Here at Art & Science, it’s no secret that we love beautiful things – and we aren’t the only ones. The rise of social media platforms like Pinterest, VSCO and (of course) Instagram, has drawn attention to the benefit of products and services that are as visually stunning as they are anything else. Companies are no different, as countless businesses across countless industries focus on making their brands aesthetically pleasing to the everyday consumer and influencer alike. A beautiful brand experience can elevate a company above its competitors, and allow them to occupy a unique position in consumers’ minds, not to mention it’s a huge differentiating factor. Sounds like the stakes are high – but no fear. Below, we break down Art & Science’s three key ingredients needed to create a truly beautiful brand.
Consistency, Meet Simplicity
We’ll start you off easy. Although this one might seem obvious, presenting your consumers with a brand that is both simplistic and consistent is extremely important. They’re stronger when they’re together – without simplicity, a company would be consistently releasing over-complicated, cluttered content. Without consistency, companies risk diluting their brand image and even worse – confusing consumers (uh oh).
A company that manages to balance these two attributes perfectly is Stuart Weitzman. Although the shoe giant is now owned and operated by the fashion company Tapestry (think Coach and Kate Spade), Stuart Weitzman has stayed true to their original branding by focusing on a straight-forward and consistent image. The minimalistic branding paints a clear picture of the product for consumers – a shoe that is classic, simple and beautiful.
The hidden benefit to consistent branding? When a company makes even the slightest change to their branding, it’s noticed by consumers. Stuart Weitzman recently released a limited edition Neon Capsule line – shoes and purses that came in three bright neon shades, colours that are miles away from the normal neutral shades that consumers attributed with the brand. Aside from generating a ton of buzz online, the campaign was visually stunning and flawlessly executed.
Humanize Your Product
We are living in the age of the empowered consumer. Often, people care just as much about what the company stands for as much as they care about the actual product they’re purchasing. This probably isn’t news to you – but while many companies see this as a challenge they need to overcome, some companies have done an excellent job of using this to their advantage.
By connecting to a broader idea, companies increase the likelihood a consumer will identify with the product. This act of humanizing your offering gives your brand image a more holistic view and a sense that a company is part of a larger movement. Not only this, but it also allows for a unique edge for branding. Allow us to explain with an example.
Enter Function of Beauty – a line of hair care products that purchasers can customize completely to their hair type. Function of Beauty embodies the concept of individuality. No product formula is the same as the next, and even the colour of the shampoo (consumers can pick between seven options) is never the same shade between orders.
The uniqueness of the product strongly reflects the message of individuality the company preaches – no two heads of hair are the same, no two people are the same. Function of Beauty has seamlessly translated this into their branding. Besides being visually stunning, each bottle displayed on their Instagram is surrounded by different images that fit into a certain colour scheme. Each different set of photos communicates again that each product is unique, and makes consumers feel like their shampoo is truly different than the rest.
Personality > Everything
This tip is two for the price of one – personality > everything is an excellent tip for life, and for a company’s branding. With the growing importance placed on aesthetics, many companies feel pressure to subscribe to whatever the trend of the moment is. It’s important not to hide behind stock images and scripted captions, and to let the personality of your brand shine through everything that’s posted. A brand personality works very similarly to that of a person – it makes you recognizable, memorable and most importantly, likeable. It allows your brand to have a coherent voice that represents your company.
An excellent (and adorable) example of this is Imperfect Produce, a start up company based in the United States. Imperfect Produce buys fruit that is not ‘’perfect’’ enough to be sold in grocery stores and sells them at a discounted price. The branding is centered on reducing food waste and posting pictures of vegetables with googly eyes. The brand’s personality – one that cares about food waste and the environment – feels genuine because it is reflected in every image and caption that Imperfect Produce posts. Whether it’s posting tips on how to use leftover food, or sharing their impact on food waste, it’s clear that Imperfect Produce is a beautiful brand inside and out.
Interested in finding out how we can take your brand to the next level? Get in touch.