“Branding” or “Blanding”?
The following image was created by Highsnobiety on Instagram, and it highlights a rather boring trend that I’ve seen referred to as blanding. And I hate to say it, but I agree.
All of the above brands started with character. Put them all together, and they stand out from each other. Each logo is unique. Each logo has a different feeling, a different style.
Then we look across to the second row, showing the logos as of today. They are almost identical. They all feel the same, as if they have all gone to a default font. And yes, while they are all “on trend”, that doesn’t make for a good brand long-term. Why be the same as everyone else?
What I want you to take away from this: when you are thinking about your own branding, don’t be shy to be unique. Don’t be shy to stand out. You don’t have to follow the crowd. Don’t be bland!
Start with what your business provides, and build a personality for your business (happy, professional, casual, commercial, clinical, friendly, serious, motivating, etc). Let this guide the look of your business image, not what the current fashion is. Fashion is temporary; make your business (and its logo) permanent.