Branding Made Simple
Take a minute to consider how many brands you encounter from the moment you wake up until your head hits the pillow at night. Your toothpaste, breakfast cereal, and clothing choices are a few that you start your day with. Unofficial studies tell us that the average American interacts with around 8,000 brands a day.
Branding and logos have become a foundational component of the human experience. Corporations will spend up to 20% of their total budget to ensure that their brand is well-known and instantly recognizable.
Tech is Trending
A major branding trend that we have seen in recent years is one that has been heavily influenced by technology. Brands such as Pringles, Dunkin’, Hilton, IHOP, Taco Bell, Weight Watchers, Volvo, Pizza Hut, and Pacific Sunwear have rebranded and they have all chosen a cleaner and simpler presence. Similarly, as new brands make their debut, the trend of simplification is clearly seen in their logos and marketing. But what does simplicity have to do with technology?
We all know that simplicity is not a groundbreaking concept. A minimalist design attracts visual attention, increases brand recognition, and looks clean, clear, and modern. The function behind this trending simplicity, however, is being driven by the heavily digital experience that consumers have come to expect.
The Good Ol’ Days
Brands such as Dunkin’ and Pizza Hut have been around since the 1950’s. Back then, these brands only had to worry about putting their logo on coffee cups, pizza boxes, and in print advertisements. Now in 2023, culture and technology call for a complex digital branding portfolio.
Dunkin’, for example, has more to consider than its in-house products and print media. To remain a front runner in their field, Dunkin’ must stand out on social media, on their website, in their Super Bowl Commercials, and now on their “order ahead” phone app.
Small but Mighty
Application icons on a phone screen and internet favicons have practically become the new (extremely tiny) billboard. This ‘billboard’ is the first of its kind because it’s held all day in the palm of the consumers hand, which makes it hugely effective. It is also such a small canvas that complex, intricate designs with a ton of colors will get lost. A clean and simple icon is now vital for brand recognition.
When done artfully, deconstructing a brand down to its foundation and into a clean and simple rebrand can be a breath of fresh air. Applying these new modern standards to the whole of a corporation can even bring new blood to a tired marketing effort.
Don Draper Knows Best
As we see brands, old and new, debuting their minimalist campaigns, it is clear that simple is trending. But simple certainly does not mean boring! Bright colors and quirky typography are also trending as companies seek to maintain their unique voice in a minimalistic era.
As technology progresses, branding will inevitably step up to the plate in order to take advantage of new marketing opportunities. No matter where these trends lead us it’s clear that our favorite marketing guru Don Draper said it best: “Make it simple, but significant.”
bigger dot is a global print project management company that provides custom, specialized and strategic print project solutions. We work with industries such as performing arts, tech, education, aerospace, and corporate culture changers.