Branding with pattern can help customers form stronger emotional attachments to products. Consumers want to express their individual style—whether it’s purely aesthetic, or they love the values a company has and they want to look aligned. Pattern can be a great way to help fans latch onto your brand. It can do many things:
There are typical products that feature surface patterns, like clothing, wrapping paper, and throw pillows. But are there unexpected items that could benefit from a pop of pattern? What about sauce pans, brooms, file cabinets, or ice skates?
Over time, a pattern can become iconic and subliminally bring to mind a brand’s reputation. Think of Burberry’s famous tan plaid. It became iconic on coats, but if you saw that plaid on a bicycle, you would assume Burberry had something to do with making that bike. In fact, I just mocked up this bicycle in Photoshop. But if you saw this bike on the street, you might assume it was high end and well made without knowing a thing about its actual quality.
A pattern doesn’t have to go on your product—maybe it’s part of the environment surrounding your product. Put it on your shipping box, tissue paper, shopping bag, your delivery truck, or retail store wallpaper. Or maybe your business provides services. Use pattern on the inside of your pocket folders or the back of your business card. Branding with pattern is pleasing and powerful.
