A company’s branding is a public display of its values. From a logo to a colour palette, how a company visually presents itself is what sticks in a consumer’s mind, and this presentation is intrinsically linked to its reputation. Consider some companies that really stick with you – the chances are their visual identity comes to mind when you think of them.
Being branding specialists ourselves, we’re always on the lookout for truly memorable branding, whether it’s from newly established companies, or industry giants; these are our top five picks.
THURSDAY
Thursday is a revolutionary app that’s shaking up the dating world. Forget long, drawn out text conversations with no follow-through – Thursday’s brand puts an emphasis on in-person dating instead. The app only being live for one day a week (on a Thursday, unsurprisingly!) is a core component of their brand, encouraging spontaneity among its users.
In terms of the brand’s visual identity, Thursday keeps it simple. The logo is clean, the colour palette is pared back, and the app interface is minimalistic. The combination of these elements makes for an easy-to-use and clutter-free user experience, which remains in consumers’ minds for all the right reasons.
An extension of the company’s branding is their marketing strategy. Our LinkedIn feed is regularly filled by Thursday’s marketing team coming up with innovating and unique ideas to get the word out about the app; some examples include setting up an impromptu sofa on the street to encourage people to stop and chat about the app, projecting the brand’s logo onto the inside of a London tube, and even recreating the story of Christmas classic, The Holiday. This brand is all encompassing, and we absolutely love it.
APPLE
Everyone and their dog know about Apple, and for good reason. The brand’s visual identity is strikingly simple, but it’s synonymous with innovation and design. When people see the iconic Apple logo, they think of an industry leading company who is always one step ahead of the competition, ready to make its next move.
It’s not just the logo that stands out for its classic simplicity, either – the company’s website is equally as elegant. Everything from the landing pages to the site structure has been designed with the user experience in mind. This emphasis on user experience is extended into their physical products, which in turn garners brand loyalty from the company’s audience. You only need to look at how many different products the average Apple customer has to see evidence of this brand loyalty.
MOB
Mob – previously Mob Kitchen – is a food production company with a huge social media presence. Their aim is to create recipes for food that is accessible, affordable, and truly delicious. They’ve had an incredible ride since starting out, and have sky-rocketed within their sector; while their business may have evolved and changed, their brand values have never wavered.
While their visual identity is hugely effective, it also happens to be the least interesting thing about the Mob brand. Their social media activity is what really sets them apart from their competition. Their feed is filled with images of food that will make even a full stomach rumble, with recipe videos that inspire confidence in the kitchen and show how easy cooking can be, anecdotal messages from the team to engage with their audience, as well as the odd example of their negative reviews, which aim to show that even successful brands have room to improve.
Mob is a great example of when a company lives and breathes its brand values, and they’re evident to see across all its content. It’s authentic, and that’s why the brand works.
MCDONALD’S
Adults and children everywhere will recognise the golden arches of McDonald’s. They stand as a symbol of pure, unadulterated pleasure, and they’re impossible to forget thanks to their ultra-simple design.
The arches are an aspect of the McDonald’s branding that permeates not only skylines but also their own products, making them even more memorable. From Happy Meal boxes to burger wrappers, the arches are ever-present. It’s this continuity that makes the branding so effective, and ultimately so memorable.
At the start of the pandemic, with social distancing measures being introduced all over the world, McDonald’s created an amended version of their iconic golden arches – the arches were split with space in between each one, in other words, they were socially distanced. This move, while entertaining if nothing else, demonstrates how McDonald’s is willing to adapt their branding in order to remain relevant to the current times.
NIKE
The Nike swoosh is a universally recognised logo, iconic in its design. It’s easy to remember thanks to its clean design, and it’s intrinsically linked with quality thanks to Nike’s premium products. The slogan, ‘just do it’, that goes alongside the swoosh is equally as effective as the logo itself. The words promote a sense of encouraging exercise without excuse, for the benefits it brings a person.
Just like so many other companies, the visual identity is only part of the branding – marketing also plays a huge role. Nike is famous for using top-tier athletes in their marketing campaigns, and sponsoring these athletes so that Nike products are always on show during competitions. This creates a sense of trust in the company, because if it’s good enough for the best, then why shouldn’t high-street shoppers get in on the action?
There’s one thing all these visual identities have in common, and that’s their simplicity. It’s often said of flags that in order to be effective, they should be easily replicated from memory, and we think the same is true of great branding. And, when a company follows through with a fantastic product or service to match the visuals, that’s when the real success comes. Product and branding go hand-in-hand, so it pays – literally – to invest time and money into both sides of the business.
If you’re looking for help with building your own brand, we’d love to hear from you! Follow this link to start a conversation today.
