You may have heard in the last couple of years of the concept of "blanding" and even if you haven't you surely have seen its worryingly devastating effects in the corporate landscape. From MEC’s brand redesign a few years ago to a recent slew of high-fashion and tech brands that are all starting to look the same, some would say a reflection of the corporatization of consumer brands under a few umbrella holding companies. In case that is still unclear, blanding is a portmanteau of branding and bland, to reflect the conforming tendencies of the latest branding trends.
These trends are justified by their advocates as "good business", facilitating omnichannel marketing extreme challenge of being recognized on many types of platforms and supports, or the egregious claim from trademark lawyers that a more generic brand makes the intellectual property easier to enforce. Perhaps it does, but if the result is an undistinguished brand, it's further proof that one should never leave lawyers in charge of anything.
The problem with this trend is that all these brands are looking the same and aside from their names, virtually indistinguishable from one another. Ironic, when the purpose of a brand and specifically its graphic identity is to stand out, the exact opposite! The MEC logo, for example, was described by a disgruntled co-op member as a generic bank logo, quite literally so.
Aside from being insanely infuriating to a curmudgeon like me who's always advocated for brand distinction, it also commodifies your brand. If you are in the process of creating or refreshing your visual identity, I implore you, find someone who will make you stand out, not blend in (hint, we can help).
Blanding in will confuse your clients and I'd argue make them more likely to hire another firm that looks, smells and feels the same, but charges less.