Brands are louder than ever, but the ones we remember are those that build meaning through story, creativity and subtle, consistent cues, says Dan Colborne, Executive Creative Director at Identity
Brand building has never been louder. Everywhere you look, there is a rush to be bold, to be disruptive, to “cut through” with ever-bigger statements and stunts. But here is the quiet truth: people do not remember brands because they shout; they remember brands because they mean something. Create something unique. Leave something behind.
Purpose, when it is done well, is not a manifesto on a wall or a glossy film with swelling music. It is a thread that runs through everything a brand creates, especially the experiences it brings into the world. And that thread does not need to be neon to be noticed. Sometimes the most powerful brand cues are the ones that whisper, not scream. It should be meaningful internally and powerfully in the external community.
The brands you remember
Think about the brands you instinctively recall. Patagonia. BrewDog. Tony’s Chocolonely. Even something as niche as Brompton bicycles or Hiut Denim. Whether you buy their products or not, you can probably tell someone, confidently, what they stand for. Sustainability, rebellion, fairness, independence or tradition.
These brands encode their purpose into small, consistent behaviours, from the tone of an email to the materials in a product to the way they show up in public. They have a reason to exist, and everything they touch reinforces it.
Purpose becomes memorable not through repetition, but through reinforcement.
Creativity that reveals truth
Creativity plays a crucial role here. Not creativity for its own sake, but creativity that reveals truth. The best brand work does not add layers; it exposes what is already there. It distils. It clarifies. It connects.
Great experiences do this beautifully. When done right, an experience becomes a story you can step into, a physical and emotional expression of a brand’s belief system. You do not need a script to tell people what a brand stands for; the design, the interactions, the choices and the moments do the talking. Human beings are wired to remember stories far more easily than statements.
Niche, subtle, unforgettable
Consider brands that sit in incredibly niche spaces yet feel instantly recognisable. A Le Labo store. A Rapha clubhouse. A Leica exhibition. You may never buy their products, but you know their worlds. Their cues are subtle but intentional: a scent, a colour temperature, a typeface, a tone of service. None of it is accidental. All of it builds memory.
This is where boldness often gets misunderstood. Bold does not have to mean big. Bold can mean being uncompromising about what matters. Bold can be consistency. Bold can be a single strong idea carried through with discipline. The most confident brands edit as much as they create.
Purpose with an anchor
As brands navigate complex audiences and crowded channels, purpose is not a campaign theme. It is the anchor. It keeps creativity meaningful and it keeps experiences coherent. It helps brands stand out not simply because people see them, but because people feel them.
In a world obsessed with differentiation, the brands that endure are the ones that are comfortable being distinct. They know who they are, they show it in considered ways and they trust that subtlety, when rooted in truth, is unforgettable.
Because you might never need these brands. But you will always know them.
