Animals as brand icons - arbitrary choice or smart strategic move?

When companies set out to create an iconic brand symbol, an animal can provide a shortcut to its desired identity and meaning. Brand managers are often trying to create a quick association in the mind of the consumer between the universally understood values which the animal brings and the values which the brand would like to associate itself with.

But interestingly the choice of icon is also quite arbitrary in many instances (major American Insurance Brand 'AFLAC' have used its duck since the animal featured in a successful TV commercial 10 years ago and Penguin books used the penguin as its logo as it said it was 'dignified but flippant', much like a paperback...huh?). What is important, however, is the meaning which is associated with the icon over time.

Inherently quirky

Sure, the Lacoste crocodile logo is inherently quirky and distinctive but it could well have been insignificant if the organisation itself was not so visionary and iconic (the point being that the value in the icon is more dependant on the actions of the company than the choice of icon).

Another case in point would be to consider whether Puma and Jaguar could have swapped animals and still both have gone on to be such powerful brands? I think so. Why not get behind the wheel of the new 4.6l fuel injected Puma or wear a pair of ultra-cool Jaguar sneakers?

Animals are effective in creating a powerful brand identity because they 'contain' meaning which is often universal and which has been built over many years (i.e. they have a sort of inherent brand equity). How many people would disagree that a lion symbolises strength and leadership? This tells us that the animal has strong 'brand' equity in itself. Still, no brand can lay claim to owning the lion as a brand icon (except maybe the tenuous use of the animal by the well-known brand of matches).

Brand managers should look for the following when creating brand elements (names, icons, jingles etc) which they hope to use as carriers of value:

• Easy to recognise and remember
  
• Distinctive
  
• Extendable
  
• Translate easily across borders (think of how universal the lion or eagle are across cultures)

As a brand exercise, however, choosing brand elements is far less important than

1. Deciding what values their brand represents and
   
2. How they ensure that their values are evident in their actions.