Glossary

Consumers identify a brand through its style. They must be able to recognize it and associate it with the brand in an instant, because people don't have more than a few seconds to spare. If things don't "click" in their heads, they lose interest quickly.

How do you create a successful brand style?

A hip logo, bright colors and a fancy font alone are not enough. Rather, companies need to translate their innermost essence – their brand core values – into several style elements and make them visible. Only when consumers recognize the untainted character of a brand will they perceive it as authentic and therefore trustworthy.

What is the color of Ferrari? How do you recognize the Dalai Lama, Napoleon or Charlie Chaplin? What is the trademark of taxis in New York or London? How do you know whether a sneaker is made by Nike or adidas? Consumers reliably identify these brands in the blink of an eye by their distinctive styles. They are role models, because they show: With a distinguishing brand style that is born from the inner core, a brand can stand out and compel in our overstimulated world.

These are the ground rules for successful brand style:

It must be unmistakable: Every brand style must be clearly different from those of other brands. Henri Nestlé knew how to do this as early as 1875, when he combined his brand with the image of a bird's nest. The Parisian Nestlé representative wanted a Swiss cross instead. But Henri Nestlé did not budge: "I'm sorry, I cannot replace the nest with the Swiss cross; customers must recognize my product at first glance. The nest is not just my brand, but also my family crest... I cannot have a different trademark in every country. Anybody has the right to use the cross, but nobody is allowed to use my family crest." (Source: Werbung in der Schweiz, Markus Kutter, p. 27)

It must be striking: The more often a brand style is communicated at the touchpoints, the more powerful it is. Example Sixt: At Munich airport, the car rental agency has countless attention-getting brand touchpoints. They use their brand style, especially the cheerful color orange, across many communication channels and ensure that it is recognizable at the first level of perception—meaning instantly.

It must be self-similar: A brand style has to be developed over time along the principle of self-similarity. Logos, for instance, can be adapted again and again, but always with respect for the past. This is how strong brand symbols can be sure not to risk the trust they have earned, and that they are recognized instantly.

Example Shell: The shell logo of the oil company goes back to the company founder Marcus Samuel. He founded shell in 1897 and in 1900 named it "Shell Transport and Trading Company Ltd." in honor of his father – a merchant dealing in valuable scallops. In 1971, the American industrial designer Raymond Loewy drafted the logo, the image of a scallop. It has remained virtually unchanged to this day, even though it has been revised seven times already.

What brand style elements are there?

There are countless ways in which a brand can express its unique character. The different elements of the brand style are what makes companies unmistakable. The elements used can be in the following categories:

•  Visual: color, shape, image, symbol, personalities, architecture and font.
• Non-visual: Rhythm, rituals, nomenclature and sensory input – meaning sound, taste, smell, feel.

Brand style needs elements that appeal to all the senses. But many companies focus only on the visual and auditory. That's a mistake, warns our Brand Consultant Stephanie Hofer. "For consumers, it means a flood of visual brand messages, which they have to filter and hardly perceive most of them." (Multi-sensory perception: Brands must smell, sound, taste)

What is the difference between brand style and brand design?

It is important to differentiate between brand style and brand design. Example BMW: The automaker uses the kidney shape as a characteristic feature of all BMW models. The kidney shape as a style element persists over time. In the design of the kidney, the style element is continuously updated. That's why the design of the kidney on a 3-series BMW looks different from that of a 7-series BMW. Still, the kidney is instantly recognizable as a style element and the BMW brand.

We want to share our experiences with you:

How do you create a compelling brand style? We have paid close attention to this issue in our customer projects over the years. This is what we know today:

• Consistent style beats advertising: It's better to fine-tune your brand style than to try to stand out with a fat media budget.
• Brand style increases the efficiency of advertising: Brands that use style elements consistently in their advertising are recognized twice as often.
• Consistency is not stuffy, it's thrilling: Brands with a consistent appearance are perceived to be less boring by consumers.
• Style attracts perception: Whether consumers recognize a brand depends on its style – not on its awareness level or how it is used.
• The number of style elements is not relevant: To be recognized, it is not necessary to use a particularly large number of style elements. What matters is how striking and versatile they are.
• Brand style needs semiotics: "Even signs that aren't perceived leave a meaningful impression that may actually go as far as influencing behavior," says Helene Karmasin, founder of the Institut für Motivforschung (Institute for Motivation Research) and the Austrian Gallup Institute.
• Brand style must be protected: When you enter into a brand cooperation (perhaps because you own an ingredient brand), you must ensure that you can continue to manage your brand style elements. "Protect your brand style with a contract and control it," our partner Jürgen Gietl recommends.