When to Embrace Trends and When to Avoid Them

Raise your hand if you’ve ever decided to trim your hair to have bangs (or fringe if you’re across the pond) because you saw your favourite celebrities or influencers doing it. We’ve all followed a hair trend and regretted it at least once in our lives. It feels great at the time, but once the novelty wears off, it feels tiring. Sure, your hair grows back, but you have to live with your decision for many agonizing weeks until it reaches the length where it can be styled differently.

Following a trend with your branding or logo can be just as painful. Selecting colours or a style of logo design that is trendy may feel like a great move at the moment, but trends in the digital space come and go faster than hairstyles do. This means instead of waiting weeks for your hair to grow out, you might be waiting months until you can justify spending money on a rebrand.

When you want to follow a trend with your appearance, a style expert may recommend experimenting with your makeup rather than cutting your hair. That way, you can have fun without committing to a long-term decision. The same goes for your marketing and branding. As experienced graphic designers, we recommend focusing on a long-term, timeless logo and leaving experimentation and trend-following to your marketing efforts.

Examples of Classic Branding

Your brand is meant to last forever (or as long as you’re in business). Think of the most iconic brands you’ve encountered and how little their branding has changed over the years or even decades! A few timeless classic brands that come to mind for us include:

• Coco Chanel: The elegantly simple logo has remained the same since it was established in 1925.
• Ford Mustang: The first Ford Mustang model was launched in 1962, and the logo has stayed much the same since then, always featuring a galloping horse.
• Nike: The iconic swoosh has remained the same since its introduction in 1971.
• McDonald’s: Those iconic golden arches originated from the architecture of the building in the 1950s and became the unmistakable logo we know today back in 1961.

These famous brands are so recognizable that when you see the logo without the company name beside it, most people know instantly who the company is. Even though the logo design may have shifted over the years in size, shape, detail or font, the primary element remains the same. This consistency in the logo is how these companies achieved timeless branding.

When to Embrace Trends in Marketing

While the logos of these companies have remained the same for decades, their marketing efforts have evolved, either embracing or setting trends over the years. For example, think back to the first McDonald’s you ever visited. It probably looked widely different compared to a modern McDonald’s you’d enter today—thank goodness!

The same evolution happens with marketing. Twenty years ago, the primary trend for advertising would have been TV commercials, radio ads, billboards, and magazine ads. Today, we encounter advertising for all types of companies in social media, podcasts, as well as the more traditional radio, TV and print formats. Still, the brand’s core elements (logo, colours, fonts) tend to remain similar for consistency and brand recognition.

Marketing strategies can change as frequently as month-to-month, season-to-season, or year-to-year. Adapting your marketing for each campaign based on the current trend is easier when you have a solid, timeless brand foundation to work from each time.

What Is a Timeless Branding Strategy?

We’ve talked about the importance of having a timeless brand, but what does that mean? It means that your brand represents your company’s core values, stands out from the competition and connects with your target audience. Here are some of the essential elements of a brand that endures the test of time.

Create a Unique Identity

Your brand has established a unique identity when customers can spot your logo in an ad, on your vehicle, or somewhere online and say, “Hey! I know them! I love their services.” Creating a unique design can be challenging when there is a sea of influential imagery around us. Working with a graphic designer to create a timeless logo design in Edmonton is one way to ensure that your logo is unique and represents you. At Paper Lime Creative, our research methods ensure what we design fits your audience, matches your values and goals, and is recognizable.

Set Yourself Apart from the Competition

The biggest mistake businesses make is choosing the obvious symbol for their logo. In any given field, dozens of companies make the same mistake. We always highlight the frequency with which the house or roof is used in logo design. When you see the picture of a house or roof on a logo, what type of business comes to mind? We see this element used in industries such as:

• Mortgage Brokers
• Real Estate Agents
• Roofers
• Real Estate Lawyers
• Carpenters
• Developers
• Contractors
• Residential Cleaners

The list could go on. Any business that provides a service for the home is tempted to use the image of a house in its logo. We understand it’s a natural connection to make. However, the goal of your logo is not just to connect your brand with what you do but who you are, which is why we always recommend digging deeper into your brand’s values when designing a logo. Brand designers in Edmonton can help you get to those answers in your logo design.

Attracts the Right Customer

Your brand should also reflect the type of customer you want to attract. Are you a mid-level company that wants to serve families on a budget, or do you provide high-end solutions for clients willing to pay more for an exclusive or custom experience? Your brand should reflect this. Everything from the font you choose to the colours in your brand will influence how your audience views your business.

Ensuring that your service matches your branding helps you build trust and credibility. If your brand appears upscale but does not offer a high level of customer service, your clients may be disappointed. By contrast, if your brand feels basic and accessible yet comes with a high-end price tag, your customers will feel misled.

There is an art to matching your branding to your company’s mission and vision. Our graphic designers in Edmonton will help ensure that your branding aligns with your business and creates customer loyalty.

Paper Lime Creative’s Approach to Timeless Branding

These are just some elements of a timeless brand. Here at Paper Lime Creative, we’ll walk you through our custom approach to ensure you have a full brand package that sets your company apart. You can browse our portfolio of timeless logos we’ve developed for our clients across various industries to see first-hand what timeless branding examples look like.

When we work with you, we start by conducting industry research to make sure your brand stands out from your competitors and resonates with your ideal customer base. Next, we develop a brand strategy so you know how to reach your dream customers and how to use your brand assets for maximum impact, no matter what marketing trend you’re chasing. And finally, we deliver a fully developed logo and brand package.

The Benefits of Timeless Branding for Edmonton Businesses

Having a timeless brand for your business sets you up for long-term success. Not only will your customers stay with you longer because they remember you, but they’ll be more likely to refer you to their friends when satisfied with your service. A clear, consistent brand also makes your marketing efforts easier, which can help you grow your business further over time.

And who knows, you may feel it is time to rebrand in five or ten years, especially if your business is scaling to the next level. However, even a branding refresh will be easier when you have a solid foundation to work from.

Logo and Brand Design in Edmonton

Paper Lime Creative is your go-to Edmonton branding agency if you’re ready to create your timeless brand package. We’d love to hear about your company and what motivates you. Reach out to chat directly with a graphic designer in Edmonton who cares about the immediate and long-term outcomes of your investment in logo design and branding!