- Pre-modern identity believed that identity was stable and was defined by long standing roles (like class structure etc.) This view dates before the 19th Century.
- Modern identity - Ability to choose which path or identity (20th Century +)
- Post-modern identity - 'fragmented' and constructed.
Zygmunt Bauman (a Polish sociologist) is one of the key enforcers behind this theory, claiming that identity is both "fluid" (society constantly changes) but is then "constructed" (by institutions such as The Church, monarchy, the government etc.)
Micheal Foucalt (a French philosopher) also thought this to be true in terms of identity being formed by the discourses culturally available to us. These included, class, age, gender, nationality, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, income, education etc.
2 opposing identity theories:
1. Post-modernism (as explained above).
2. Essentialism; this is the traditional approach in the sense that identity is believed to be fixed. Psychologist Steven Pinker applies this through neuroscience and genetics implying that the mind and identity are separate "networks of brain systems". Essentially they are two different components within our brains which means that we are not utterly free to make choices when it comes to our own identities (resulting in a loss of ego).
How can identity theory be applied to brand identity?:
According to Wally Olins (The Brand Handbook) the audience has become a new wave of "information technology" and is inviting the corporations to essentially "come out of the shadows"(pg.13) and reveal themselves through brands. This way, the corporations can show whatever culture they feel apart of and in turn create a link (or bond) with it's audience (or in some cases, be recognised even by those it is not targeting e.g. Gucci may be aimed at the upper class, and a representation of Italian fashion, but its logo has become recognised worldwide by all class systems).
What is brand identity?:
"How a business wants a brand's names, communication style, logo and other visual elements to be perceived by consumers. The components of the brand are created by the business itself, making brand identity the way in which a business wants consumers to perceive its brands, not necessarily how it is actually perceived." (Investopedia.com)
Example:
La Sierra Mexican food company.
Created by Burgeff Co.
Art director & designer: Patrick Burgeff
Brief: "La Sierra, a Mexican food brand, called for an identity to promote Mexican food for export. The logo needed to "have a Mexican flavour, both visually and literally". The solution combines Mexico's three staple ingredients - beans, corn and peppers - along with a clay pot to form a logo" (Worldwide Identity by Robert L.Peters, pg.179)
This is a successful brand identity as it was immediately recognisable as a product from Mexico (even before reading the text). It hit the brief of promoting Mexican food worldwide (as being from the UK, I instantly thought of Mexico when seeing this logo) whilst still representing La Sierra as a traditional Mexican food corporation. It also represents Mexico in the choice of tradition (the peppers, corn and beans, along with the cooking clay pot) and in the colours used - all of which are from the Mexican flag (red, white, green and black)
The culture identity has been shown through brand identity.
Bibliography;
Kellner, D. (Author) Media Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity and Politics between the Modern and the Post-modern (1992) Routledge, England.
Bauman, Z. (Author) Identity (2004)
Anon (N.D) Micheal Foucalt [Online] http://www.michel-foucault.com/
Pinker, S. (Author) The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature (2003) Penguin Books, England.
Olins, W. (Author) The Brand Handbook (2008) Thames & Hudson, England.
Anon (N.D) Brand Identity Definition [Online] http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/brand-identity.asp
Peters, L.R (Author) Worldwide Identity (2005) Rockport Publishers, Inc.
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