The hierarchy of importance in branding elements – what is the actual money maker? Not all parts of a brand are equal – some elements carry more weight in driving recognition, trust, and preference.
Below is a breakdown of major brand components and their relative impact, based on industry data:
High impact (≈50–80%). Visual elements are often the top contributors to brand recognition.
About 75% of consumers remember a brand by its logo*, and 50% are more likely to purchase from a company with a logo they recognise.
Colour is similarly powerful – using a consistent signature colour can increase brand recognition by up to 80%, and most people notice colour before words.
In tests, 78% recalled a brand’s colours, while only 43% recalled its name, indicating logo and colour scheme are more memorable than verbal elements.
94% of people have said they’ll dismiss a brand if its design is poor, attractive visual identity is the foundation for positive impressions.
High impact (≈70–80%). The brand name and core message encapsulate the brand’s identity in words.
77% of consumers make purchases based on the brand name rather than the product name, meaning a strong brand name (and what it stands for) can outweigh individual product features. A recognisable name also matters to stakeholders like investors: 82% of investors say name recognition is a key factor in investment decisions.
Equally important is messaging consistency – clear slogans or taglines and a defined brand voice reinforce what the brand stands for. Consumers quickly learn to associate a tagline or tone with the brand’s persona. Verbal identity plus visuals create a lasting emotional appeal. In short, the name and messaging hierarchy set the context that make the visuals meaningful.
Significant impact. A brand’s values, story and personality form the strategic layer that gives depth to the visual identity.
Consumers make most of their purchasing decisions with emotions, so if you're aligning with your customers values and hitting them in the feels, you're going to be more likely to get that emotional connection which leads to the purchase. Surveys find 64% of consumers cite shared values as a reason for trust. In practice, this means branding that highlights authentic values (e.g. sustainability, innovation, community) will resonate more. For instance, brands that demonstrate transparency and authenticity attract more customers, with 66% saying transparency is one of the most attractive brand qualities.
There's also a lot of info to show that brands who associate themselves with charitable causes have a higher chance of getting a customer, with 91% of people saying they would switch brands if it means giving back (Cone Communications). Even more than that, 71% of Millennials said they’d pay more where some goes to charity (5WPR Culture Report) – the feeling that we can do good while also shopping makes us feel less guilty.
A compelling brand story and consistent messaging of those core values help convert one-time buyers into loyal advocates. These strategic elements might not be as immediately visible as a logo, but they strongly influence consumer perception and loyalty over the long term.
Significant impact. Beyond the logo and tagline, every interaction a customer has with a company is part of the brand’s identity.
80% of customers say the experience a brand provides is as important as its products or services. Good experiences reinforce the brand promise; bad experiences undermine even the best logo. Notably, 91% of consumers are more likely to make repeat purchases after a positive experience with a brand.
This includes everything from user-friendly website navigation (online experience) to helpful staff and attractive stores (offline experience). Especially for service-based brands, the customer service experience is inseparable from brand identity – a friendly, trustworthy service encounter solidifies the brand’s values in the customer’s mind. Also, a surprise & delight is such a game-changer!
In summary, delivering on the brand promise through customer experience is crucial: brand strategy turns promised values into actual customer satisfaction.
Amplifier of impact. Consistency is not a standalone element, but rather the glue that holds all brand elements together. Its impact is seen in the cumulative effect on revenue and recognition.
Consistent branding across all channels can increase revenue by 10–20%, as businesses have reported. 68% of companies say brand consistency has contributed to their revenue growth in that range.
The reason is simple – when customers encounter the same logo, colours, tone, and quality standards everywhere, it reinforces memory and trust.
Inconsistent branding creates confusion which is one of the worst experiences you can offer. 71% of companies cite market confusion as the biggest downside of an inconsistent brand. Consistency requires a strong brand strategy (clear guidelines and messaging) to ensure the visual identity is used uniformly. Yet less than 10% of B2B companies maintain consistent branding in practice.
A well-defined strategy ensures that the visual identity isn’t just attractive in isolation, but deployed cohesively alongside the brand’s message and values for maximum impact.
While technically speaking, the visuals tend to have the most immediate impact, it's really important to know the impact of the strategy too.
76% of logo redesigns that didn't do their strategy with it failed to produce positive outcomes (Logo Redesign Effectiveness Study, Marketing Week 2023).
The visual identity elements (logo, colour, design) are the first filters of brand success, creating awareness and recognition.
Strategic elements (messaging, values, customer experience) are what convert recognition into trust and loyalty.
A catchy logo might draw a customer in, but a consistent brand story and positive experience are what close the sale and bring them back (which produces a much higher ROI).
Data supports this hierarchy: consumers might notice visuals first, with over half of first impressions being the visuals, but they stay because of quality, service, and trust. The strongest brands excel on all fronts – distinctive visuals to grab attention, plus a clear strategy to earn devotion.
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A focus on quality and attention to detail ensures that your brand is not only visually stunning but also strategically positioned for success.
