Anatomy of a Brand: Vodafone – Everywhere you turn, you see a Vodafone. There likely is a reason for this, as mobile telephone company Vodafone has been ranked the most valuable UK brand and the seventh most valuable brand on the globe. This leads many business owners to ask: How is Vodafone showing growth in a market where so many are failing?

UK consultancy Brand Finance publishes an annual survey of the world’s 500 most valuable brands. Although Vodafone made it on the list in previous years, this year’s ranking as number one represents a jump in brand equity past well known UK brands such as HSBC Bank and Tesco. What makes this brand such a winner in the UK? Surely the visual identity is at least one part of this winning package.

The logo design is simple and succinct. A white circle encloses a small red quotation mark. The use of red is aggressive an eye-catching, helping the brand to stand out in the saturated market. Because red is a particularly forceful colour, the company uses lower case lettering in a bubbly font to add a friendly touch. The result is a balanced image that uses a powerful colour without being overwhelmed by it.

In keeping with good branding principles, they use their visual identity as part of all company communication. Advertisements often include the familiar red quotation mark used prominently throughout the material. It is impossible not to see every piece of marketing that leaves the company and not identify it with the company. This has helped the company build a brand reputation that consumers recognize and even ask for.

Vodafone has been the leader in technology among UK communications brands. It offers the iPhone as well as a host of other popular telephones. The colour palette of the stores and the decorations within them are designed to appeal to the young and technologically savvy consumer who is the target customer of every major mobile telephone company. They clearly know how to identify and market itself to their target audience.

While this brand equity is growing by leaps and bounds, 2009 was an overwhelmingly sorry year for many UK retailers. While Asda and H&M had brand growth, they were the only other UK companies to climb up the list. The lack of growth in the UK makes the retailer’s rise to number one in the UK and number seven worldwide all the more remarkable.

The message for companies looking to find success even in a tough economy is easy. First, hire a professional logo designer to create a well balanced and recognizable communication logo that will interest and inspire customers. Second, make this logo design the basis of a visual identity that permeates every aspect of your brand, from the interior of your locations to the advertisements that sell your brand to the public. Third, offer advanced and in demand products that your target customers are seeking. This has been the recipe for success for them, and it is sure to give your own small business an advantage as well.