# 品牌审美力，是核心竞争力之一 - ID: 51 - URL: https://www.stoyard.com/viewpoint/51 - English URL: https://www.stoyard.com/en/viewpoint/51 - Category: 品牌服务 - English Category: Brand Services - English Title: Brand aesthetic power is one of the core competitiveness ## 中文主体 > 从视觉修养到组织文化，审美力正成为品牌的隐形资产。 ### **审美力在品牌战略中的理论基础与历史演变** 品牌作为商业与文化的综合载体，其建设历程与理论一直在演进。而**审美力**（品牌的美学品位及表现力）自工业设计兴起以来便逐步融入品牌战略的核心。早期的品牌主要通过标识符号来区分产品和传递信誉，符号是消费者识别和记忆品牌的抓手。20世纪中期，设计开始上升为品牌战略的重要手段。1958年，戈登·利平科特提出“**企业识别**（CI，Corporate Identity）”概念，将视觉设计纳入品牌战略体系。此后，品牌视觉形象系统（VI）成为品牌建设的基础工程，包括Logo、标准色、字体以及包装、广告、环境等各触点的一致设计。这标志着**设计审美**正式成为品牌战略的重要理论基础之一。 在品牌理论的发展史中，从最初强调视觉符号的一致性，到后来关注品牌形象、个性和体验，审美因素的地位不断提升。著名定位理论专家劳拉·里斯（Laura Ries）就指出：“在视觉时代，抢占消费者心智的最佳方式不只是依靠‘语言的钉子’，还要运用强有力的‘视觉锤’”。可见在信息过载的时代，**审美化的视觉传播**被视为触达消费者内心的关键。进入21世纪，“体验经济”与“情感营销”兴起，品牌不再仅仅卖功能，而是卖一种生活方式与审美主张。这背后是消费者审美水平的提高和消费观念的升级：从追求实用转向追求**悦己审美**的满足。正如美学家蒋勋所言，个人的审美水平高低往往决定其竞争力，因为审美体现了宏观的整体思维和微观的细节洞察。同理，对于品牌来说，**审美力已成为新时代品牌战略的重要支柱**，是连接产品功能与消费者情感的桥梁。 ### **国际品牌如何通过审美构建长期竞争力与文化影响力** 优秀的国际品牌往往以卓越的审美力著称，通过独特美学塑造长期竞争优势和文化影响。**苹果（Apple）是典型案例。苹果之所以能成为全球科技和文化图标，正是因为将“美”融入了技术与创新之中。乔布斯极其注重产品的设计之美和用户体验，他认为“设计不仅是外观，更是产品运作的方式”。苹果成功的关键不在于技术参数最强大，而在于对简洁、优雅、人性化**的极致追求，形成了他人难以复制的独特品位。有论者指出，没有乔布斯独到的审美品味，就没有今天的苹果；苹果的独特竞争力，恰恰在于对美感、技术与创新的融合。这种融合带来了用户对苹果品牌强烈的美学认同和情感忠诚——用户对苹果的情感很大程度上源自“美学认同”，审美上的共鸣加上品牌理念上的认同，催生了苹果现象级的品牌文化。 **无印良品（MUJI）则通过极简美学建立了跨越三十余年的品牌生命力和影响力。与其说无印良品是一个品牌，不如说它倡导了一种极简而有质感的生活哲学。MUJI的设计根植于日本传统的朴素美学和禅意哲学：去除一切多余装饰，强调素材本身的质感与功能。这种“少即是多”的美学被MUJI提升到文化高度，凌驾于奢华之上，反而更能触动现代人的心灵。MUJI相信设计的终极目的是抚慰并唤醒人的感受**，而非追逐潮流或炫耀个性。朴实、诚实、简洁、实用，正是MUJI美学的准则。当消费者使用MUJI产品时，感受到的是一种**温和有力的生活方式**：它无需显眼的Logo，但处处传递出对日常之美的敬畏。这一独特审美哲学使MUJI在全球收获大批忠实拥趸，并成为极简生活美学的文化符号。从品牌策略看，MUJI通过审美力建立了超越产品功能的情感纽带和生活方式影响力。 Aesop东京银座店的室内设计采用红砖等在地材料，营造出静谧而质朴的空间美感，与银座著名的“红砖街”相呼应。这种独特的门店美学传达了品牌对当地文化的尊重与融入。每一家Aesop门店都犹如一座隔绝城市喧嚣的艺术空间。 再以**Aēsop（伊索）为例，这个澳大利亚高端护肤品牌将审美融入产品、空间与文化活动中，构筑了强大的品牌辨识度和文化影响力。Aesop坚持“设计即品牌沟通”的理念：他们拒绝千店一面的连锁形象，而是让每家门店都由不同建筑师设计、融合当地文化元素，使店铺成为品牌哲学的实体表达。走进Aesop的店铺，仿佛走进一间静谧的艺廊——没有喧嚣的广告语，取而代之的是舒缓的音乐、考究的材质和恰到好处的灯光。Aesop创意总监将门店比作隔绝城市喧嚣的港湾**，希望独特的设计为都市人带来心灵宽慰。例如，Aesop银座店采用当地红砖呼应街区风貌，里士满店融合英伦古典与田园风，纽约切尔西店与文学杂志合作以拼贴手法致敬文学……风格各异却在品牌哲学下保持统一的气质。更重要的是，Aesop通过这些精心设计的空间营造出某种**精神共鸣**：顾客在这里不是被当作目标群体，而是被视作有思想、有品味的朋友。Aesop还经常在店内举办小型文化活动（如阅读会、音乐会），通过文学、艺术与顾客产生深度连接。可以说，Aesop淡化了传统意义上的营销，转而以**美学体验**俘获顾客的心。在长期实践中，Aesop由此积累了强大的无形资产——一种专属的品牌文化和忠诚的审美社群。许多文艺爱好者将造访Aesop店铺视为“朝圣”，正是因为品牌独到的美学风格和文化体验，使其每一家店都宛如当地的独立艺术空间，成为设计爱好者和潮人竞相打卡的网红地点。这充分体现了审美力转化为品牌**文化影响力**的巨大威力。 综上，国际一流品牌如苹果、MUJI、Aesop等，无不在审美上下足功夫：或以工业设计美学树立技术与艺术并举的典范，或以生活美学引领消费理念转变，或以空间美学和文化融入打造沉浸式品牌体验。**他们通过卓越的审美力，构筑出难以复制的竞争壁垒**，并在更深层次上塑造着大众的审美趣味与文化风潮。 ### **审美与商业的张力：功利性设计与精神性表达的平衡** 在商业世界中，设计既要服务于市场和功能，也承载着品牌的审美理想和精神表达。这两者有时看似矛盾：企业追求销量和效率，往往倾向于**功利性设计**（以成本效益和实用功能为导向）；而优秀的品牌又需要通过设计传达更高的审美追求和精神价值。当功利与精神碰撞时，如何平衡就是品牌面临的“审美张力”命题。 传统上，不少企业认为在设计上投入太多精力和成本并不能直接带来商业回报。然而，新的趋势表明，这种观点正在改变。以**企业级办公软件“飞书”为例，这款B端产品在设计上的投入令人惊喜：不仅注重功能效率，更追求界面的美感与细节的精致。飞书甚至在近期的产品发布会上大胆采用了一朵充满诗意的“花”作为大会主视觉，而不是常见的冰冷炫酷的科技感图形。这一反常规的审美表达赢得了观众注意力，让审美成为差异化亮点。飞书的设计团队愿意为这些非直接功利的细节投入时间心力，在很多同行看来这可能并不“划算”，但正是这种坚持凸显了品牌难能可贵的品位。事实证明，这朵花所代表的温暖、人性化**形象，大大提升了用户对飞书品牌的好感度。正如分析所言：“飞书让人们看到，审美与实用并不是非此即彼；优秀的视觉体验同样能沉淀为品牌竞争力，甚至影响用户对产品价值的判断”。可见，当品牌勇于超越纯功利考量去追求审美上的卓越时，往往会收获**长远的商业回报**——用户更深的情感连接与认同。 苹果公司对此也有深刻认识。乔布斯曾强调设计的作用不仅在视觉，更在于改进产品的使用方式，“**设计就是如何运作**”。他坚持**形式追随功能**且相辅相成的理念：既要产品好用，也要好看舒心。在苹果的实践中，工程师和设计师共同打磨，每一个细节既服务于功能又满足美感。例如Mac电脑的开机音乐、iPhone的圆角矩形图标，这些设计既有审美愉悦也提高了用户体验。乔布斯的名言“一流的艺术与纯粹的科学中，细节就是一切”恰如其分地说明了**细节之美**对产品价值的提升。他坚信**美感**本身就是功能的一部分：美的产品让人爱不释手，进而更深入地融入生活。 当然，也有不少企业走过审美与商业失衡的弯路。有些一味迎合短期市场，在设计上急功近利，导致品牌形象流于平庸甚至低俗；也有些过于强调艺术表达而忽视了用户实际需求，造成“自我欣赏”式的设计，市场不买账。因此，品牌需要**动态平衡**这对张力：既不能牺牲基本的实用价值，也不能完全以功利为导向而泯灭了品牌应有的美学个性。 平衡之道在于回归品牌初心和用户价值。优秀的设计应当“**形神兼备**”——形（Function）即功能可靠，神（Spirit）即蕴含品牌精神之美。Aesop的成功就是这一平衡的范例：它既坚持产品功效和品质（十年磨一款产品的慢工出细活精神），又在空间、包装和交流上极尽美学之能事而不流于浮华（比如棕色玻璃药剂瓶既审美简洁又有防氧化的实用考量）。这样的设计既解决了实际问题，又传递了品牌哲学，让消费者在使用产品时感受到品牌的态度与温度。 总之，**审美与商业并非对立，而是相互成就**。从长期看，那些将审美融入商业理性中的品牌，往往能够塑造更持久的价值。审美赋予品牌灵魂和差异化，商业则为审美提供实现舞台。两者平衡得当，品牌才能既“好用”又“动人”，既满足用户需求又打动用户心智。 ### **中国品牌在审美力上的发展现状与典型问题** 随着中国经济进入新消费时代，“**审美红利**”正在成为本土品牌崛起的重要推动力。但不得不承认，相较国际领先品牌，中国品牌在审美力的发展上既有长足进步，也存在一些典型问题和不足。 先看积极的变化。改革开放以来成长的**第二代企业家**（80后、90后甚至00后）逐步走上前台，他们大多受过更好的美育熏陶，对品牌审美的重要性有了更强认知。同时，中国消费者物质生活丰富，对产品的要求已从过去的“有无”转向“好不好看”“符不符合我的品味”。这种供需两端审美意识的提升，催生了一批以设计见长的新锐国货品牌。例如，“国潮”运动中，**李宁**推出融入中国传统元素的时装系列、大白兔奶糖跨界推出文创潮品，它们通过现代设计重新诠释传统文化，带来了具有东方美感的商业潮流。再如，茶饮和咖啡新品牌在店面空间和产品包装上大胆创新，新茶饮产品起名“芝芝莓莓”“花下引”等，令人耳目一新，体现出语言上的美感创意。可以说，新一代中国品牌正**主动以审美力塑造差异化**，试图告别“廉价”和“土味”的旧形象，打造更高端、精致的品牌调性。这种趋势在美妆、家居、服装等行业尤为明显，一些本土品牌已经开始体现出对本土文化、美学的深入理解，并希望以此构建品牌独特性，赢得长期的消费者信任与忠诚。 然而，中国品牌在提升审美力的过程中也面临不少挑战和**典型问题**： - **视觉同质化与缺乏识别度**：许多品牌在Logo、VI设计上容易跟风模仿国际潮流，导致“撞脸”现象严重。过去一段时间，不少国产品牌热衷采用极简扁平风或网红配色，但由于缺乏自身文化内涵的支撑，视觉形象流于雷同，辨识度低。这源于一些企业在设计时只关注功能和主流审美趋势，忽视了**个性化和创新表达**，以至不同品牌的VI看起来差别不大。视觉识别度低会使品牌形象模糊，长远来看不利于品牌资产积累。 - **品牌语言与传播缺乏美感**：在品牌沟通中，不少中国品牌的**文字与语言风格**依然停留在套路上，缺乏审美吸引力。典型如品牌故事和宣传文案，常见千篇一律的模板：“X年创始人怀揣初心创立品牌……”。这种公式化表述既无法打动人心，反而拉低了品牌的格调。与之对比，一些新品牌开始重视语言美学，例如前文提到的新茶饮品牌在产品命名上匠心独运，赋予产品浪漫诗意的名字，增强了消费者的好感度。总体而言，中国品牌在语言叙事上的审美创造力有待加强，需要摆脱生硬的营销腔，转向更真诚、生动且契合品牌个性的表达。 - **空间与环境设计滞后**：相对于产品和包装，不少国内品牌过去对**终端空间设计**重视不足，线下店铺形象缺乏美学一致性。一些品牌的门店陈列、室内设计较为随意，未能将品牌调性延伸到空间体验。不过这一情况正改善，尤其是在新零售和体验经济浪潮下，越来越多品牌注重线下空间的审美打造。例如，热门茶饮店纷纷装修得别具风格，营造可以“打卡”的艺术空间；一些本土服饰、美妆品牌也开始与知名设计师合作，开设概念店和快闪店，通过创意空间吸引年轻消费者。这说明中国品牌正意识到**空间美学**也是品牌体验的一部分。不过整体来看，大多数企业在空间设计上投入的专业性仍待提高，与品牌的视觉系统、产品风格需要更好地协同。 - **物料与包装设计的问题**：包装是品牌审美力直观的体现，但过去不少国货的包装设计要么过度花哨俗艳，要么过于简陋缺乏设计感。一些企业曾误以为包装越华丽越能吸引消费者，结果适得其反。如今消费者的审美已从繁复转向简约高雅，再用旧思路反而显得廉价。因此，品牌需要在材料选择、工艺质感、图形字体等方面寻求**恰到好处的美感**。当前，一些新锐品牌（特别是美妆、食品领域）已经在包装上取得突破，例如采用东方传统纹样结合现代极简设计，或者在材料上追求环保和高级触感，以提升品牌的格调。这方面的探索使国产品牌的包装逐渐告别廉价感，朝着**精致化、文化化**方向发展。 - **审美定位与品牌定位不符**：还有一个常见问题是，某些品牌试图快速提升“颜值”，但**审美定位和品牌实际定位不匹配**，造成品牌形象的混乱或不可信。比如有的平价品牌一味模仿奢侈品的高冷风，结果消费者并不买账，认为“假装高端”；又或者一些品牌突然换上极简性冷淡的设计，却缺乏产品和服务相应的支撑，让消费者感到错位。因此，品牌在提升审美时需要审视自身定位，确保美学风格与品牌DNA相契合，而非为了美而美。否则短期可能博眼球，长期却难以维系忠诚度。 概括而言，**中国品牌的审美力正处于加速补课和进化阶段**：一方面大众审美水平提升为品牌带来了机遇，另一方面如何建立有辨识度、有内涵的品牌美学仍是一道课题。本土品牌需要避免急功近利的“表面美”，扎实锤炼内功，包括深入发掘本土文化、美学精髓，培养设计创新能力，以形成独特的品牌审美标识。只有这样，才能在国内国际市场树立起令人眼前一亮又经得起时间考验的中国品牌形象。 ### **为什么审美力是一种长期而隐性的竞争优势** 相较价格、渠道等显性竞争手段，**审美力**往往是一种长期且隐性的竞争优势。它潜移默化地影响消费者心理和行为，为品牌打造深厚的护城河。 首先，从**消费者心理与品牌忠诚度**角度看，美的体验能够激发情感共鸣，进而转化为长期偏好和忠诚。研究显示，当产品或品牌在美学上引发情感共鸣时，消费者往往会对品牌产生更强的热爱和黏性，甚至愿意忽略功能和价格上的劣势。旧金山州立大学的一项研究发现：消费者对汽车品牌的忠诚更多源于外观等审美因素，而非功能和价格因素。**产品设计的美感投入越多，品牌与消费者建立的情感联结就越牢固**，关系就越可持续。相反，如果只是一味堆砌功能，关系更趋向交易导向，难以形成持久情感。这很好解释了为什么苹果、宝马这类品牌拥有大批“铁粉”：用户也许一时想不起参数配置，但对品牌所营造的美学氛围和品位记忆深刻，从而对品牌怀有长期的偏爱。因此，审美力带来的**情感附加值**是一笔隐形资产，它滋养着品牌与消费者之间更深层的心理纽带，使品牌具备超越理性考量的号召力。 其次，审美力能够赋予品牌**溢价能力和持久的差异化**。当一个品牌的设计审美达到卓越水准时，消费者往往愿意支付溢价为“美”买单。正如有业内人士指出：“当下及未来，只有具备卓越审美力的品牌，才可能卖得更贵！”。因为审美力本身即代表了一种品质和格调，能够提高产品在消费者心目中的主观价值。在同类功能的产品中，视觉悦目、触感精致、调性高级的品牌，自然更能赢得青睐，这种**品牌偏好转化为价格优势**，长期积累就是品牌的定价权。另外，审美力塑造的品牌形象往往难以被竞争者复制。技术可以模仿，商业模式可以追随，但一个品牌独特的美学风格和文化内涵却很难被简单抄袭——这就是隐性的差异化护城河。例如，苹果的极简优雅、无印良品的朴素禅意、Aesop的文艺气质，都是十几年如一日通过设计、美学构建的品牌资产，竞争对手很难在短期内塑造出相同的感觉和氛围。 再次，从**文化影响与社区认同**来看，审美力还能让品牌超越商业层面，成为一种文化符号，聚拢起高度认同的消费社群。一旦品牌的美学主张和价值观被一群消费者所认可，他们对品牌的忠诚就不仅是对产品满意，而上升为对一种生活方式和价值理念的忠诚。这种忠诚最为牢固，也最难撼动。Aesop的例子表明，通过长期坚持独特的设计美学和文化品位，品牌吸引了一批热爱哲思生活、钟情文学艺术的拥趸成为核心顾客。他们在精神上高度认同Aesop的理念，构成品牌中坚力量。在产品同质化日趋严重的时代，**建立起这种文化共鸣的价值观圈层才是品牌坚不可摧的护城河**。同样，苹果之于极客和创意人群、无印良品之于极简主义者，也都有类似的社区效应。品牌审美力使消费者产生身份认同感和归属感，超越了一般忠诚，变成了一种近乎粉丝文化的存在。这显然是竞争对手难以通过短期营销手段获取的优势。 最后，审美力作为竞争优势往往是“**润物细无声**”的隐性力量。它不是一蹴而就显现收益，但日积月累中，品牌因美好体验在消费者内心占据一席之地，形成难以替代的地位。有些优势可能随着市场变化而衰减，但审美带来的美誉度和感情联结常常历久弥新。正如乔布斯所说，“品味是最好的护城河”——苹果在多个领域战胜对手，不是技术最强，而是因为拥有独特的品味，对简洁、优雅、人性化的极致追求。这种品味一旦融入品牌基因，便成为企业抵御竞争的长久壁垒。一个拥有高尚审美品位的品牌，就像一个有诗意世界的人，在纷繁市场中自有其卓尔不群的生命力。审美力塑造的品牌资产无形却厚重，为品牌带来超越产品本身的长期价值——包括忠诚度、声誉、文化影响力、跨品类延展性等。这些优势也许短期内难以量化，但在品牌发展的长河中，往往成为决定存续与否的关键。 综上所述，**审美力之所以成为长期而隐性的竞争优势**，在于它深刻影响消费者的情感和心理，在无形中为品牌筑起壁垒。它令品牌超越功能竞争，上升到文化和精神层面，与消费者建立持久共鸣。当审美力融入品牌血脉，品牌便不再是一件商品，而是一种有生命的存在——既能提供实用价值，更能给予审美愉悦和精神滋养。这种品牌，一旦被消费者“爱上”，便很难被取代。 ### **对设计工作室或创意团队如何帮助品牌提升审美力的实践建议** 对于致力于提升品牌审美力的设计工作室或创意团队而言，需要从战略高度和执行细节双管齐下，帮助品牌打造独特而卓越的美学竞争力。以下是一些实践建议： **1. 明确品牌美学定位，挖掘核心价值之“美”：** 在开始设计工作前，需与企业一同梳理品牌的使命愿景和核心价值观，找出其中蕴含的独特“美”的要素。一个品牌的审美力首先源于品牌内核价值的美感——就像人格美决定外在美一样，品牌核心价值若是美善的、有感染力的，其外在形象才可能真正动人。因此，创意团队应深度洞察品牌故事、文化渊源、创始理念等，从中提炼出**美学定位**（如优雅简约、青春新潮、东方禅意等），确保后续设计有据可依。在这个过程中，要确保品牌美学定位与目标受众审美品味相契合。通过市场调研和用户访谈，了解受众群体的审美偏好和文化背景，找到设计风格与用户审美共鸣的结合点。明确方向后，形成一份品牌美学宣言或关键字，指导所有设计决策，使品牌美学有清晰的**灵魂主线**。 **2. 建立统一且有辨识度的视觉体系：** 视觉形象是品牌审美力最直观的呈现。设计团队应帮助品牌打造系统化的视觉识别（VI）体系，包括Logo、标准色、字体、图形符号以及延展应用等。一方面，遵循**一致性**原则，确保各元素风格统一、调性匹配，以在各种媒介中传递同一种感觉hanlonbrand.com。这类似于CI理论所强调的，通过视觉的一致规范来建立品牌在用户心智中的专属烙印hanlonbrand.com。另一方面，要赋予视觉体系**独创性**和**记忆点**，避免流于行业俗套。可以在Logo图形、字体造型上融入品牌独有的故事或文化符号，使之既简洁易识又耐人寻味。例如，可口可乐的红色飘带字体、耐克的对勾，都体现出“一眼识别”的视觉锤作用。创意团队要善于提炼这种**视觉锤**：也许是一个标志性的色彩组合，亦或一种独特插画风格。辅之以全方位的应用规范，使品牌无论出现在包装、广告、网页还是环境中，都能让消费者通过视觉元素迅速认出并产生熟悉感。需要注意的是，在执行一致性的同时保持灵活创意——例如Aesop在全球门店设计多样化的同时，始终以品牌哲学为指导并善用“减法”，确保不同设计风格中依然输出统一的品牌气质。 **3. 拓展审美力的多感官维度：** 品牌审美不仅限于视觉设计，还包括听觉、触觉、嗅觉等全方位体验。设计团队应从**五感角度**帮品牌打造完整的美学体验链条。例如，在**语言与声音**上，塑造品牌独特的声音符号（如广告配乐、提示音）和文案语调。品牌的文案、故事、宣传语都应经过美学打磨，具有感染力和识别性，避免千篇一律的公式表达。在**产品和包装材质**上，选择符合品牌调性的优质材料，通过触感和质地传递品牌对品质和美感的追求。对于**嗅觉**，比如护肤、美妆、香氛类品牌，可以设计专属的香味风格，甚至店铺环境也融入一致的香氛，让消费者“闻到这个味道就想到你”。对于**店铺空间和环境**，创意团队应融入空间设计专业，运用灯光、陈列、动线规划来营造符合品牌美学的氛围。比如咖啡馆品牌可以通过背景音乐、室内香气、家具质感共同营造一种生活美学场景。**一致而立体的感官美学**有助于加深消费者对品牌的全方位记忆与好感。 **4. 平衡功能与美学，倡导“有用的美”：** 在实际设计方案中，始终兼顾实用功能和审美表达，做到美而不娇、雅而不涩。设计工作室应该深刻理解产品/服务的使用场景和用户需求，把**用户体验**作为美学设计的出发点之一。每一个美的细节都应服务或至少不妨碍功能。举例来说，在UI界面设计中，即使追求视觉惊艳，也不能牺牲交互的清晰度和便捷性；包装设计再好看，也要考虑开启方便、材质环保等实用面。**功利性设计和精神性设计并不矛盾**，二者可以相辅相成。正如飞书的案例所示，办公软件既可以提升效率，又可以有赏心悦目的界面细节。当团队拿出设计提案时，不妨自问：这个设计既“好看”又“好用”了吗？有没有哪个方面做得过头，影响了另一面？通过这种自检，来回打磨，力求在功能与美学之间取得最佳平衡。一旦实现“**有用之美**”，往往能给用户带来惊喜的体验，从而大大提升品牌美誉。 **5. 注入文化内涵，讲好品牌美学故事：** 品牌审美力并非空中楼阁，它应扎根于一定的文化语境与故事脉络中才能更动人心弦。设计团队应当帮助品牌发掘和塑造其背后的文化故事，将其融入设计细节中。例如，可以从品牌产地的文化、创始人的背景、品牌服务的群体亚文化中寻找灵感，把这些元素转化为设计语言。Aesop的经验是，在设计师动工前，品牌会提供一些文学参考和哲思指导，确保设计作品中注入品牌的文化思考。创意团队也可以类似操作——比如在进行新店设计前，先研究当地历史人文，从中提炼关键意象运用到设计里；在开发新品包装时，将品牌理念化作一句富有哲理的引言印在包装内侧，给消费者制造小小的精神愉悦。同时，要帮助品牌**讲好美学主张**：通过内容营销、社交媒体，将品牌关于美的观点、态度分享出来，吸引志同道合的受众。可以策划富有美感的影像、摄影作品，或举办艺术文化相关的活动，以强化品牌的文化调性。总之，让消费者感受到品牌不只是卖商品，更是在传播一种美的理念和生活方式。这种理念一旦被理解和认同，品牌就能收获**精神共鸣型**的忠实拥趸。 **6. 注重细节和一致性，建立长效审美管理机制：** 品牌审美力的提升是一个持续过程，需要在每个细节上精益求精并长期保持一致。设计工作室在完成初始设计项目后，应协助品牌建立一套**审美管理机制**和设计规范，以保证美学风格在各个触点的一贯呈现（包括今后的广告、公关、产品线延伸等）。这包括：整理完善品牌视觉识别手册，规定从色彩到版式的使用标准；制定内容及语言风格指南，明确品牌对外沟通的语气和用词美学；参与培训品牌内部团队，让市场、公关等相关人员理解品牌的美学定位和原则，在各种执行中不跑偏。同时，鼓励品牌定期**审视和更新**其审美表达，以跟上时代审美演进但又不偏离自身DNA。例如，可以每隔几年对品牌形象做小幅的优化升级（非颠覆性改版），以保持新鲜感和现代感。还可以通过消费者反馈和市场调研，了解大众对品牌审美的认知是否与预期一致，找出需要改进的细节。在日常执行中，**一切品牌输出皆作品**的意识很重要：无论是一张社交媒体海报还是一次线下活动布置，都应体现品牌美学水准，不松懈对细节的把控。飞书大会的案例显示，他们连参会者的胸牌、手册、现场动线标识等物料都悉心设计、保持主视觉的一致延展，给人高度和谐一致的观感。这种对细节的执着最终转换成品牌整体形象的高质感，使消费者在潜移默化中对品牌建立深层次的信任与喜爱。 **7. 借助外脑与跨界合作，激发创新灵感：** 提升品牌审美力，有时需要跳出现有视角，借助更多元的创造力源泉。设计工作室可以建议品牌尝试与艺术家、建筑师、插画师、时尚设计师等各领域的美学高手进行跨界合作。一方面，这些合作能为品牌注入新颖元素和更高水准的美学创意（如某些运动品牌找艺术家设计联名款、商场请知名建筑师设计旗舰店空间）。另一方面，跨界合作本身也传递出品牌对于美学和创意的重视态度，提升品牌在消费者心中的品位形象。当然，合作对象的选择要与品牌调性契合，才能达到“锦上添花”的效果。除此之外，还可以帮助品牌建立与设计/艺术院校、美学研究机构的联系，开展美学趋势和消费者审美研究，做到**前瞻性**地引领审美潮流。品牌内部也可举办定期的美学分享会或设计灵感沙龙，提升团队整体的审美修养——毕竟**团队自身的审美眼界**是打造美学品牌的根本驱动力。如果公司领导层能够身体力行，例如招聘具有艺术背景的人才进入品牌营销团队，营造重视美感的企业文化，那么品牌的审美力提升将更水到渠成。 总而言之，设计工作室在助力品牌审美力提升时，应当扮演好“**美学战略顾问**”和“**创意执行推手**”的双重角色：既从宏观上引导品牌明确美学方向与价值主张，又在微观上打磨具体设计，确保每一处细节都体现品牌的美学追求。通过系统规划和耐心耕耘，让审美力真正融入品牌的DNA和运营实践中。审美力的打造绝非一日之功，但一旦建立起高水准的品牌美学，它将成为品牌最迷人也最牢固的核心竞争力，长期滋养品牌的成长与成功。 ## English Content > From visual cultivation to organizational culture, aesthetic power is becoming the invisible asset of the brand. ### **The Theoretical Basis and Historical Evolution of Aesthetic Power in Brand Strategy** Brand as a comprehensive carrier of business and culture, its construction process and theory has been evolving. And**aesthetic power**(brand aesthetic taste and expression) since the rise of industrial design has gradually integrated into the core of brand strategy. Early brands mainly distinguish products and convey credibility through logo symbols, which are the hands of consumers to identify and remember brands. In the mid-20th century, design began to rise as an important means of brand strategy. In 1958, Gordon Lilpincott proposed"**Enterprise Identification**(CI,Corporate Identity) "concept, visual design into the brand strategy system. Since then, the brand visual image system (VI) has become the basic project of brand building, including the consistent design of Logo, standard color, font, packaging, advertising, environment and other contacts. This marks**design aesthetic**It has officially become one of the important theoretical foundations of brand strategy. In the history of the development of brand theory, from the initial emphasis on the consistency of visual symbols, to later focus on brand image, personality and experience, the status of aesthetic factors continues to improve. The famous positioning theory expert Laura Ries (Laura Ries) pointed out: "In the visual age, the best way to seize the minds of consumers is not only to rely on the 'nail of language', but also to use a powerful 'visual hammer '". It can be seen that in the era of information overload,**Visual Communication of Aestheticization**It is seen as the key to reaching the consumer's heart. In the 21st century, "experience economy" and "emotional marketing" rise, the brand is no longer just selling function, but selling a way of life and aesthetic proposition. Behind this is the improvement of consumers' aesthetic level and the upgrading of consumption concept: from the pursuit of practicality to the pursuit**Yueyi aesthetic**of satisfaction. As aesthetician Jiang Xun said, an individual's aesthetic level often determines his or her competitiveness, because aesthetics reflects macro overall thinking and micro detail insight. Similarly, for brands,**Aesthetic power has become an important pillar of brand strategy in the new era.**It is a bridge between product function and consumer emotion. ### **How International Brands Build Long-term Competitiveness and Cultural Influence through Aesthetics** Excellent international brands are often known for their aesthetic excellence, shaping long-term competitive advantage and cultural influence through unique aesthetics.**Apple is the classic case. The reason why Apple can become a global technology and cultural icon is precisely because it integrates "beauty" into technology and innovation. Jobs paid great attention to the beauty of product design and user experience. He believed that "design is not only the appearance, but also the way of product operation". The key to Apple's success is not the most powerful technical parameters, but the simplicity, elegance and humanity.**The ultimate pursuit of the formation of others difficult to copy the unique taste. Some commentators have pointed out that without Jobs' unique aesthetic taste, there would be no Apple today; Apple's unique competitiveness lies in the integration of beauty, technology and innovation. This integration has brought users strong aesthetic identity and emotional loyalty to the Apple brand-users' feelings for Apple are largely derived from "aesthetic identity", and the aesthetic resonance coupled with the identity of the brand concept has given birth to Apple's phenomenal brand culture. **MUJI has established brand vitality and influence spanning more than 30 years through minimalist aesthetics. Muji is not so much a brand as it advocates a minimalist and textured philosophy of life. MUJI's design is rooted in the traditional Japanese simple aesthetics and Zen philosophy: removing all superfluous decorations and emphasizing the texture and function of the material itself. This "less is more" aesthetics has been elevated to a cultural level by MUJI, above luxury, and it can touch the hearts of modern people. MUJI believes that the ultimate purpose of design is to soothe and awaken people's feelings.**rather than chasing trends or showing off personality. Simple, honest, concise and practical, it is the principle of MUJI aesthetics. When consumers use MUJI products, they feel a**A Gentle and Powerful Lifestyle**It does not need a conspicuous Logo, but it conveys awe of the beauty of everyday life everywhere. This unique aesthetic philosophy has enabled MUJI to gain a large number of loyal fans around the world and become a cultural symbol of minimalist life aesthetics. From the perspective of brand strategy, MUJI has established emotional ties and lifestyle influence beyond product functions through aesthetic power. The interior design of Aesop's Tokyo Ginza store uses local materials such as red bricks to create a quiet and rustic space aesthetic, echoing the famous "Red Brick Street" in Ginza. This unique store aesthetics conveys the brand's respect and integration into the local culture. Each Aesop store is like an art space isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city. to again**Aēsop (Aesop), for example, this Australian high-end skin care brand integrates aesthetics into products, space and cultural activities, building a strong brand recognition and cultural influence. Aesop adheres to the concept of "design is brand communication": they reject the chain image of thousands of stores, but let each store be designed by different architects and integrate local cultural elements, making the store an entity expression of brand philosophy. Walking into Aesop's shop is like walking into a quiet art gallery-no noisy advertising slogans, replaced by soothing music, exquisite materials and just the right lighting. Aesop creative director compares stores to harbors isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city**I hope that the unique design will bring comfort to the city people. For example, the Aesop Ginza store uses local red bricks to echo the street style, the Richmond store combines British classical and pastoral style, and the Chelsea store in New York cooperates with literary magazines to pay tribute to literature by collage ...... Different styles maintain a unified temperament under the brand philosophy. More importantly, Aesop has created some sort**spiritual resonance**: Customers are not regarded as target groups here, but as thoughtful and tasteful friends. Aesop also regularly hosts small-scale cultural events (e. g. readings, concerts) in the store, creating a deep connection with customers through literature and art. Arguably, Aesop downplays marketing in the traditional sense in favor**aesthetic experience**Capture the customer's heart. In the long-term practice, Aesop has accumulated a strong intangible assets-an exclusive brand culture and a loyal aesthetic community. Many art lovers regard visiting Aesop stores as "pilgrimage". It is precisely because of the brand's unique aesthetic style and cultural experience that each store is like a local independent art space and has become an online red place for design lovers and hipsters to clock in. This fully reflects the aesthetic power into the brand**Cultural influence**of great power. To sum up, international first-class brands such as Apple, MUJI and Aesop have all made great efforts in aesthetics: either to establish a model of both technology and art with industrial design aesthetics, or to lead the change of consumption concept with life aesthetics, or to create an immersive brand experience with the integration of space aesthetics and culture.**Through their superior aesthetic power, they build competitive barriers that are difficult to replicate.**And at a deeper level to shape the public's aesthetic taste and cultural trends. ### **The Tension between Aesthetics and Commerce: The Balance between Utilitarian Design and Spiritual Expression** In the business world, design should not only serve the market and function, but also carry the aesthetic ideal and spiritual expression of the brand. The two sometimes seem contradictory: firms seek sales and efficiency, often tending**Utilitarian design**(oriented to cost-effectiveness and practical functions); and excellent brands need to convey higher aesthetic pursuit and spiritual value through design. When utilitarian and spiritual collision, how to balance is the brand facing the "aesthetic tension" proposition. Traditionally, many companies believe that investing too much effort and cost in design does not directly bring commercial returns. However, new trends suggest that this view is changing. with**Take the enterprise-class office software "Flying Book" as an example. The investment in the design of this B- end product is surprising: it not only pays attention to functional efficiency, but also pursues the beauty of the interface and the refinement of details. Feishu even boldly adopted a poetic "flower" as the main vision of the conference at the recent product launch, instead of the common cold and cool science and technology graphics. This unconventional aesthetic expression has won the audience's attention and made aesthetics a differentiated highlight. The design team of Feishu is willing to devote time and effort to these non-direct utilitarian details, which may not be "cost-effective" to many peers, but it is this persistence that highlights the valuable taste of the brand. Facts have proved that the warmth and humanity represented by this flower**Image, greatly enhance the user's favorability to fly the book brand. As the analysis said: "Flying Book allows people to see that aesthetics and practicality are not either one or the other; excellent visual experience can also precipitate brand competitiveness and even affect users' judgment of product value". It can be seen that when brands dare to go beyond pure utilitarian considerations to pursue aesthetic excellence, they often reap the rewards.**Long-term business returns**-- Deeper emotional connection and identification of users. Apple also has a deep understanding of this. Jobs once emphasized that the role of design is not only visual, but also to improve the way products are used."**Design is how it works.**”. He insists**Form follows function**And complement each other's concept: not only to the product easy to use, but also to look good and comfortable. In Apple's practice, engineers and designers work together to polish every detail to serve both function and beauty. For example, the Mac computer's boot music and the iPhone's rounded rectangular icon are both aesthetically pleasing and improve the user experience. Jobs's famous quote "In first-class art and pure science, details are everything" aptly illustrates**The Beauty of Details**Enhancement of product value. He firmly believes**Aesthetic sense**It is part of the function itself: beautiful products make people love it, and then integrate into life more deeply. Of course, there are many enterprises through the aesthetic and commercial imbalance detour. Some blindly cater to the short-term market and are eager for quick success and instant benefits in design, resulting in a mediocre or even vulgar brand image; others place too much emphasis on artistic expression and ignore the actual needs of users, resulting in "self-appreciation" designs that the market does not buy. Therefore, brands need**Dynamic equilibrium**This pair of tension: neither can sacrifice the basic practical value, nor can it be completely utilitarian-oriented and obliterate the aesthetic personality of the brand. The way to balance is to return to the brand's original heart and user value. Good design should be."**Combining form and spirit**"-shape (Function) is reliable function, God (Spirit) is the beauty of the brand spirit. Aesop's success is an example of this balance: it not only adheres to the efficacy and quality of the product (the slow work of grinding a product for ten years gives the spirit of meticulous work), but also does its best in aesthetics in space, packaging and communication without being flashy (for example, brown glass pharmacy bottles have both aesthetic simplicity and practical considerations of anti-oxidation). This design not only solves the practical problems, but also conveys the brand philosophy, so that consumers can feel the attitude and temperature of the brand when using the product. In short,**Aesthetics and commerce are not opposites, but mutual achievements.**. In the long run, brands that integrate aesthetics into commercial rationality tend to create more lasting values. Aesthetics gives the brand soul and differentiation, while commerce provides a stage for aesthetics. The two are properly balanced, the brand can be both "easy to use" and "moving", both to meet the needs of users and move the user mind. ### **The Development Status and Typical Problems of Chinese Brands in Aesthetic Power** As China's economy enters a new era of consumption,"**Aesthetic bonus**It is becoming an important driving force for the rise of local brands. However, we have to admit that compared with the international leading brands, Chinese brands have made great progress in the development of aesthetic power, but also have some typical problems and deficiencies. Look at the positive changes first. Growth since the reform and opening up**The second generation of entrepreneurs**(Post-80s, post-90s and even post-00s) gradually stepped onto the front desk. Most of them have received better aesthetic education and have a stronger understanding of the importance of brand aesthetics. At the same time, Chinese consumers have a rich material life, and their requirements for products have shifted from "whether they are good-looking" to "whether they are in line with my taste". This increase in aesthetic awareness at both ends of supply and demand has given birth to a number of new and cutting-edge domestic brands that are known for their design. for example, in the "national tide" movement,**Li Ning**The introduction of fashion series incorporating traditional Chinese elements and the cross-border introduction of cultural and creative fashion products by the Great White Rabbit Milk Candy have reinterpreted traditional culture through modern design and brought about a commercial trend with oriental beauty. Another example is the bold innovation of new brands of tea and coffee in store space and product packaging. The new tea products are named "Zhizi Berry" and "Hua Hua Hua Yin", which are refreshing and reflect the aesthetic creativity in language. It can be said that a new generation of Chinese brands are**Take the initiative to shape the difference with aesthetic power**Trying to bid farewell to the old image of "cheap" and "earthy" and create a more high-end and exquisite brand tone. This trend is particularly obvious in the beauty, home, clothing and other industries. Some local brands have begun to show a deep understanding of local culture and aesthetics, and hope to build brand uniqueness and win long-term consumer trust and loyalty. However, the Chinese brand in the process of enhancing the aesthetic force also faces many challenges and**Typical problems**： - **Visual Homogeneity and Lack of Recognition**: Many brands are easy to follow the trend and imitate the international trend in Logo and VI design, resulting in serious "face collision" phenomenon. In the past period of time, many domestic brands are keen to adopt minimalist flat style or net red color matching. However, due to the lack of support from their own cultural connotations, their visual images are similar and their recognition is low. This stems from the fact that some companies only focus on functionality and mainstream aesthetic trends when designing, ignoring**Personalized and innovative expression**So that different brands of VI look little different. Low visual recognition will blur the brand image, which is not conducive to the accumulation of brand equity in the long run. - **Brand language and communication lack of aesthetic feeling**: In brand communication, many Chinese brands**Text and Language Style**Still stay in the routine, lack of aesthetic appeal. Typical examples are brand stories and promotional copy, and common templates are the same: "The founder of X years founded the brand with his first heart......". This formulaic expression can not move people's hearts, but pull down the style of the brand. In contrast, some new brands have begun to attach importance to language aesthetics. For example, the new tea brands mentioned above are ingenious in product naming, giving products romantic and poetic names, and enhancing consumers' goodwill. Generally speaking, the aesthetic creativity of Chinese brands in language narrative needs to be strengthened, and it needs to get rid of the blunt marketing cavity and turn to a more sincere, vivid and consistent expression of brand personality. - **Space and Environmental Design Lag**: Compared with products and packaging, many domestic brands have been right in the past.**Terminal Space Design**Insufficient attention, the offline store image lacks aesthetic consistency. Some brands of store display, interior design is more casual, failed to extend the brand tonality to the space experience. However, this situation is improving, especially in the new retail and experience economy wave, more and more brands pay attention to the aesthetic creation of offline space. For example, popular tea shops have been decorated with different styles to create artistic spaces that can "clock in". Some local clothing and beauty brands have also begun to cooperate with well-known designers to set up concept stores and pop-up shops to attract young consumers through creative spaces. This shows that Chinese brands are realizing**spatial aesthetics**It is also part of the brand experience. However, on the whole, the professionalism of most enterprises in space design still needs to be improved, and the visual system and product style of the brand need to be better coordinated. - **Problems of Material and Packaging Design**Packaging is an intuitive embodiment of brand aesthetic power, but in the past, the packaging design of many domestic products was either too fancy or too crude and lacking in design sense. Some companies have mistakenly thought that the more gorgeous packaging can attract consumers, the result is counterproductive. Today, the consumer's aesthetic has shifted from complexity to simplicity and elegance, and then the old ideas are cheap. Therefore, brands need to seek in terms of material selection, process texture, graphic fonts, etc.**Just the right beauty**. At present, some new brands (especially in the field of beauty and food) have made breakthroughs in packaging, such as using oriental traditional patterns combined with modern minimalist design, or pursuing environmental protection and advanced touch in materials to enhance the brand's style. The exploration of this aspect makes the packaging of domestic brands gradually bid farewell to the sense of cheapness, and move**Refined, culturalized**direction of development. - **Aesthetic positioning does not match brand positioning**: Another common problem is that some brands try to improve their "appearance" quickly,**Aesthetic positioning and actual brand positioning do not match**, causing confusion or untrustworthiness of the brand image. For example, some affordable brands blindly imitate the high cold wind of luxury goods, and as a result, consumers do not buy it and think that they "pretend to be high-end"; or some brands suddenly change to minimalist and indifferent designs, but lack the corresponding support of products and services, which makes consumers feel misplaced. Therefore, the brand in the promotion of aesthetic needs to examine their own positioning, to ensure that the aesthetic style and brand DNA fit, rather than for the sake of beauty and beauty. Otherwise, it may be eye-catching in the short term, but it is difficult to maintain loyalty in the long term. In a nutshell,**The aesthetic power of Chinese brands is in the stage of accelerating remedial and evolutionary**On the one hand, the improvement of public aesthetic level has brought opportunities for brands, on the other hand, how to establish brand aesthetics with recognition and connotation is still a topic. Local brands need to avoid the "surface beauty" of eager for quick success and instant benefits, and practice their internal skills, including deeply exploring the essence of local culture and aesthetics, and cultivating design innovation ability, so as to form a unique brand aesthetic identity. Only in this way can we establish a Chinese brand image that is eye-catching and can stand the test of time in the domestic and international markets. ### **Why aesthetic power is a long-term and hidden competitive advantage** Compared to price, channel and other means of dominant competition,**Aesthetic ability**It is often a long-term and hidden competitive advantage. It subtly affects consumer psychology and behavior and creates a deep moat for the brand. First, from**Consumer Psychology and Brand Loyalty**From a perspective, the experience of beauty can stimulate emotional resonance, which in turn translates into long-term preferences and loyalty. Research shows that when a product or brand evokes emotional resonance in aesthetics, consumers tend to have a stronger love and stickiness for the brand, and are even willing to ignore the disadvantages of function and price. A study by San Francisco State University found that consumers' loyalty to car brands stems more from aesthetic factors such as appearance than from function and price.**The more aesthetic investment in product design, the stronger the emotional connection between the brand and the consumer.**The more sustainable the relationship is. On the contrary, if you just pile up functions, the relationship tends to be more transaction-oriented and difficult to form lasting emotions. This is a good explanation of why brands such as Apple and BMW have a large number of "iron powder": users may not remember the parameter configuration for a while, but they have a deep memory of the aesthetic atmosphere and taste created by the brand, thus having a long-term preference for the brand. Therefore, the aesthetic force brought**emotional added value**It is an invisible asset that nourishes a deeper psychological bond between the brand and the consumer, giving the brand an appeal beyond rational considerations. Secondly, aesthetic power can give the brand**Premium capacity and durable differentiation**. When a brand's design aesthetics reaches the level of excellence, consumers are often willing to pay a premium for "beauty. As some people in the industry pointed out: "at present and in the future, only brands with excellent aesthetic power can sell more expensive!". Because the aesthetic power itself represents a kind of quality and style, which can improve the subjective value of the product in the eyes of consumers. In the same kind of functional products, visually pleasing, touch exquisite, tonality of high-grade brand, naturally more to win favor, this kind**Brand Preference Transformed into Price Advantage**Long-term accumulation is the pricing power of the brand. In addition, the brand image created by aesthetic power is often difficult to be copied by competitors. Technology can be imitated and business models can be followed, but the unique aesthetic style and cultural connotation of a brand is difficult to be simply copied-this is the hidden moat of differentiation. For example, Apple's minimalist elegance, Muji's simple Zen, and Aesop's literary temperament are all brand assets built through design and aesthetics for more than a decade, and it is difficult for competitors to create the same feeling and atmosphere in the short term. Again, from**Cultural influence and community identity**From a point of view, aesthetic power can also make the brand go beyond the commercial level and become a cultural symbol, gathering a highly recognized consumer community. Once the brand's aesthetic propositions and values are recognized by a group of consumers, their loyalty to the brand is not only satisfaction with the product, but also the loyalty to a way of life and values. This loyalty is strongest and hardest to shake. The example of Aesop shows that through long-term adherence to unique design aesthetics and cultural taste, the brand has attracted a group of fans who love philosophical life and love literature and art to become core customers. They highly identify with Aesop's philosophy in spirit and form the backbone of the brand. In the era of increasingly serious product homogenization,**The value circle that establishes this kind of cultural resonance is the brand's indestructible moat.**. Similarly, Apple has a similar community effect for geeks and creative people, and Muji for minimalists. Brand aesthetic power makes consumers have a sense of identity and belonging, which transcends general loyalty and becomes an existence of almost fan culture. This is clearly an advantage that competitors are difficult to gain through short-term marketing. Finally, aesthetic power as a competitive advantage is often the"**Nourishing things silently and imperceptibly**"The hidden power. It does not show the benefits overnight, but over time, the brand occupies a place in the hearts of consumers because of the beautiful experience, forming an irreplaceable position. Some advantages may decay as the market changes, but the reputation and emotional connection brought by aesthetics often lasts forever. As Jobs said, "taste is the best moat"-Apple defeated its opponents in many fields, not because of the strongest technology, but because of its unique taste and the ultimate pursuit of simplicity, elegance and humanity. Once this taste is integrated into the brand gene, it becomes a long-term barrier for enterprises to resist competition. A brand with noble aesthetic taste, like a person with a poetic world, has its own outstanding vitality in the numerous markets. The brand equity shaped by aesthetic power is intangible but thick, bringing long-term value to the brand beyond the product itself-including loyalty, reputation, cultural influence, and cross-category extensibility. These advantages may be difficult to quantify in the short term, but in the long river of brand development, they often become the key to the survival of the decision. In summary,**The reason why aesthetic power has become a long-term and hidden competitive advantage**It has a profound impact on consumers' emotions and psychology, and builds barriers for brands in the invisible. It makes the brand go beyond the functional competition, rise to the cultural and spiritual level, and establish lasting resonance with consumers. When aesthetic power is integrated into the brand's bloodline, the brand is no longer a commodity, but a living existence-it can not only provide practical value, but also give aesthetic pleasure and spiritual nourishment. Once this brand is "loved" by consumers, it is difficult to be replaced. ### **Practical advice on how a design studio or creative team can help a brand enhance its aesthetic appeal** For design studios or creative teams that are committed to enhancing the aesthetic power of the brand, it is necessary to help the brand create unique and excellent aesthetic competitiveness from a strategic height and execution details. Here are some practical recommendations: **1. Clear brand aesthetic positioning and tap the "beauty" of core values ":** Before starting the design work, it is necessary to sort out the mission vision and core values of the brand together with the enterprise, and find out the unique "beauty" elements contained in it. The aesthetic power of a brand first comes from the aesthetic feeling of the brand's core value-just as personality beauty determines external beauty, if the brand's core value is beautiful and infectious, its external image can be truly moving. Therefore, the creative team should have a deep insight into the brand story, cultural origins, founding philosophy, etc., from which to extract**aesthetic positioning**(such as elegant and simple, youthful fashion, oriental Zen, etc.) to ensure that the follow-up design is based on evidence. In this process, it is necessary to ensure that the brand aesthetic positioning is compatible with the aesthetic taste of the target audience. Through market research and user interviews, we can understand the aesthetic preferences and cultural background of the audience, and find the combination of design style and user aesthetic resonance. After a clear direction, form a brand aesthetic declaration or keywords to guide all design decisions and make brand aesthetics clear.**Soul main line**。 **2. Establish a unified and recognizable visual system:** Visual image is the most intuitive presentation of brand aesthetic power. The design team should help the brand create a systematic visual identity (VI) system, including logo, standard color, font, graphic symbols and extended application. On the one hand, follow**Consistency**Principle, to ensure that the elements of the uniform style, tonality matching, in a variety of media to convey the same feeling hanlonbrand.com. This is similar to the CI theory, which emphasizes that the brand's exclusive imprint in the user's mind is established through a consistent specification of vision, hanlonbrand.com. On the other hand, to give the visual system**Originality**and**Key takeaway**, Avoid industry conventions. Can be in the Logo graphics, font modeling into the brand's unique story or cultural symbols, so that it is simple and easy to understand and intriguing. For example, Coca-Cola's red ribbon font and Nike's checkmark all reflect the visual hammer effect of "at-a-glance recognition. Creative teams should be good at refining this**Visual Hammer**: Perhaps an iconic color combination, or a unique illustration style. Complemented by a full range of application specifications, the brand, whether it appears in packaging, advertising, web pages or the environment, can allow consumers to quickly recognize and create a sense of familiarity through visual elements. It is important to note that while implementing consistency, it is flexible and creative-for example, Aesop is always guided by brand philosophy and makes good use of "subtraction" to ensure that different design styles still output a unified brand temperament. **3. Expand the multi-sensory dimension of aesthetic power:** Brand aesthetics is not limited to visual design, but also includes hearing, touch, smell and other all-round experience. The design team should**Five sense angle**Help the brand to create a complete aesthetic experience chain. For example, in**Language and sound**on, shaping the brand's unique sound symbols (e. g., ad soundtrack, cue tones) and copywriting tone. Brand copywriting, stories and slogans should be polished by aesthetics, with appeal and identification, and avoid the same formula expression. In**Product and packaging materials**On the top, choose high-quality materials that meet the brand's tonality, and convey the brand's pursuit of quality and beauty through touch and texture. For**Smell**For example, skin care, beauty makeup and fragrance brands can design their own fragrance style, and even the store environment can incorporate a consistent fragrance, so that consumers can "think of you when they smell this smell". For**Shop space and environment**The creative team should integrate into the space design profession and use lighting, display and dynamic line planning to create an atmosphere in line with brand aesthetics. For example, the cafe brand can create a life aesthetic scene through background music, indoor aroma and furniture texture.**Consistent and three-dimensional sensory aesthetics**It helps to deepen consumers' all-round memory and goodwill towards the brand. **4. Balance function and aesthetics, advocate "useful beauty":** In the actual design scheme, we always take into account the practical function and aesthetic expression, so as to be beautiful but not charming, elegant but not astringent. The design studio should have a deep understanding of the product/service usage scenarios and user needs, and put**User Experience**As one of the starting points of aesthetic design. Every detail of beauty should serve or at least not hinder function. For example, in UI interface design, even if you pursue visual stunning, you cannot sacrifice the clarity and convenience of interaction. No matter how good the packaging design looks, it is also necessary to consider practical aspects such as convenient opening and environmental protection of materials.**Utilitarian design and spiritual design are not contradictory**The two can complement each other. As the case of Feishu shows, office software can both improve efficiency and have pleasing interface details. When the team comes up with a design proposal, it might as well ask itself: Is this design both "good-looking" and "easy-to-use"? Is there any aspect that has gone too far and affected the other side? Through this self-inspection, it is polished back and forth to achieve the best balance between function and aesthetics. Once achieved"**Useful Beauty**", often can bring users a surprising experience, thus greatly enhancing the brand reputation. **5. Inject cultural connotation and tell the story of brand aesthetics:** Brand aesthetic power is not a castle in the air, it should be rooted in a certain cultural context and the story of the vein can be more touching. The design team should help the brand discover and shape the cultural story behind it and incorporate it into the design details. For example, you can find inspiration from the culture of the brand's origin, the background of the founder, and the group subculture of brand services, and translate these elements into design language. Aesop's experience is that before the designer works, the brand will provide some literary reference and philosophical guidance to ensure that the cultural thinking of the brand is injected into the design works. The creative team can also operate similarly-for example, before designing a new store, study the local history and humanities, extract key images from them and apply them to the design. When developing new product packaging, the brand concept is turned into a philosophical introduction printed on the inside of the packaging to create a little spiritual pleasure for consumers. At the same time, to help the brand**Good Aesthetic Proposition**: Share the brand's views and attitudes about beauty through content marketing and social media to attract like-minded audiences. You can plan aesthetic images, photographic works, or hold art and culture-related activities to strengthen the cultural tone of the brand. In short, let consumers feel that the brand is not only selling goods, but also spreading a beautiful concept and lifestyle. Once this concept is understood and recognized, the brand can reap**Spiritual resonance type**The loyal fans. **6. Pay attention to details and consistency, establish a long-term aesthetic management mechanism:** The promotion of brand aesthetic power is a continuous process, which requires excellence in every detail and long-term consistency. After completing the initial design project, the design studio should assist the brand to establish a set**aesthetic management mechanism**and design specifications to ensure a consistent presentation of aesthetic style at all touch points (including future advertising, public relations, product line extensions, etc.). This includes: sorting out and perfecting the brand visual identity manual and stipulating the use standards from color to format; Formulate content and language style guidelines, and clarify the tone and wording aesthetics of brand communication; Participate in training the internal team of the brand, so that relevant personnel such as the market and public relations can understand the aesthetic positioning and principles of the brand, and do not deviate in various implementations. At the same time, encourage brands to regularly**Review and update**Its aesthetic expression to keep up with the aesthetic evolution of the times but not deviate from its own DNA. For example, the brand image can be optimized and upgraded slightly every few years (non-subversive revision) to maintain freshness and modernity. Through consumer feedback and market research, we can also find out whether the public's perception of brand aesthetics is consistent with expectations and find out the details that need to be improved. In daily execution,**All brand output are works**Awareness is very important: whether it is a social media poster or an offline activity layout, it should reflect the brand's aesthetic level and not relax its control over details. The case of the Flying Book Conference shows that they even carefully designed the participants' badges, manuals, on-site moving line signs and other materials to maintain the consistent extension of the main vision, giving people a highly harmonious and consistent impression. This kind of dedication to details eventually transforms into the high texture of the overall image of the brand, which makes consumers build deep trust and love for the brand in a subtle way. **7. Inspire innovation with the help of external brain and cross-border cooperation:** To enhance the brand's aesthetic power, it is sometimes necessary to jump out of the existing perspective and use more diverse sources of creativity. Design studios can suggest that brands try to cooperate with artists, architects, illustrators, fashion designers and other aesthetic experts in various fields. On the one hand, these collaborations can inject novel elements and higher-level aesthetic creativity into the brand (for example, some sports brands find artists to design joint models, and shopping malls invite well-known architects to design flagship store spaces). On the other hand, cross-border cooperation itself also conveys the brand's attitude towards aesthetics and creativity, and enhances the brand's taste image in the hearts of consumers. Of course, the choice of partners must be compatible with the brand tonality in order to achieve the "icing on the cake" effect. In addition, it can also help brands establish contacts with design/art schools and aesthetic research institutions, carry out aesthetic trends and consumer aesthetic research, and achieve**Prospective**lead the aesthetic trend. Regular aesthetic sharing sessions or design inspiration salons can also be held within the brand to enhance the team's overall aesthetic accomplishment-after all**Team's own aesthetic vision**Is the fundamental driving force to build aesthetic brand. If the company's leadership can practice, such as recruiting talents with artistic background to enter the brand marketing team and creating a corporate culture that attaches importance to beauty, then the promotion of the brand's aesthetic power will be more natural. In a word, the design studio should play a good role in helping the brand to improve its aesthetic power."**Aesthetic Strategy Consultant**”and“**Creative Executive Pusher**"The dual role of": not only from the macro to guide the brand clear aesthetic direction and value proposition, but also in the micro to polish the specific design, to ensure that every detail reflects the brand's aesthetic pursuit. Through systematic planning and patient cultivation, the aesthetic power is truly integrated into the brand's DNA and operational practices. The creation of aesthetic power is by no means a day's work, but once a high-level brand aesthetics is established, it will become the most charming and strongest core competitiveness of the brand, and nourish the growth and success of the brand for a long time.