It’s increasingly clear that Americans today are grappling with a crisis of trust. Whether it’s the noticeably declining confidence in governmental institutions or distrust of the media and seemingly pervasive “fake news”. This shift that is compounding feelings of suspicion and cynicism has significant ramifications on consumer behavior and the products and brands we choose to invest in our diminishing resource of trust. Against this backdrop, the concept of quiet branding emerges as a path to rebuild trust and connection in a skeptical world.
Restraint and sophistication are the cornerstones of quiet branding. Creating a brand presence that’s intuitively felt rather than forced by leveraging the allure of understatement, the power of suggestion, and the charm of authenticity. Quiet branding eschews aggressive sales tactics in favor of building genuine connection that inspires trust and customer loyalty. It’s a confident whisper, not an intrusive shout.
CREATE A NARRATIVE AROUND QUALITY
Quiet branding isn’t about selling a product; it’s about offering a genuine solution. As such, having a truly high-quality or innovative product at the core of your brand is paramount, forming the foundation that supports the other elements of a quiet brand. When integrated into the DNA of a brand, this focus on quality can elevate the brand culturally as we’ve seen with Levi’s Buy Better, Wear Longer campaign which has in-turn kicked off a trend of brands creating their own secondhand marketplaces.
SUBTLY CONVEYS CONFIDENCE
Eliminating excessive branding in favor of a more subtle visual identity exudes a confidence in the product itself. Simplified logos, ample whitespace, and stripped down color palettes are our foundation here. Let’s consider Apple’s approach, their philosophy of creating well-designed, minimalist, and easy-to-use products extends to all of their brand’s touch points like their website and retail locations. This decluttering shows mutual respect towards savvy consumers that elevates the brand beyond a purely transactional relationship where brands use their customers as walking billboards with their logo prominently plastered.
CULTIVATE A UNIQUE BRAND VOICE
While a brand’s voice should reflect its values authentically, it’s equally important for that voice to stand out amongst competitors, especially in over-saturated markets or amongst undifferentiated products. Dollar Shave Club utilized their unique voice to great effect in their viral launch video, convincing their audience that less is actually more when it comes to razors. This wry and witty tone extended to their website and social feeds creating a subscriber base of 3.2 million customers. Unilever’s purchase of DSC in 2016 led to a brand refresh that removed much of DSC’s personality — e.g. what made the brand unique. Ultimately, this led to a shrinking business and eventual sell-off in 2023.
ENGAGE, DON’T INTERRUPT
It should come as no surprise that consumers often feel overwhelmed by overt marketing, leading to advertising avoidance, wherein audiences go out of their way to ignore ads or avoid them all together. We can see this play out in streaming where 57% of people are willing to pay more for an ad-free experience. So how can we make an ad not feel like an ad? The key here is for brands to integrate themselves into the audience experience, rather than interrupt it. Squarespace leverages podcasts to great effect — “When a podcast host ad-libbed their promotional copy — and particularly if they stressed that using the Squarespace promo code supported their show — the return on the ad spending was enormous.” Allowing hosts to lend their unique personality to an improvised ad read allows brands to become a third-party in the established relationship between the podcast and its fans. The ad, in turn, becomes part of the show itself rather than an annoyance.
WRAPPING UP
Quiet branding is emerging as a powerful strategy in an era marked by widespread distrust and advertising fatigue. This shift away from traditional and louder approaches resonates with consumers who crave genuine connections and value-driven interactions. Placing value on consumer experience and trust above all else. In a world where everyone seems to be yelling, it’s time for brands to turn down the noise and let their quiet branding speak volumes.