Space = 'Overall brand communicator'

   Jooyun Kim's 
Spacebranding vol.21

"In a branded space, customers leave the brand as a trace in their minds."

<National and urban branding through iconic architecture.>
The impression of the brand space communicates with customers the value and vision of the brand as images and symbols. The impression is related to everything in the space, including the structure, texture, arrangement, color, music, temperature, scent, the atmosphere of the staff, language, etc., and everything that is impressive in the customer's mind through experience.1) Countries and cities can also be newly impressive through the image of space as a brand.

The UK is a country that recognized that early. At the Expo of the World Exhibition held in London for the first time in 1851, Britain introduced a transparent fair building called Crystal Palace. One light and the transparent architectural image showed off the status and technology of imperial Britain to the world. Since the first fair building, the UK has recognized the importance of the expo's architecture as a national symbol and has shown the UK's status as a space for each expo.

Crystal Palace 1851 designed by Joseph Paxton from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Crystal-Palace-building-London

The Royal Mail, the UK's national post office, selected 10 iconic buildings loved by city residents over the past 20 years and issued them as special stamps in July 2017. 'London Aquatics Centre', designed by Zaha Hadid, who designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Cornwall's greenhouse 'Eden Project', designed by Nicholas Grimshaw, and Glasgow's 'SEC Armadillo Performance Hall', designed by Norman Foster, were selected as representative British lands.2)

Royal Mail's UK Iconic Architecture Stamp, 2017 from https://www.dezeen.com/2017/07/21/royal-mail-stamp-collection-uk-landmark-buildings-contemporary-architecture-gbh-hufton-crow/

Even if it is not historical architecture, British iconic modern architecture is naturally becoming popular as the image of the region. The issuance of stamps recognized that modern architecture is now becoming a cultural heritage as iconic architecture to the public. Iconic buildings become an impression of the region, become tourism products, and images mainly used in the media without any special explanation. Iconic architecture became the main communication object and means of city branding.3)

Professor Yang Ji-yoon confirmed the association through research results on the correlation between iconic architecture and place branding through big data analysis on SNS in 2018. Iconic architecture is important to cities because it can act as a catalyst for urban development. Not only public architecture but also commercially successful architectures are loved by the public and enhance the competitiveness of the city.4)

<The test-bed of the brand, 'Korea'.>
In May 2015, a special exhibition titled LOUIS VUITTON SERIES 2 – Past, Present, Future was held at D Tower in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, by fashion luxury brand Louis Vuitton. It is said that the <Talking Face> exhibition was first shown at the opening of the Louis Vuitton Foundation Museum in 2014. These amazing spatial devices travel around the world, conveying the novelty of Louis Vuitton.

<LOUIS VUITTON SERIES 2 – Past, Present, Future> 2015 ©Jooyun Kim

Visitors entering the exhibition encounter the novelty of Louis Vuitton, such as installation art in a museum. Nicolas Ghesquière, art director of the Maison Louis Vuitton, delivered a special sensibility to the theme of each space section by directing it as if it was a journey into the mind of a designer. 

In particular, the section <Talking Face> reproduced Ghesquière's collection showroom as it was, and visitors experienced a surreal space where they could not tell where it was real or where it was reflected.

Talking Faces, <LOUIS VUITTON SERIES 2> 2015 ©Jooyun Kim

Talking Faces, <LOUIS VUITTON SERIES 2> 2015 ©Jooyun Kim

In this space, visitors all take out their cell phones and take pictures to leave the spatial impression they experience as memories. Previously, such luxury brand exhibitions were rare in Korea, but premium brands such as Dior and Chanel have continued to hold special exhibitions to communicate with the public since 2014.

<LOUIS VUITTON SERIES 2> 2015 ©Jooyun Kim

Why are these recently well-known luxury brands holding exhibitions? Euromonitor International, a British market research firm in London, says Korean consumers' taste in pursuing 'luxury' is becoming a testbed for new trends and product models.5)

<Imprinting brand image through space>
It is interesting that luxury brands are taking exhibitions as a way to experiment with new trends and expand their customers in Korea. For what purpose do luxury brands present astronomical-cost exhibitions to the public for free?

Luxury brand managers will want customers to experience the brand's philosophy and identity by delivering many contents such as the brand's history through the exhibition. Although the content and format of the exhibition may differ depending on the concept of the exhibition, most of them take a method of imprinting the brand with an intense spatial image to customers. 

Usually, visitors finish their viewing in a short time, so they only remember unique items or special spatial situations during the exhibition. If the brand's spatial situation is impressive, customers take pictures. Taking pictures to keep as a memory. If the customer took a picture, the brand is already recorded in the customer's brain. 

In the end, the essential purpose of the exhibition was achieved because the identity of the brand was conveyed. Therefore, an Instagrammable space is necessary for an exhibition. What is important here is the fact that the spatial situation and brand identity are directly connected in a short time.

<Space = 'Overall brand communicator'>
Scott Deming, a corporate consultant, says. "Branding refers to creating and maintaining a strong image that makes a strong impression or belief about an object based on a special and touching experience. Branding is what you feel. These sensibilities that consumers have about brands have little to do with products or services. True communication between emotions comes from human-to-human experiences. The part that really moves people is the process of getting something, not the object itself.”6)

Most of the emotional pleasure of customers comes from the purchase experience itself. Premium luxury brands are clearly aware that space is where they can most effectively create inspiring customer experiences for the future of their business. They spare expense in investing in a space experience that motivates customers to consume culture.

In the space branding of premium brands, we can identify important points about customers. First, space-seeking customers are the most loyal. Customers who visit the site regardless of time and expenses are those who can fully appreciate the content prepared by the company. Second, customers looking for aesthetic space are usually people with good senses. They have the ability to persuade others about corporate excellence through SNS. Third, the excellent taste of these customers allows the company to maintain the tradition and individuality of its business.7)

A space related to business should be able to present a multisensory environment with a moving impression by using elements of ‘likeness’ in various ways along with the overall impression of intensity.8) Bernd Schmitt calls this 'cognitive consistency' and 'sensory variety'. Cognitive consistency is related to the intellectual understanding of customers as an essence of 'likeness'. And sensory diversity is a factor that can motivate customers to visit without getting bored.9)

Professor Sung-Tae Hong recommends taking a condensed approach rather than listing information to build a brand. Rather than a direct description, the way of suggestion is touching to customers' minds.10) Spatial experience can play a great role in such suggestions.

The space is concerned with everything related to the ‘likeness’ of a brand, such as the brand story, brand temporality, products, graphics, music, scent, and artistic taste. In a branded space, customers leave the brand as a trace in their minds. After all, ‘brand space’ is a ‘holistic brand communicator’.




<5 Summaries>

"In a branded space, customers leave their brands as traces in their minds."

"Iconic architecture becomes the main communication object and methods for city branding."

"Branding is the creation and maintenance of an image that is strong enough to become a powerful impression or belief about an object, based on a special and touching experience."

"The part that people are really touched by is the process of experience of getting something."

"Customers are touched by the way of suggestion rather than the direct description of the brand."


1) 양지윤·김주연 공저, “아이코닉 건축”, 북저널리즘, 2019.6.7., 9-11쪽
2) Landmark Buildings, from https://www.collectgbstamps.co.uk/explore/issues/?issue=22768
3) 양지윤·김주연 공저, “아이코닉 건축”, 북저널리즘, 2019.6.7., 14-17쪽
4) 양지윤·김주연 공저, “아이코닉 건축”, 북저널리즘, 2019.6.7., 59-60쪽
5) 한경비지니스, “럭셔리브랜드, 백화점 아닌 전시회에서 경쟁”, 2017.7.11., from http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=101&oid=050&aid=0000044730
6) 권민 지음, "브랜딩", BY UNITAS BRAND, 2012.09.05., 35쪽 재인용
7) Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni , Selling Dreams:How to Make Any Product Irresistible, Simon & Schuster 1999, pp. 149
8) Bernd Schmitt & Alex Simonson,  Marketing aesthetics, free Press, 2009, pp. 393
9) Bernd H. Schmitt, Experiential Marketing: How to Get Customers to Sense, Feel, Think, Act, Relate, Free Press, 1999, pp. 164
10) 홍성태 지음, “모든 비즈니스는 브랜딩이다”, 샘앤파커스, 2012.7.15., 55쪽

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