Brian Fallers
Alex Glukhov
4 Simple Principles to Use in Your Branding Efforts
Imagine you’re at the grocery store, rushing to buy everything you need for tomorrow’s dinner. Navigating the aisles, you instinctively reach for many of the products without much thought or deliberation.
While price is certainly a factor in some instances, it’s proven that consumers rely on their emotions much more than practical information. Today’s marketplace is filled with endless product and service options — and branding is more important than ever. We (irrationally) spend more for branded products versus much less expensive generic options, even during economically challenging times. And it’s not by happenstance. For decades, behavioral science has revolutionized brand and consumer marketing.
Four Simple Behavioral Science Principles to Use in Your Branding Efforts
Humans Are Emotionally Connected
At the heart of our brand reasoning are two traits that are inherent in all of us—humans love stories and are emotionally drawn to characters (people). Research tells us that consumers perceive the same type of personality characteristics in brands as they do in other people. We humanize products. This emotional and often irrational behavior trait leads people to be more attracted to some personality types than others. It’s the reason why you reach for Campbell’s, Amy’s Kitchen or Progresso soup versus any of the other readily available generic alternatives. Product branding comes in the form of a logo, image and color palette with each supporting a narrative that connects more with our hearts rather than our minds. Whether on a large billboard or a soup label, it’s important that your brand experience conveys your story and emotionally connects with your target consumer.
Keep It Simple: More Visuals, Fewer Words
When it comes to branding and evoking emotion, dense copy is your enemy. Less work for your audience means greater engagement. Visuals can stimulate positive emotions and allow for more immediate processing. This means craftily controlling color and incorporating icons to support your messaging more efficiently. By making the messaging and design as simple as possible, you empower the consumer to establish an immediate emotional connection and focus on what’s most important. In short, simplifying your brand identity will simplify the customer experience—and consumers like simplicity.
Shapes and Colors Matter
Have you ever noticed the impact of shape and color? Brain research shows that a brand’s use of shapes can subconsciously affect how it is perceived. Curves are typically seen as more inviting, while sharp edges and angles symbolize power (and potentially create aversion). Meanwhile, the power of color can’t be understated. A research study from Xerox and Loyola College found that seeing a logo in color made it 39% more memorable than viewing the same logo in black and white. We also know that adding color to your blog posts, product guides, print collateral and other brand materials can increase brand recognition by 80% (Reboot, 2018).
Our Brains Enjoy Simple Challenges
As humans, we like to be challenged. Research on problem solving tells us that we get emotional rewards in the form of dopamine boosts when we solve problems. This can best be seen in logo design incorporating negative space and layered symbolism. The world’s most renowned logos contain much more than initially meets the eye. They tell a story on their own and challenge the consumer to mentally fill in a few simple gaps. Most importantly, they capture the imagination and become forever entrenched in the mind of your audience. In FedEx’s logo, the negative space between the “E” and “X” form an arrow. Amazon’s smiling arrow subtly notes the company has it all by connecting “a” to “z.” Last but not least, our Truelio logo contains a smile in the negative space between the “i” and the dot above. The “i” is designed to appear as a person, representing our people-first partnership approach. Click here to learn more about our brand story.
Truelio is Here to Help
No matter your brand vision, we understand that telling your story and capturing the hearts and minds of customers and prospects can be a daunting challenge. We’re here to help and would love to learn how we can inspire a brand experience that’s memorable, dynamic and authentically represents your culture and people.
