As branding experts, we explore the challenges big tech brands face in balancing immediate cultural relevance with building a strong long-term foundation. Drawing on insights from The Drum’s Consumer Technology Focus, we highlight how a strategic approach to branding can make all the difference.
At Threerooms, we provide strategic advice and ambitious design to help brands stand out and thrive.
The unique demands of tech branding
Creating brand systems for technology brands presents unique challenges, whether it’s a global platform serving billions or an innovative app just starting out. And branding goes far beyond just a logo or tagline. It’s about crafting an adaptable system that resonates across different products and audiences.
It should provide enough structure to maintain brand integrity across different touchpoints while also leaving room for creativity and adaptability as new products or features emerge.
This clarity and flexibility also have a significant impact externally. Users begin to recognise the brand more consistently across various touchpoints, which builds trust -an essential factor for any tech company aiming to build long-term relationships with its audience.
Consider how Apple and Google have perfected this balance. Apple’s brand centres on simplicity and premium quality, with design deeply embedded in its core. Its consistent use of typography, layout, and logo application maintains a cohesive identity, yet it still manages to innovate creatively. Google, on the other hand, showcases how a consistent colour palette can seamlessly unify various products and applications, even within its logo. Its graphic, minimalist design approach leans into the semiotics of a universal language - simple, accessible, and approachable. Both companies illustrate that a "less-is-more" philosophy can keep a brand adaptable and instantly recognisable.
One of the biggest rewards of this approach is the enthusiasm it can ignite within a team. When you give teams a clear and flexible identity to work within, it empowers them to produce better work. They don’t feel constrained by restrictive rules; instead, they feel supported by a framework that allows them to be creative while staying true to the brand.
The challenges of branding in the technology industry
Tech companies frequently expand and diversify at a rapid pace, transforming a single platform into a complex ecosystem of products and services, each targeting different audiences with unique messaging requirements. As this growth continues, a brand identity that was once clear and strong can become fragmented, resulting in a disjointed user experience. The introduction of new sub-brands, features, and market expansions can stretch the brand in various directions, weakening its overall impact.
At the same time, tech brands must balance visual consistency with the need to continually reinvent themselves. While innovation is essential, it’s crucial to evolve without losing the brand’s core identity. A strategically sound brand system allows for this balance, ensuring the brand remains unified and recognisable, even as it adapts to new developments. Without this solid foundation, a brand risks becoming a collection of disjointed elements rather than a cohesive whole.
In the tech industry, the goal is clear: build a brand system that remains coherent yet adaptable enough to keep pace with rapid technological changes and speak to a global audience.
Balancing long-term brand building with short-term wins
The tech industry has seen a shift from traditional advertising, such as TV ads and print, to a deeper focus on building brand awareness. For years, the sector prioritised short-term marketing wins, like launching the next big feature or driving immediate user growth, often at the expense of long-term brand building. However, tech companies are now realising that a brand isn’t just a marketing tool, it’s the bedrock of their business.
A strong brand system is essential for supporting complex ecosystems of products, ensuring consistent growth and stability over time.
A robust brand identity provides a platform that supports not just today’s goals but tomorrow’s growth. When tech companies prioritise defining their brand strategy and identity before launching communications and campaigns, they create something both effective and enduring. While marketing strategies may change frequently, a well-defined brand platform remains steady, offering stability and trust to both internal teams and external audiences.
Human-to-human branding
In the race to launch the latest software update or next-gen hardware, tech brands can sometimes lose sight of the emotional connection with their users. But those that use design to humanise their offering, build relationships that go far beyond functionality. It’s not enough to have the fastest processor or the most intuitive UI - tech products must connect on a deeper, more human level to inspire loyalty and long-term engagement.
This means creating an identity that can outlast the race for the next big thing. The brand shouldn’t just reflect the product’s capabilities but also symbolise what it represents in people’s lives. When done right, design transforms a tech brand from being just a service provider into a trusted, even cherished, companion in the user’s journey.
Why branding matters in tech
In the tech world, a brand isn’t just another piece of the puzzle - it’s the foundation upon which everything else is built. As technology continues to advance and new features and products emerge, the brand must serve as a dependable yet flexible point of reference. While communications play a crucial role in telling people about a product or business, they must do so in ways that surprise and delight, all while staying true to the brand’s character.
For any tech company, large or small, investing in a strong brand system is no longer optional, it’s crucial. As competition intensifies and user expectations rise, a well-crafted brand identity can be the difference between being just another tech product and being a company that people trust, love, and keep coming back to.
The secret lies in building a brand platform that is strong enough to endure yet flexible enough to evolve. Get that balance right, and you’ll create something that not only survives the rapid changes of the tech world but thrives in them.
At Threerooms, we can do all this for you - we provide strategic advice and ambitious design to help brands stand out and thrive. Want to chat through how we can help? Get in touch today.
An extension of your team
Threerooms, a multi-award-winning branding agency, has dedicated over 20 years to optimising brands and driving business success. Whether crafting new brands or refining established ones, our team is committed to delivering brand transformation tailored to help you reach your goals.
