Branding in Architecture: Captivating Consumers with the Power of Art

By definition, branding is the process of creating the merchandising identity of a company. Branding contains multiple layers to it which cover areas that deal with primary elements like a logo, a tagline, and an appealing name; as well as more detailed aspects like selling ideologies and experiences that they want the users to have. To put it simply, companies don’t sell products; they sell branding.1 

From traditionally known media forms like billboards to recently emerging subtle yet impactful forms like social media hashtags: branding is essentially an umbrella term containing various degrees of processes and outcomes. Graphic designers and content writers may not seem like two intertwined professions at first glance, but branding, or marketing in general, hosts numerous such professions under its influence. 

Branding in Architecture

In the world of architecture and real estate, the concept of branding largely revolves around showcasing the company’s appeal and encouraging the probable clients to trust said company to bring desired results. Originally, the collaboration of architecture and branding often resulted in a frustrating clash of opinions as both aspects originally functioned according to different methods and goals. Architecture, as a profession, cares about aesthetics as much as functionality, meanwhile, branding has the singular goal of appealing to the market. But the merger of these two disciplines has, in recent decades, started bringing pleasing results as the creators have understood the fact that a synchronised creative process can combine them with maximum positive impact.

Above all things, branding allows architects and designers to communicate their ideas to guarantee that the perception by the clients is just as intended. It’s the solution that burns the bridge between the architectural practice and the broader range of people. By using a variety of outlets like print and digital media, architects get to create a platform that is carefully adhered to enhance the charms of their works, to attract maximum output in not only monetary terms but also to develop a trusted base of repeating clients. It also sets the pace for a valuable hack that has proven time and again to be successful in cracking the market: word of mouth. Once a real estate company or an architectural firm develops a set of clients who have faith in their practice, it becomes easier for them to gather testimonies full of praises and assurances which are very important for continuity in growth.

Financial ratios aside, branding is what sets the standards for creating a legacy that could last for decades to come. Similar to how Prithviraj Kapoor created a heritage that is the Kapoor family in Bollywood, branding has and continues to allow architects and developers to establish a legacy and use the same for a growing range of success. While architectural firms often set records by developing a unique design language and a target audience that understands said language, real estate developers work around the ideas of budgets and categories of audience based on their needs and their capacity in financial terms as they create a solid groundwork in specific regions. 

Foster + Partners: Shaping Modern London Since 1967

More often than not, a brand is simply a name. Founded by Norman Foster, recipient of multiple iconic awards like the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the Mies Van der Rohe Award; Foster and Partners is one prime example of a name being enough to create the brand value of a company. One of the leading architectural firms on a global scale, Foster and Partners is located in London, England; and specialises in almost all of the major parameters of the architectural industry: engineering, industrial design, interiors, urban and landscape architecture, technology and research, as well as workplace consultancy.2 

With notable completed projects like the More London development on the banks of the Thames in London, and the Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center in Kazakhstan’s capital city Astana; Foster and Partners have made their name in urban development, architecture, and more. As a lot of their design involves modern practices with sustainability and cultural surroundings kept in the centre, the firm has successfully created its branding value worldwide. With more than one thousand employees at present, Foster and Partners are now on the podium where their design language is deeply rooted and yet seems to fit well with ever-developing ways of the world of architecture, which makes them the perfect example of branding done well.

Godrej Properties Limited: Providing End-to-End Solutions Since 1990

With over 600 construction projects that promise the reduction of greenhouse gases and saving of energy, Godrej Properties is a subsidiary real estate label under the Godrej Industries Ltd. in India. With trust, integrity, and social conscience as its driving forces, Godrej Properties has successfully continued achieving greatness for the Godrej Enterprises Group by delivering more than 300 Gold and Platinum-rated projects as well as building a loyal consumer base of about 616 million Indians over the decades.3

After achieving the trust number of 23% of the promoter holding by investing in health, education, and environment; Godrej currently excels in not only real estate and appliances; but also, furnishings, security solutions, general and heavy engineering, aerospace, intra-logistics, information technology, and more.4 Godrej as a company has made its name in Indian households since the early 20th century with their appliances, and now, more than a hundred years later, Godrej Properties has taken lead as one of the top 10 real estate developers of India; with numerous known landmarks like Godrej BKC in Mumbai and Godrej Nest in Noida.

As established, architectural branding holds not only media forms but also the name value and the position in the market at its front for appealing to their target audience. More than just advertising, branding in architecture takes the credit for creating a legacy that stands its ground for decades to come.

REFERENCE LIST:

IMAGES :

1. InHouse. [Graphic]. (Auckland : Space Division Studio.)
2. zuv. (2017). City Hall. [Photograph.] (London : tripadvisor.)
3. Young, N. (2010). Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center. [Photograph.] (Astana : Foster + Partners.)
4. Biernat, Magda. (2015). Godrej BKC. [Photograph.] (Mumbai : Godrej Properties.)

BIBLIOGRAPHY/EXTERNAL LINKS :

1. (2024). What is Branding? Understanding Its Importance in 2024. Hubspot. Available from : https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/branding#:~:text=Branding%20is%20the%20process%20of,design%2C%20or%20tone%20of%20voice [Accessed : 2 August 2024.]
2. Expertise. Foster + Partners. Available from : https://www.fosterandpartners.com/ [Accessed : 4 August 2024.]
3. What We Do. Godrej Enterprises Group. Available from : https://www.godrejenterprises.com/index#about-us [Accessed : 4 August 2024.]
4. Business Verticals. Godrej Enterprises Group. Available from : https://www.godrejenterprises.com/what-we-do#business-verticals [Accessed : 4 August 2024.]