Branding is a common consideration across most companies. Entrepreneur contends that today's businesses need branding more than ever before to stand out from the crowd. Yet branding can have some interesting impacts on the people who interact with them. Impeccable custom brand logo design by world's best 5% logo designers can profoundly affect the people who see the logo. At least, if they share the same values as the brand, at least. Scientific research has shown us that brands can and do influence the way we think, if even subconsciously.
Examining Branding Critically
Branding is more than just a logo design
It's a way to differentiate a company from its competitors and represent what the company stands for. That's why many brands have mottos underneath them, and it's in these mottos that the secret to brand influencing lies. When brands propose a particular trait or ability, the reader subconsciously starts associating that trait with the brand. For example, IBM has been encouraging its users to "Think" for decades, while Apple has been using the phrase "Think Differently" as a subtle edge to show they're a direct competitor to IBM. It turns out that these mottos may have a profound impact on people's brains.
The Science Behind The Suggestion
In 2008, the Journal of Consumer Research published a paper that delved into whether brand messaging really impacted how consumers thought. The experiment focused on showing participants a series of numbers flashing on a screen, with a subliminal flash containing either the IBM or the Apple logo and motto in between the numbers. The participants were then asked to come up with uses for a brick other than building a house. The results showed that users who got the Apple logo were more likely to develop creative responses to how to use the brick. On average, they also found about 26% more uses for the brick than users subjected to the IBM logo.
Sharing Values
The stunning results don't stop there, however. A subsequent experiment continued testing to see whether the brand's impact was the same for all people across the board. The results showed that this wasn't the case. For the brand's message to resonate with an individual, they must already share some of its goals or identity. Thus, unless you're already inclined towards thinking differently, covering your office wall in Apple posters is not likely to make you more of a creative thinker.
Hacking Human Behavior
Are logos and branding a way to hack human behavior, then? Well, not quite. If anything, a brand can use its branding and motto to signal its intent and its values. From there, the people who are most inclined to have the same values and goals will gravitate towards the brand. This information can be priceless for companies trying to figure out if it's worth it to invest in professional brand design. It's clear that having a professionally done design to sell your message will result in more people who are already interested in your brand's message getting on board.
