In Montana, branding remains a ritual for establishing ownership. An animal’s brand marks clear title of ownership, while branding itself is a honored ceremony in rural areas. A brand also is a tie to self-identity. My brand, the Wagon Rod, carries a rich heritage from the westering movement and the influx of individuals searching for a better life.
Branding for artists in the business world is no different. It creates an identity, one that the buying public recognizes and depends on. More than merely a logo or a website, an artist’s brand becomes the reality in a customer‘s mind. All the artist’s choices in presenting the art to the public, whether showing in a high-end gallery or using a logo on a business card, feeds that brand.
A brand is a shortcut, a way to help the customer find the quality goods or services for which they are searching. The brand is reflected in the product sold and in all the ways it is marketed to the public. For an artist, the art holds clues to their brand. The goal then becomes how to create a larger identity that allows the public to quickly identify an artist in a crowd.
Branding in promoting art is a personal act, drawing from deep down in the artist and the work while infusing all aspects of the artists’ business of art. A successful brand:
• Promises that the art fulfills a reputation for the item. When the customer purchases a branded product, they expect certain returns, both visible and invisible, on their investment.
• Creates a mythology around the product. A brand is a way of meaningful story-telling, not a crass attempt at manufacturing a fake reality. It needs to be seen as legitimate or the customer won‘t accept it.
• Reflects in all that the artist does. The branded quality reveals itself in the art, promotional pieces, packaging, how the artist interacts with customers, the context in which the artist shows the art, and much, much more.
• Requires on-going management to insure than it retains its integrity.
• Deals in cultural contradictions. There is a difference in how a customer is and the way that they wish they were. A branded product helps them get to where they wish they were in their perceptions.
[First shared February 4, 2012. Excerpted from Artrepreneurship: Sustaining the Creative Life. For more information, feel free to contact the author.]
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