From Tiffany Blue to Coca-Cola red, color can become one of a brand's most powerful recognition assets but only when it's chosen strategically, used consistently, and given the opportunity to accumulate meaning.

In this episode, Amy talks about:

• Why color is much more than decoration or personal preference
• How culture, context, experience, and brand associations influence what colors mean
• Why color can become a shortcut to brand recognition
• Why consistency gives color meaning over time
• How constantly changing your brand colors can erode recognition
• Why your brand's color choices should consider your audience, category, competition, and differentiation
• Why the best brand color isn't necessarily the "perfect" color, but one you can consistently commit to
• How to know whether your color system is actually working across your brand's touchpoints
• Why color can help create memory, trust, and ultimately loyalty

This episode's brand hack:

Open your website, social media, and any printed materials you have nearby. Then ask yourself: Would a stranger recognize that all of these came from the same organization?

If the answer is no, you don't necessarily need new colors. You probably need fewer colors, clearer rules for when and how they're used, and a commitment to consistency.

Want to know how strong your brand really is?

Start with my free Strong Brand Scorecard to get a quick assessment of your brand's strengths and weaknesses.

Or, if you're ready to look more deeply at how your brand is working across its strategy, messaging, visual identity, and audience touchpoints, let's talk about a Brand Audit.

Research & Resources

University of Loyola Chicago research on color and brand recognition

Tiffany & Co. history and the development of Tiffany Blue

What makes a logo memorable? More importantly, what makes a logo mean something?

In this episode, Amy digs into one of the biggest misconceptions in branding: the idea that a logo is a brand. From birthday parties at McDonald's to Nike's swoosh, Target's bullseye, and even Levi's attempt to hide its logo, we explore why recognizable symbols work...and why recognition alone isn't enough.

In this episode, Amy talks about:

• Why a logo is a symbol, an identity is a system, and a brand is a reputation
• Why recognizable logos become powerful because of the meaning we've attached to them
• How Nike built decades of meaning around a simple swoosh
• Why Target's bullseye works because the entire brand experience supports it
• How childhood memories and repeated experiences can make something as simple as the Golden Arches incredibly meaningful
• Why changing a logo doesn't necessarily solve a brand problem
• How unclear positioning, poor customer experiences, and internal confusion can simply show up wearing a prettier outfit after a rebrand
• Why strategy should come before visual identity
• How brand strategy gives designers criteria for making better decisions
• Why trends should be tools...not identities
• What people are really asking for when they say they need a new logo: confidence, clarity, consistency, recognition, alignment, and growth
• Why good design amplifies existing truth rather than inventing it
• How a strong brand can be recognizable even when you remove the logo entirely

This episode's brand hack:

Remove your logo.

If you removed your logo tomorrow, would people still recognize your brand?

Would they recognize your voice, values, photography, messaging, customer service, or overall experience? Would your employees know how to represent you? Would your customers know what to expect?

If the answer is yes, congratulations, you may be building a strong brand. If the answer is no, you may not have a logo problem. You may have a strategy opportunity.

Want to know how strong your brand really is? Start with my free Strong Brand Scorecard for a quick assessment of your brand's strengths and weaknesses.

Or, if you're ready to look more deeply at how your brand is functioning across strategy, messaging, visual identity, and audience touchpoints, let's talk about a Brand Audit.

Research & Resources

Nike — The history and evolution of the Nike Swoosh

Michael Eisner — The concept of brands being enriched or undermined cumulatively over time through "a thousand small gestures"

Brand strategy & identity principles — The distinction between logo, visual identity, and brand reputation discussed throughout the episode

We're kicking off Season 3 by talking about what good brand design really does...and why the rise of Canva, AI, templates, and DIY design tools doesn't make strategic design less important. It makes it more important.

In this episode, Amy talks about:

• Why good design is a business tool, not just a way to make things look pretty
• How design communicates personality, emotion, identity, priorities, and confidence
• Why "pretty" and "effective" aren't necessarily the same thing
• What Canva and AI actually change about the role of professional designers
• Why strategy becomes more valuable as design tools become more accessible
• How consistency creates recognition, familiarity, and trust
• Why every touchpoint—from your website to your email signature—deserves strategic consideration
• How good design reduces friction and helps people make decisions with confidence
• Why clarity may be one of your strongest competitive advantages

This episode's brand hack:

Find someone who knows you or your business well enough to have context, but not so well that they're incapable of being objective.

Let them experience your brand like a stranger would. Then, take them to coffee or dinner and ask them:

• What did you think we offered?
• Who did you think it was for?
• How did the brand make you feel?
• How quickly did you understand what we do?
• What would you expect to happen next?
• And, most importantly: What do you remember?

Don't explain or defend anything. Just listen. Sometimes the biggest gap in your brand isn't between what you designed and what you intended, but between what you intended and what people actually understand.

Want to know how strong your brand really is?

Start with my free Strong Brand Scorecard to get a quick assessment of your brand's strengths and weaknesses.

Or, if you're ready to look more deeply at how your brand is working across its strategy, messaging, visual identity, and audience touchpoints, let's talk about a Brand Audit.

Because brand isn't a four-letter word. It's your best strategy and your strongest story. Let's build your brand together.

Research & Resources

• Google Research — The Role of Visual Complexity and Prototypicality in Initial Website Impressions
• Nielsen Norman Group — First Impressions Matter
• Lucidpress — State of Brand Consistency Report