self-cleaning solutions after the covid pandemic, thus more users syncing with Apple Health & Fitbit. Research also shows that, 68% of millennials are willing to pay extra for eco-friendly products (Statista, 2023). Now, let’s compare competitor Benchmarking & Market Gaps:
Feature LARQ-Hydro Flask-Soma-AquaPure
UV Cleaning ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅
Hydration Tracking. ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅
Eco-Friendly ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅
Affordability ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅
Step 2: Strategy and Narrative: Our Brand story could be: "Born from Bangladeshi innovation, AquaPure combines cutting-edge UV-C technology with recycled ocean plastic to protect your health and our planet—one sip at a time." Our Brand Positioning Could be: AquaPure is the first mid-range smart, self-cleaning water bottle that combines hygiene, hydration tracking, and sustainability—all in one affordable package. Our USP’s be UV-C Light Sterilization which will make sure of killing 99.9% of bacteria in water, Temperature control (keeps water cold for 24hrs / hot for 12hrs), then AI Hydration Tracking which will sync with both iOS and Android, and lastly using sustainable materials. Now, comes the point, where we have to figre out what characters/ personalities our brand should have when people would think about us? We would go for Trustworthy (Medical-grade tech, certified by FDA/CE), Innovative (AI-powered hydration alerts) and Eco-friendly (Tackling plastic waste problem).
Step 2.5: Bridging the Gap: This is the part where we will be connecting Strategy to Reality; i.e. connecting our research (Step 1) with our strategy (Step 2) and like I said earlier, unfortunately where many brands fail. So, let’s talk about the challenges we might face and ways of tackling it. People will always worry abour UV safety and Cancer which we can talke by partnaring with Johns Hopkins for hygiene efficacy study. Since the target market will be quite large, we can offer Kickstarter early bird pricing ($49) for first adopters so that others don’t think it as too expensive. Also, we should be emotionally connecting with the consumers by sharing impactful stories, such as Each bottle sold = 1 kg of ocean plastic removed".
Step 3: Design: This is the part where visualization will take place, i.e. we will create the brand identity. Our logo could be A clean and modern design combining a stylized water droplet with a subtle microchip or wave pattern, symbolizing purity and technology and primary color could be Aqua Blue (trust & purity) + Glacier White (cleanliness & technology). Minimalist and eco-friendly design using recycled and biodegradable materials will be used for packaging but the unboxing experience focused on a sense of premium quality and sustainability. We will include a Include a QR code linking to an AR experience showcasing the transformation of ocean plastic into the AquaPure bottle and highlighting its features and also Meet the Fisherman video (shows how ocean plastic was collected & recycled). Best tagline for AquaPure would be: "Pure Water, Smart Hydration."
Step 4: Implement: AquaPure’s implementation strategy will be as follows:
* Pre-Launch (Month 1-2): Teaser Ads: Instagram/TikTok ads → "What if your water bottle cleaned itself?" Influencer Seeding: Send samples to fitness & sustainability YouTubers (e.g., MattDoesFitness, EcoWarrior).
* Launch (Month 3): Amazon Prime Exclusive (fastest-growing health-tech category). Retail Expansion: Whole Foods (USA), Decathlon (EU), Muji (Asia).
* Experiential Marketing: Hydration Stations at Marathons (free water refills + live product demos). Corporate Wellness Tie-Ups (bulk sales to Google, Apple campuses).
We will highlight the "hygiene, smart, sustainable" USP in all marketing materials while emphasizing the health benefits and convenience of the self-cleaning feature. Also, showcasing the environmental impact of using a bottle made from recycled materials and lastly, utilize high-quality visuals and videos demonstrating the product's features and benefits and all of this together will be our Marketing & Communication strategy.
Step 5: Engage or Revive: For Sustaining the Brand, we will create an eco-system, where we will Tracks hydration & gamifies healthy habits (badges, streaks, rewards) and Rewards eco-friendly actions (e.g., refilling = points for discounts). We will engage consumers with User-Generated Content with #AquaPureLife) and through Live Ocean Cleanup Map on website (tracks how much plastic AquaPure has removed) we will engage the mass in our Sustainability Impact Tracking program. ...𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝟎𝟏 & 𝟎𝟐...
𝐀 𝐅a𝐢r W𝐚r𝐧i𝐧g, this would feel less like a book review and more like an undergrad marketing assignment-but stick with me. Remember my Instagram birthday book haul last year?
[𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA5ENL...
Well, the one book I was practically glowing about getting my hands on was this beauty right here: "Branding: In Five and a Half Steps" by world famous, award winning British graphic designer, Brand consultant and founder of Johnson Banks, Mr. Michael Johnson. And guess what? It's finally been devoured!
But first, a huge thanks to my amazing wife for gifting me this absolutely stunning, beautifully illustrated, and (let’s be honest) quite expensive book. Special credit goes to my sister-in-law Nowshin for helping her pick it out. I’m pretty sure my wife got it from IndoBangla Books, as I had been keeping a tab on this book for quite some times, and they were the only vendor with a copy in stock in Bangladesh. It was published by Thames & Hudson on November 15, 2016.
I told you before that, I’ve had a serious crush on this hotty for a while. Now, you might be thinking, "Marketing? Isn't that for grown-ups?" That might be true but that won’t be a problem. Also, I'm not exactly a marketing major. But the idea of how brands work – how they connect with us, make us feel things, and stick in our heads – has always fascinated me. This book, "Branding: In Five and a Half Steps," promised to break it all down in a way that even I could understand. And let me tell you, it totally delivers.
𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍: Branding is kind of like creating a superhero—it's about making something (a product, company, or even a person) stand out and be unforgettable. Michael Johnson’s book breaks it down into five and a half steps that guide us through the process of building a brand.
🕵️ 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 – 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 & 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲: Before creating a brand, we need to do proper research work. This means researching the market, analyzing competitors, understanding the company’s history, and most importantly, figuring out what people really want. Here, branding experts act like detectives—they study what other companies are doing, identify what people like (or dislike) about similar products or services, and ask important questions to uncover valuable insights. The key idea is to find out what's already out there and what people are looking for before we can build something great. Example: McDonald’s saw people loving coffee, so they launched McCafé to compete with Starbucks.
📖 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 & 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 – 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆: Once we have the research, it's time to make a plan (the strategy) for what the company wants to achieve and how they want to be seen. They also craft a story (the narrative) about the company – what it stands for and why it's special. This step is about defining the brand's soul (Brand Personality). What does the brand believe in (Brand Purpose)? What makes it unique (Brand Positioning)? What story does it want to tell the world (Brand Storytelling)? It's like writing the script for a movie—this narrative will guide everything the brand does. We're essentially figuring out the brand's personality, its core message, and how it should connect with people. Example: Coca-Cola doesn’t just sell soda—it sells happiness and togetherness.
🌉 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮.𝟱: 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗽 – 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: This is the special half-step where we connect our research (Step 1) with our strategy (Step 2) and unfortunately where many brands fail. We've gathered the ideas and seen the instructions from our investigation. Now we need to make sure all these ideas work together, make sense, and match reality. In branding, this means fixing any gaps between the brand's intended message and how people actually see it. We can think of it as the glue that connects the plan with the design—ensuring that what we want to say actually comes across the way we intend 🛠. Example: GAP tried to redesign its logo in 2010, but people hated it because it didn’t match their style. They changed it back in six days!
🎨 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 – 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆: Now comes the visual magic! Here we need to design the brand’s "costume" which should match its personality. The branding experts create the "look and feel" of the company. They design the logo, the colors, the fonts, packaging 📦, websites 🌎, and even the pictures and videos the company will use – anything that visually represents the brand. This is about making the company's "look" stand out and be easily recognized. Example: Apple's design is sleek and minimalistic, making it feel premium and futuristic.
🚀 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲: This is where the brand goes live, i.e., the company starts using the new branding everywhere. For a brand, this means launching ads 📢, social media campaigns 📱, and making sure people start recognizing it everywhere. Consistency is key! The more people see the brand in a uniform way, the more memorable it becomes. Example: Netflix releases trailers, posters, and social media campaigns to hype up new shows.
🔄 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲 – 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲: Brands are like babies—they need constant love and care! This step is about keeping the customers interested and happy with the brand. It could be through good customer service, fun promotions (engage). Sometimes, if the brand isn't doing as well as expected, the company might need to change its strategy or design to make it better (revive). The key idea is to make people love the brand and keeping it exciting, or making changes if it's not working as well as it could. Example: Google slightly updates its logo every few years to stay fresh.
𝐒𝐨, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠! At its core, branding is all about creating emotions and telling a great story. Just like superheroes have a strong identity, branding helps companies tell a story, create a unique look, and make people feel something special - excited, happy, curious, or inspired. Think about it: Disney makes people feel magical, Nike makes people feel powerful. A well-crafted brand can become as iconic and memorable as 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍—standing for something bigger than just a product or service. So, we have to remember, great branding isn't just about looking good. It's about making people feel something extraordinary. Now, let’s talk about the book itself.
𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍: My take? I believe, "Branding: In Five and a Half Steps" is a fantastic read for anyone wanting to understand the power of branding without getting bogged down in complicated terms. It's engaging, easy to understand, and genuinely insightful as this isn't some boring textbook jargon fest. Johnson doesn’t just throw theories at us—he shows us how branding works and why some brands leave a lasting impact while others fade into oblivion. What I loved most was how it made complex ideas feel simple. It breaks down the intellectual side of branding into easy-to-grasp concepts with full of real-world case studies, breaking down how brands evolve, how they fail, and how they become iconic. But — (and here’s the but) I also have to say that—it’s dense. This isn’t a light read. It’s detailed, technical, and visually rich (over 900 illustrations), so it demands attention. If you’re looking for quick branding tips, this isn’t it. If you want a deep dive into the art and science of branding? You’ll love it.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭? Worth every penny.
𝐒𝐨, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭: 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬.
Step 1: Investigate: For the International market, our target audience will be primarily Health-conscious urban professionals (ages 25-45), fitness enthusiasts, eco-conscious millennials. And our secondary target could be travelers, parents (concerned about kids' hygiene), corporate wellness programs, environmental activists etc. Market Trends & Insights shows that, people started caring more about hygiene & self-cleaning solutions after the covid pandemic, thus more users syncing with Apple Health & Fitbit. Research also shows that, 68% of millennials are willing to pay extra for eco-friendly products (Statista, 2023). Now, let’s compare competitor Benchmarking & Market Gaps:
Feature LARQ-Hydro Flask-Soma-AquaPure
UV Cleaning ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅
Hydration Tracking. ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅
Eco-Friendly ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅
Affordability ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅
Step 2: Strategy and Narrative: Our Brand story could be: "Born from Bangladeshi innovation, AquaPure combines cutting-edge UV-C technology with recycled ocean plastic to protect your health and our planet—one sip at a time." Our Brand Positioning Could be: AquaPure is the first mid-range smart, self-cleaning water bottle that combines hygiene, hydration tracking, and sustainability—all in one affordable package. Our USP’s be UV-C Light Sterilization which will make sure of killing 99.9% of bacteria in water, Temperature control (keeps water cold for 24hrs / hot for 12hrs), then AI Hydration Tracking which will sync with both iOS and Android, and lastly using sustainable materials. Now, comes the point, where we have to figre out what characters/ personalities our brand should have when people would think about us? We would go for Trustworthy (Medical-grade tech, certified by FDA/CE), Innovative (AI-powered hydration alerts) and Eco-friendly (Tackling plastic waste problem).
Step 2.5: Bridging the Gap: This is the part where we will be connecting Strategy to Reality; i.e. connecting our research (Step 1) with our strategy (Step 2) and like I said earlier, unfortunately where many brands fail. So, let’s talk about the challenges we might face and ways of tackling it. People will always worry abour UV safety and Cancer which we can talke by partnaring with Johns Hopkins for hygiene efficacy study. Since the target market will be quite large, we can offer Kickstarter early bird pricing ($49) for first adopters so that others don’t think it as too expensive. Also, we should be emotionally connecting with the consumers by sharing impactful stories, such as Each bottle sold = 1 kg of ocean plastic removed".
Step 3: Design: This is the part where visualization will take place, i.e. we will create the brand identity. Our logo could be A clean and modern design combining a stylized water droplet with a subtle microchip or wave pattern, symbolizing purity and technology and primary color could be Aqua Blue (trust & purity) + Glacier White (cleanliness & technology). Minimalist and eco-friendly design using recycled and biodegradable materials will be used for packaging but the unboxing experience focused on a sense of premium quality and sustainability. We will include a Include a QR code linking to an AR experience showcasing the transformation of ocean plastic into the AquaPure bottle and highlighting its features and also Meet the Fisherman video (shows how ocean plastic was collected & recycled). Best tagline for AquaPure would be: "Pure Water, Smart Hydration."
Step 4: Implement: AquaPure’s implementation strategy will be as follows:
* Pre-Launch (Month 1-2): Teaser Ads: Instagram/TikTok ads → "What if your water bottle cleaned itself?" Influencer Seeding: Send samples to fitness & sustainability YouTubers (e.g., MattDoesFitness, EcoWarrior).
* Launch (Month 3): Amazon Prime Exclusive (fastest-growing health-tech category). Retail Expansion: Whole Foods (USA), Decathlon (EU), Muji (Asia).
* Experiential Marketing: Hydration Stations at Marathons (free water refills + live product demos). Corporate Wellness Tie-Ups (bulk sales to Google, Apple campuses).
We will highlight the "hygiene, smart, sustainable" USP in all marketing materials while emphasizing the health benefits and convenience of the self-cleaning feature. Also, showcasing the environmental impact of using a bottle made from recycled materials and lastly, utilize high-quality visuals and videos demonstrating the product's features and benefits and all of this together will be our Marketing & Communication strategy.
Step 5: Engage or Revive: For Sustaining the Brand, we will create an eco-system, where we will Tracks hydration & gamifies healthy habits (badges, streaks, rewards) and Rewards eco-friendly actions (e.g., refilling = points for discounts). We will engage consumers with User-Generated Content with #AquaPureLife) and through Live Ocean Cleanup Map on website (tracks how much plastic AquaPure has removed) we will engage the mass in our Sustainability Impact Tracking program. ...𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝟎𝟏 & 𝟎𝟐...
January 14, 2020
liked an overall approaches to ‘verbal’ basis for the brand
October 19, 2024
I enjoyed this. As someone who is completely new to branding, this was a really good overview of the process and larger picture. The visuals and case studies were really helpful. I’ve bookmarked several pages and will be referring back to them in the future.
January 24, 2020
Very good read for anyone wanting to familiarise themselves with the concept of branding. Real life case studies are really inspiring. The 5-and-a-half-steps scheme suggests a quite clear way of approaching any design work. Not too in-depth, but a good place to start.
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February 10, 2022One of those books you read to discover you already knew everything in it because you've been doing that thing for more than a decade. Confirming though.
May 22, 2023
I read half of it in one sitting!
It's pretty good, with both theory AND practice on how to do strategic branding, and it has applicable graphs and worksheets of exercises the author does with his clients. Examples range from universities to nonprofits to corporations and product brands.
First half is all about strategy and words, and the second half looks to be about how to turn the brand ethos into visuals.
Very enjoyable, easy read, but full of usable info. I find myself bookmarking pages for later reference.
And I do brand strategy work for a living.
It's pretty good, with both theory AND practice on how to do strategic branding, and it has applicable graphs and worksheets of exercises the author does with his clients. Examples range from universities to nonprofits to corporations and product brands.
First half is all about strategy and words, and the second half looks to be about how to turn the brand ethos into visuals.
Very enjoyable, easy read, but full of usable info. I find myself bookmarking pages for later reference.
And I do brand strategy work for a living.
February 2, 2021
The book's entire approach is rooted in the idea that it can substitute for design books and creative business books by showing the process as one, and it totally delivers. I couldn't put it down. Also, the examples are so impressive, well-thought out, and are every bit as sexy as you would expect from a branding book.
Thanks Michael, Very Cool.
Thanks Michael, Very Cool.
December 25, 2022
Táto kniha mi mala pomôcť porozumieť tomu, ako sa budujú značky. Pomohla, avšak v základných pojmoch brand, branding, brandbuilding atď. mi urobila ešte väčší neporiadok.
Páčila sa mi však prehľadne spracovaná grafická stránka, kvôli množstve obsahu, ktorí sa mi zdal rovnakí som však veľa strán prelistovala.
Páčila sa mi však prehľadne spracovaná grafická stránka, kvôli množstve obsahu, ktorí sa mi zdal rovnakí som však veľa strán prelistovala.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2020
The book presents few of the best cases studies of branding. It covers research based design approach and how the whole process emerges into a meaningful design solution. If you want become a problem solver in the field of branding this book is for you.
January 16, 2018
Amazing addition to every graphic designer's library! Loved the examples and practical guidance
May 29, 2018
A great overview of the branding and brand strategy process
June 16, 2020
Tras muchos años trabajando en diseño de marcas, me resulta refrescante leer un libro que sintetiza perfectamente el proceso de branding y decir al final que todo está rn el aire.
October 26, 2020
Great book full of inspiration and creativity.
September 17, 2021
I like how it simplifies the branding process so anyone can understand.
February 5, 2022
Such a great book, really easy to understand, full of examples, refreshing, practical and inspirational. A great gift for marketers, designers or anyone interested.
A delight of a read.
A delight of a read.
July 26, 2022
An interesting catalog / portfolio style book with some basic steps and flowcharts laid out in a flashy way.
March 13, 2017
Branding from the point of view of a designer. This book could be rebranded as Logo Porn. A pleasure to read.
More examples of branding than the theory of branding; but a good introduction!
More examples of branding than the theory of branding; but a good introduction!
January 27, 2025
This is a really throughout book about the process of branding.
It's recommended for both beginners and experienced designers like myself. In the fast-paced enviroment of most studios we usually skip most of the steps described here. But in my experience this usually catchs up to the brands later up on the road.
Michael Johnson does a great job at both bringing real cases and showing how exactly did branding or rebranding impacted a business, and dividing the process into easy, well-explained 5 steps.
It's recommended for both beginners and experienced designers like myself. In the fast-paced enviroment of most studios we usually skip most of the steps described here. But in my experience this usually catchs up to the brands later up on the road.
Michael Johnson does a great job at both bringing real cases and showing how exactly did branding or rebranding impacted a business, and dividing the process into easy, well-explained 5 steps.
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