Why has Snapdeal adopted a house color? Research seems to indicate that when a brand owns a color in customers’ mind then the Brand recognition improves by up to 70% and that too at near zero cost.
Do not believe me? Take this test. It is peak summer and you are extremely thirsty and dying to quench your thirst. Then you notice red color. Which brand will come to your mind? Coca Cola? Because Coca Cola, over years has made a conscious effort to associate red color with its brand in our minds - therefore whenever we see red color, chances are that we will remember Coca Cola; and the chances of recollecting the brand increases multifold when we are thirsty!
Snapdeal, too must be hoping that to reap similar benefits, over time.
Let us come to the mnemonic (logo). Let me get Rohit Bansal, co-founder of Snapdeal, to tell us the story: ‘Our new logo is visualized from the perspective of the happiest moment for an online buyer i.e. when she receives her ‘box’. We understand that every box that we deliver contains not just a product but represents a new opportunity, an aspiration or the start of a journey for our consumers. Our entire new brand identity right from the brand mark to its extensions, reflects the box – a representation of untold potential and possibilities.’
Look closely at the ‘box’ logo. It may not be apparent to you but when you look closely at it you will discover that it is actually an amalgamation of 2 arrows that represent, ‘Snapdeal role as partner and enabler on the journey ahead’.
This is also called as Negative Space – where the logo contains hidden stories, which the brand wishes its users to discover.
Let me share with you a selection of brands which are an integral part of our lives and which have cleverly embedded negative space in there logo.
Let us start with the FedEx logo (referenced below). It is a simple 2-color logo till you notice the white arrow between ‘E & X’ - then you realize that FedEx by cleverly embedding the arrow subliminally wishes to communicate to its users that it aspires to deliver the parcel swiftly and accurately to the receiver - akin to an arrow!
Next, take the Amazon logo. Did you notice the arrow which is going from ‘a’ to ‘z’, signifying that it stocks everything from a to z. In addition there is one more layering in Amazon logo – the arrow also indicates ‘customer smile’ that Amazon strives to get on its customers lips whenever they engage with it!
Now, let us bite into Toblerone. Did you notice the mountain in its logo? It represents the Matterhorn Mountain, which is located in the town where the 1st Toblerone chocolate was made!
In addition to the mountain did you notice anything else? Look closely. There is a bear hidden among the Matterhorn Mountain. Why? Because, bears are famous in these mountains. Till you notice it, it merges with the design; but once you notice it will never go unnoticed!
Lastly, take a look at Formula 1. Did you notice ‘1’ cleverly interwoven into the design! Of course, it is merging into speed lines which is the essence of F1!
Bottom Line:
1. Every brand should own a color in customer mind. It will improve the Brand Recognition / Recall by up to 70% increases & that too at negligible cost.
2. Do have a logo for your brand - the world's best brands invariably have one.
3. Negative space: Do attempt to have hidden messages / stores hidden in your logo. It will improve the chances of making your brand memorable provided the story is intelligently embedded!
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About The Author:
In this series, Rajesh Srivastava, Business Strategist and Visiting Faculty at IIM Indore gives you a regular dose of strategy case studies to help you think and keep you one step ahead as a professional as compared to your peers. Rajesh is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and IIT Kanpur and has over 2 decades of experience in the FMCG industry. All previous Strategy with RS posts can be found here.
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