Land-and-livestock owners face the dilemma of securing and maintaining property rights. Under the rule of animus revertendi, the rights of owners are not abandoned when livestock grazes unsupervised, if domesticated livestock have demonstrated an intention to return. This rule burdens owners with the responsibility to provide sufficient notice of ownership, often involving hot-iron or freeze branding.

Traditional hot-iron branding uses a heated iron rod to burn symbols into the the thick hides of livestock. Freeze branding uses a superchilled iron to destroy the pigmentation portion of the hair roots without damaging the hide, forcing the hair to grow back permanently white in a particular shape. Both procedures involve applying symbols to identify livestock as property of certain owners.

We often think of brand marketing in these terms; after all, the notion that brands are symbols, logos, or other marks is prevalent in marketing education. The American Marketing Association Dictionary defines brand as “[a] name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” This definition is even used in most introductory business textbooks.

What happens when the hot-iron and cold-burn methods of livestock identification are replaced by an invisible solution, such as tiny radio microtransmitters called RFID tags? What happens when symbols, logos, and other marks used to identify livestock are relegated to relics of the past? How will land-and-livestock owners maintain property rights to free-grazing livestock without the ability to see identifying marks?

Contrary to popular misconceptions, brands are more than visual manifestations of identities and branding is more than graphic design. Branding is not solely concerned with what people see. There are four other senses — hearing, touch, smell, and taste — that are forgotten by blindly focusing on sight! Branding is the practice of changing attitudes and behaviors through expression. Brands are the result of managing perception in the marketplace to alter how and why consumers experience their interactions with corporations and products.

Since the nature of experience is infinitely personal and infinitely dynamic, brands cannot be built in the same way that engineers build a bridge. Too many people are mistaken when assuming that they have top-down control over brands. There is no such thing as controlling brands in the sense of remote control. Part of branding requires letting go, and letting flourish or flounder. Branding connects people and inspires conversations. Through critical dialogue, brands are nurtured by the people and for the people.

Of recent news is the 2007 Slamdance Guerrilla Gamemaker Competition currently suffering from the aftermath of a decision to withdraw controversial game Super Columbine Massacre RPG from the roster of finalists. A number of finalists have seized the opportunity to voluntarily pull out from the competition citing concerns about artistic merit…

• Braid is an action-puzzle game that involves manipulating the flow of time to progress through the various worlds. The title was the 2006 Winner at the Independent Games Festival in the Innovation in Game Design category.
• flOw “is a game about piloting an aquatic organism through a surreal biosphere where players consume other organisms, evolve, and advance their organisms to the abyss.” The title was designed by Jenova Chen who works with Will Wright at Electronic Arts Maxis.
• Everyday Shooter is, according to an interview with developer Jonathon Mak, “like a compilation album, made up of different shooters”.
• Toblo is “a free, fast-paced capture the flag game that has two teams using the world as weaponry, throwing bombs, and generally destroying things.” The titled was developed by five students at the DigiPen Institute of Technology.
• Once Upon A Time is a game of capture where players either focus on capturing another player or avoid being captured while collecting items. The title was developed by a trio of former students at the Art Institute of Vancouver.

While most of these games are freeware, their decisions to voluntarily withdraw are consistent with the irony of a competition for guerillas. A guerilla is a “a member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment”. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this competition was rigged — from the beginning — as a publicity stunt!

Nevertheless, pulling out of the competition was an excellent, and perhaps accidentally executed, marketing tactic for these developers as their actions cobrand themselves as defenders of artistic freedom and games as art.

Digital Gaming in America, an annual study conducted by Ziff Davis Game Group, recognizes that gamers who are most likely to become brand champions are also the heaviest buyers of consumer goods. The study examines the purchase behavior of core gamers, regular players, and casual gamers for products such as clothing, cars, consumer electronics, DVDs, and music downloads. Core gamers are “those who typically buy eight or more games per year and play 10 or more hours per week”. The study also identifies the majority of core gamers as early adopters.

For marketers, this study provides fodder for cobranding, in-game advertising, and public relations initiatives. Core gamers are “some of the most active, engaged consumers of all kinds of products. These gaming enthusiasts are pure gold for advertisers trying to reach the coveted 18-to-34-year-old market,” says Scott McCarthy, President of Ziff Davis Game Group.