Don't try to be different, try to be recognizable
Modern marketing science reverses the mindset of unique selling propositions: buyers choose what is easily recognizable and memorable.
Almost every project, clients say, "how can we be different from competitors?" That desire is valid, but modern marketing science shows that "differentiation" is not what determines whether people choose you.
Being recognizable is more important than being different
The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, through Byron Sharp's work, shows that most buyers do not analyze the rational differences between brands. They buy what is easily recognizable and memorable in the moment of need. Therefore, the task of branding is not to prove uniqueness, but to make the brand STAND OUT and be EASILY RECOGNIZABLE enough to pop into customers' minds at the right time.
This reverses the familiar mindset of "having a unique selling proposition." In most industries, a brand that is easily recognizable and consistently repeated will outperform a "differentiated" but vague and frequently changing brand.
Measure identity assets using two axes
Jenni Romaniuk suggests measuring all brand assets, such as color, logo, typography, characters, and sound, according to two metrics. The first is popularity: how many people associate this asset with the correct brand. The second is exclusivity: is this asset confused with another brand? The goal is to achieve high scores in both. The testing method is simple: show viewers the asset without the name, then ask them to guess which brand it is.
This framework transforms "beautiful identity" from a subjective matter into something measurable and manageable. It also explains why one should not change colors or fonts on a whim: each change erases part of the memory just built in the customer's mind.
The psychology of color
Many people believe that each color carries a fixed emotional meaning, like red boosting sales. The scientific evidence for this belief is weak. The meaning of color depends on culture, personal experience, and shade. What is more certain is whether the color fits the brand and whether the brand consistently owns that color. Coca-Cola uses red, Pepsi uses blue, and both are successful. The true power of color in branding is differentiation and ownership, not some kind of emotional magic.
For Sinh Vũ, a good identity system does not chase fleeting novelty. It selects easily recognizable assets and then disciplines repetition so they enter memory and stay there.
References
Byron Sharp, How Brands Grow · Jenni Romaniuk, Building Distinctive Brand Assets · Ehrenberg-Bass Institute.Frequently asked questions
I keep being advised to 'differentiate from competitors', so is that wrong?
Not wrong, but not enough. Differentiation needs to come with recognizability, meaning customers must recognize you even without reading the brand name. A highly differentiated product without stable brand assets will struggle to build brand memory, resulting in customers knowing but not remembering, or remembering at the wrong time.
What are the two axes for measuring brand assets that Sinh Vũ mentions?
These two axes are prominence, meaning whether the brand gets attention, and correct association, meaning when people remember the brand, do they think of the right thing? A strong brand needs to score high on both: being remembered and being remembered correctly. Many brands focus solely on prominence without managing associations, leading to being remembered for the wrong reasons.
Does color really affect how customers perceive the brand?
Color does not directly create emotions in the way many people think, but it acts as a classification signal: customers use color to place the brand in the right category in their minds. The issue is not choosing a beautiful color, but selecting a consistent color and using it long enough for it to become the brand's own asset. Changing colors too frequently means having to rebuild associations from scratch.