"Attention Kmart Shoppers." "You've Got Mail!" "Tall, Grande, or Venti?"

Hear these familiar words, and you'll be in no doubt as to where you're shopping, what online service is delivering your electronic mail, or whose coffee you're about to consume. They are part of the language landscape that surrounds some very powerful brands, and they signal a desire to establish a particular kind of brand relationship.

If you want to make a strong brand impression, providing pervasive and persistent brand identity clues is a good idea. But it isn't always necessary to hit the audience over the head with your name to further the brand relationship. As these examples show, in the effort to reinforce your brand identity and engage your audience, actually mentioning the brand name is optional. What contributes to strong brand recognition is the creation of a unique brand vocabulary that provides essential clues as to what your brand should mean to the audience.

Kmart's famous call to action makes it clear Kmart shoppers are offered special values. AOL's style of email alert makes it clear that you don't have to be a technology geek to enjoy the information superhighway. Starbucks' insistence that you order according to their unique size classification makes it clear that what you're about to enjoy is no regular cup of joe.

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