Aristotle may have lived 2,000 years ago, but he articulated one of the most crucial principles of brand communication long before the concept of branding existed.
He referred to it as the rhetorical triangle: ‘Ethos’ (credibility), ‘Pathos’ (emotion) and ‘Logos’ (logic). Effective communication strikes a balance among all three components. So does effective branding.
Ethos: Do people trust you?
Pathos: Do they feel something?
Logos: Does it make sense?
If your brand story is lacking in any of these areas, it becomes evident. If you’re all emotion without clarity, you come across as fluffy. If you’re all logic without warmth, you seem robotic. And if there’s no credibility? It’s game over.
Craft your brand to persuade like a compelling speech by harmonising trust, emotion and reason. Aristotle would approve.