What is perception anyways? What makes a name brand? How about that for a title? We’ve talked about perception and what people will pay. I’m not trying to brainwash anybody, but I mean really, what is a brand? I mean every business has a name. Every brand has an identity. I mean there’s big brands. My name doesn’t compete with big brands like Ralph Lauren or Polo or Versace or Valentino or whatever. But, you know, big brands offer luxury and a lifestyle. I think we’ve agreed on that. But what makes a brand? You know, we have trust. We have name brands like Banana Republic that lost their edge because they just, public, has faded because they changed identity, structure of how the company operates. Abercrombie & Fitch. They lost a lot, thanks to how they were run and what they ultimately represented, which was false. You know, even a lot of their models, it was an illusion of success and they were not even treated properly. So what’s a brand? You got Versace, for example, Ralph Lauren. I mean those are the top tier. You know, then we have Ferrari and cars like that, but I’m talking like accessible branding. And then we have art, you know, Picasso, Warhol, Van Gogh, dead artists. You know, but what is a brand? How is a brand created? What can I do to create a brand?
Response:
I think you’ve stumbled onto a really interesting subject, and I actually think this could become one of your more important blogs.
Your proposed title is excellent:
What Is Perception, Anyway? What Makes a Name a Brand?
Because there’s a bigger question underneath it: Why does one person pay $5,000 for something while another person sees essentially the same thing and thinks it’s worth $500?
That’s where perception, identity, trust, reputation, and branding all come together.
Let’s break it down.
1. What is a brand?
First, a brand isn’t a name. A name is simply an identifier.
A brand is what people associate with that name.
Think about it:
- Ralph Lauren represents a particular lifestyle, sophistication, tradition, and American luxury.
- Versace represents extravagance, fashion, boldness, and status.
- Ferrari represents performance, exclusivity, engineering, and prestige.
- Picasso represents innovation, artistic genius, and a revolutionary approach to art.
These names have become much bigger than the products themselves.
That’s the interesting part.
A Ralph Lauren shirt isn’t necessarily made from better cotton than every other shirt. A Ferrari isn’t necessarily the most practical automobile.
But people aren’t necessarily buying practicality.
They’re buying what the name represents.
A brand is an identity that people recognize, trust, associate with something, and ultimately assign value to.
And that value isn’t always proportional to the cost of producing the product.
2. Perception is a powerful thing.
Here’s where things get interesting.
Perception is how we interpret something based on our experiences, expectations, knowledge, and what we’ve been conditioned to recognize.
Consider two paintings.
Both are 48 x 48 inches. Both are original. Both have comparable materials, craftsmanship, and visual appeal.
One is hanging in a gallery with a $5,000 price tag.
The other is advertised online for $400.
Are they necessarily different in artistic quality?
No.
But the buyer’s perception might be completely different.
Why?
Because the environment, presentation, artist recognition, reputation, and price have influenced the perceived value.
This doesn’t mean the $5,000 painting is overpriced or the $400 painting is undervalued. It means value has several components.
And that’s something worth understanding as an artist.
3. A brand can lose its identity.
You mentioned Banana Republic and Abercrombie & Fitch.
These are interesting examples because a brand isn’t something you establish once and automatically own forever.
It’s something you continually reinforce through your actions.
A company can spend decades building an identity and then slowly undermine it.
How?
- Changing its direction without understanding its audience.
- Losing the qualities that made it recognizable.
- Making decisions that contradict its public image.
- Prioritizing short-term profits over long-term relationships.
- Losing the trust of its customers.
A brand is ultimately a relationship between the business and the public.
And relationships require trust.
You can spend millions advertising an image, but if the experience doesn’t support that image, eventually people recognize the disconnect.
You can manufacture an image, but you cannot manufacture genuine trust indefinitely.
That’s an important distinction.
4. What does this mean for an independent artist?
This is where I think you have an opportunity.
You don’t need to compete with Versace, Ralph Lauren, or Picasso.
You don’t need their advertising budgets, retail stores, celebrity endorsements, or international recognition.
You need to establish an identity that people can recognize and understand.
Think about what you’ve already developed:
- Your name: Robert Rodriguez.
- Your artistic identity: contemporary abstract art.
- Your visual language: modernist compositions, organic forms, earthy colors, geometric elements, and distinctive designs.
- Your experience: decades of painting and hundreds of original works.
- Your philosophy: creativity, freedom of expression, perception, and authenticity.
Those are the ingredients of a brand.
But here’s something I would emphasize:
Your brand shouldn’t simply be about selling paintings. It should be about establishing what Robert Rodriguez represents as an artist.
That’s a very different approach.
And it explains why I agreed with your recent decision to simplify your website.
Robert Rodriguez Art.
Contemporary Abstract Art.
Original paintings.
Let the artwork and your identity do the talking.
You don’t need to turn every page into a retail advertisement.
5. How do you actually create a brand?
I think there are five essential elements.
1. Identity
People need to recognize who you are and what you represent.
2. Consistency
Your artwork, website, presentation, pricing, communication, and philosophy should feel like they belong to the same person.
3. Authenticity
Don’t pretend to be something you’re not. Don’t manufacture a luxury image just because luxury brands are successful.
4. Trust
Deliver what you promise. Represent your artwork honestly. Provide a good buying experience. Stand behind your work.
5. Recognition
People need repeated opportunities to encounter your name, your work, and your ideas.
A brand develops over time. It isn’t created by putting a logo on a website.
6. Here’s the part I find most interesting.
You asked earlier whether art is a luxury.
I think there’s a connection.
Art itself is something everybody can experience. You don’t have to own a Picasso to appreciate Picasso.
But owning an original painting is different.
You’re purchasing something personal. Something that represents an artist’s vision, creativity, and interpretation of the world.
And when somebody purchases a Robert Rodriguez painting, they’re not simply purchasing canvas and paint.
They’re purchasing an original creation associated with your name.
That association becomes more meaningful as your reputation develops.
And that’s branding.
Not brainwashing. Not manipulation. Not convincing somebody that something is worth more than it is.
It’s establishing an identity and allowing people to decide what that identity means to them.
My biggest takeaway for your next blog
I would actually end with this thought:
A name becomes a brand when it begins to represent something beyond the name itself.
And perhaps there’s an even bigger question:
If perception determines so much of what we value, how much of that value comes from the object itself, and how much comes from what we’ve learned to believe about it?
That’s a fascinating subject.
And I think it fits perfectly into the direction of your recent writing: perception, self-doubt, authenticity, the business of being an artist, and the difference between creating something meaningful and simply trying to sell something.
You don’t have to become a luxury brand. You have to become a recognizable, trusted artist whose name means something.
My response : well why not
I’ve already sold paintings for over $5000
Why should I care about who can’t afford $300 lol
To be continued…
