The Psychology Behind Brand Memorability
What if less really is more?
When we’re head down, running our business, it’s easy to get in the weeds about things. Overthinking what to say, second guessing which graphic to use or what to include in our offers. 🙇🏻♀️
But—when the shoe is on the other foot and we’re the ones making the purchase, we CRAVE simplicity. We want fewer choices, cut-to-the-chase copy, and the path of least resistance.
It’s just how our brains are wired.
A CASE FOR SIMPLICITY
If you’re struggling to increase memorability around your business, you need to learn to simplify.
And when it comes to your brand, this couldn’t be more true.
In a recent study on what makes brand logos memorable, Siegel+Gale surveyed 3000 people across the US and UK. Their biggest takeaway?
👉 The simplest logos are the most memorable.
“Brands that use a clear and simple logo design will
stand out and be more memorable for the general public.”
This is our brains thanking us in an era of over stimulation.
When you embrace simplicity with your visual identity, you make your brand easy to remember and recognize. Pair simplicity with brand consistency and you’ll increase brand awareness with new audiences.
FAMILIARITY BREEDS AFFECTION
There is a psychological phenomenon called the mere exposure effect. This phenomenon suggests that our preference for something grows the more we are exposed to it. In other words, familiarity breeds affection.
Siegel+Gale’s study drew the same conclusion:
“Consumers are more likely to ascribe a logo they recognize with positive attributes, namely Trusted, Respected, Reliable and Premium.”
Yup. Brand familiarity has the ability to positively impact the impression your audience has of your business. Could it really be so simple?
SHAPE YOUR REPUTATION, SIMPLY.
The impact of simplicity goes way beyond your logo design.
To increase memorability around what it is you do and what you want to be known for, you need to have messaging that is simple, concise and compelling.
👉 Make your words count.
When you start using simple, strategic messaging on repeat, it establishes a direct tie between your business and your core message.
Remember, people often need to see things 7–8x before it imprints on them. So find that overarching theme to what it is you do, write it simply, and write it often.
Developing Your Brand and Content Marketing Strategies with Strategic Simplification
THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF BRAND SIMPLICITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS
This is all fine and dandy for growing your business, but what about managing your business? Is there a solution to offset our tendency to overcomplicate things?
Well, let’s just say there’s a ripple effect.
Embracing simplicity with your brand helps eliminate analysis paralysis, streamlines your day-to-day, and increases productivity.
When you develop a brand identity that is simple by design and distill your brand messaging to focus around a central objective, you always know what move to make next. No more second guessing.
Do less, achieve more.
Simplicity has always been a value of mine. It shows in my design style, my personal style, and it’s woven throughout the Studio. Most notably with the launch of the By Friday Brand Intensives — a simplified branding experience.
There’s a lot to be gained when you learn to simplify.
More FOCUS → on the things that matter most.
More PURPOSE → behind each decision you make.
More AWARENESS → because it’s easy to remember.
More TIME → to be intentional.
More GROWTH → around your specialty.
But it isn’t easy. It forces you to be creative, to unpack everything so you can identify what REALLY matters — what’s worth holding on to. It takes work to find the simplest approach that will imprint on the minds of your target audience while being distinct, relatable and offer a glimpse of what’s possible.
Simplification is about making things count.
If you’re ready to use strategic simplification to unpack your brand and increase memorability, well—that’s exactly what I do.
Jenny Henderson is a brand strategist and business mentor. She collaborates with service-based solopreneurs to design memorable brands that allow them to make a living doing what they love. Since 2020, her branding studio has become a place where small business owners come to learn to think like a brand.
