I've been curious about the sub-brands of two of the largest tech companies around, Google and Microsoft. While both companies have many sub brands, I'm specifically curious about the ones that are tied to the parent brand. The sub-brands that have the parent brands in their names. The way that these two companies package their brand extensions is vastly different and worth looking at. This could be very useful for you and your business. If your business has sub brands that need their own identity, it's essential to think about how they will be packaged. Will they depend on the parent brand for all the weight and strength or will they be independent from it, only maintaining a few key elements?
Google Sub-Brands
Google sub logos
Right away something is very clear. They are all virtually identical. Why would Google do this? What Google is doing is leveraging the strength of the parent brand of Google. By maintaining consistency in every sub brand, a stronger parent brand is enforced. Could every company do this? No. Not every company can pull this off successfully or needs to do this either. If a company has a weak parent brand or a parent brand that is not as well known as the sub-brands, then an approach like this may not only be unhelpful, but could also be a detriment to the sub-brands.
Microsoft Sub-brands
First of all, I need to note that the above sub-brands have all been scaled so that the word-mark, "Microsoft" is relatively the same size. This is important to keep in mind as it aids in comparing balance and weights of the sub-brand logos.
The first thing that is noticed when looking at the Microsoft sub-brands is how diferent they all are in comparison to Google's approach. At first glance they may even seem chaotic. While they may seem that way, they do share many of the same characteristics. Lets explore them. What is the same? Fonts are very consistent. Colours are consistent. Use of heavy and light type treatments are consistent. Placement of the word-mark, "Microsoft" in every logo is consistent. What Microsoft has done is create a branding template with certain rules and regulations, that when applied correctly, creates a sub-brand that maintains the integrety of the parent brand, but does not put all the weight on the parent brand. Microsoft is allowing for a more creative exploration of the sub-brand's essence while calmly indicating the parent's values are at work and are providing for the sub-brand.
This approach is valuable for two types of parent brands. One is when the parent brand is not as well known and not a big draw to the sub-brand. The other, and what I believe is the case here with Microsoft, is when the parent brand is too well known and too much weight placed on it should be avoided. Being such a strong brand, I believe Microsoft is attempting to quietly draw attention away from itself.
Google above is definitely drawing the attention directly to itself and away from the sub-brands.
Your Business' sub-brands
So what should you do for your business? It's important to ensure that you create a branding program that maintains the integrity of the parent brand and it's core philosophy. Whether you take an approach like Google or Microsoft can have a profound impact on your business. Discuss your branding strategy with a professional who is experienced in branding and can show you the benefits and negatives of different approaches.
Thanks.
Robert Scozzari
