Businesses ask me the same question over and over again: How do we stand out? What’s fascinating is that the question is often followed, almost immediately, by a suggestion that they’d like to do something similar to their competitors. A similar tone of voice, a similar visual style, a similar content format, sometimes even a similar tagline. The desire is distinction. The instinct is imitation.

There was a time when recommendations mattered because they were genuine. A friend suggested a product. A colleague recommended a service. A customer left a positive review. Now, every scroll through social media feels like someone is being paid to like something.

What the research tells us about who we choose to work with.

In business, we like to believe decisions are rational. We evaluate competence, experience and value. We compare propositions. We choose the strongest option.

Behavioural research suggests something more subtle is happening.

It can sometimes feel like marketing used to take more risks. Look back 20 or 30 years, and many campaigns were sharper, bolder and more willing to provoke a reaction. Some of them wouldn’t, and shouldn’t, exist today. Standards have changed, and that’s no bad thing. But alongside those cultural shifts, something else has happened.

Every brand wears a suit. Not literally, of course. But metaphorically speaking, the way your brand shows up in the world, its tone, look, behaviour and presence, is its outfit. It's uniform. It's first impression. Some brands look like they’ve just stepped out of Savile Row. Others? More like they threw on whatever was on the floor.

When it comes to building a successful brand, there’s one rule that trumps all others: consistency. Whether it’s the way your logo is applied, your brand’s tone of voice, or how your company behaves, staying consistent is what builds trust, recognition, and customer loyalty.

Once upon a time, if you didn’t like an advert, you ignored it. Now? Everyone’s offended by everything. Outrage is instant. Backlash is guaranteed. And brands, terrified of saying the wrong thing, end up saying… nothing. Beige branding. Forgettable messages. Safe, bland marketing. But the truth is: standing out means taking risks.

Most business owners can tell you what their equipment is worth, and their building or the balance in the bank. But what is your brand worth? Anyone? And yet, when it comes to long-term success, your brand is likely one of the most valuable things you own, especially if you’ve been in business a while and built up loyal customers, solid word of mouth, and name recognition in your market.

You’ve probably had the experience, a new logo, campaign, or brand idea lands in front of you, and your first thought is: “Well, yeah. That’s obvious.” But here’s the thing: If it were that obvious, wouldn’t you have done it already?

You’ve seen it a hundred times before. You walk into an exhibition hall only to be greeted by a sea of sameness: pop-up banners plastered with too much text, a trestle table smack bang in front of them complete with a generic tablecloth that doesn’t match the brand palette, and a sad scattering of brochures, pens and boiled sweets.

You’ve seen those Febreze ads? The ones where people have lived with a weird smell for so long they don’t even notice it anymore, but the moment someone else walks in, they look like they’ve been slapped in the face with a damp sock? Well… the same thing happens with logos.

Somewhere along the way, brands decided that vague and inspirational sounded better than clear and useful. Maybe they thought it made them seem more premium. Maybe a branding consultant charged them £10k to say, “Transforming solutions for a brighter tomorrow.” Or maybe they just fell in love with buzzwords. Whatever the reason, entire industries are now cluttered with straplines that could belong to literally anyone.

Building a successful brand isn’t easy. It takes a clear vision, strategic thinking, and consistent execution. Yet, despite best efforts, many brands fail, some spectacularly. Why? Because they make avoidable mistakes that turn customers away, dilute their identity, or render them irrelevant. Let’s break down the most common reasons brands fail and how to avoid them.

Think about the last time you heard the Netflix ta-dum, the McDonald's ba da ba ba ba, or the Intel bong. You probably recognised them instantly, right? That’s the power of sonic branding.

Right now, designing graphics has never been easier. Platforms like Canva empower professionals and amateurs, to create everything from social media posts to full-fledged branding assets. But when it comes to legal ownership, things can get complicated.

When building a brand, the design process is a journey of discovery, clarity, and refinement. One of the most effective yet overlooked approaches to this journey is starting with black and white design.

As the festive season approaches, we would like to take a moment to express our best wishes to all our valued clients, partners, and supporters.

As many of you may have seen this last week, there has been a huge outpouring of anger and outrage towards Jaguar’s new rebrand. Some have gone as far as saying that it is surely the death of a once great brand by trying to pander to a new woke mindset.