The Blanding Problem

Written by Alex Arrasmith

Account Executive

When branding is done right, it makes your business stand out from the crowd and gives it a personality that only your brand can embody. In today’s world, brands are everywhere: on social media feeds, in news coverage and on almost every digital platform you can imagine. With so many opportunities, you’d think brands would be itching to show off their uniqueness. So why does it feel like they all look the same?

Julia Zerbo \ thefashionlaw.com

The process of adopting minimalist aesthetics is something that, on paper, makes sense. If your brand plays it safe, you’ll fit into the current algorithm, appeal to a wider audience and lower the risk of appearing dated or divisive. But is this really a smart business decision, or is it a strategy that may doom your brand to become another piece of noise among millions of other companies?

It begs the question: if you’re not trying to say anything with your brand, then why have one at all? Another all-caps, sans-serif logo means nothing amongst the plethora of other companies that look identical. Trying to look clean and trendy is a great idea in a vacuum, but so often the result is just plain boring. 

Ivan De Luce; Macy's; HSBC; Mitsubishi; Mastercard; Target; Delta; Kmart; Verizon

There are numerous examples to choose from that demonstrate this point. Many fashion brands changed their logos to an almost identical sans-serif font. While this offers the benefit of easy translation across multiple platforms, it's almost impossible to tell the difference between one brand over another. Some of the most well-known brands start to blend in when paired with simplified imagery. We all know the Target bullseye, but put it in a cluster of other generic red logos and it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

So, what can brands do to escape the dreadful fate of being “blanded”? Simple: know who you are, what you stand for, and express that confidently! People always want to see something different; novelty is what makes big splashes in pop culture. Brands that aren’t trying to be like everyone else are the ones that have the most staying power. 

That doesn’t mean your logos and fonts need to look like a graffiti artist painted them. But when you’re crafting a brand, whether it be for a business or even just for yourself, create something that reflects you and not just what the algorithm wants to see. At the end of the day, branding is about more than looking polished; it’s about showing the world who you are and why you matter. If your brand is authentic and confident in its identity, it will not fit in, it will stand out.