There is a lot to consider when branding a manufacturer, and the font chosen to represent your brand is of utmost importance. The font is the most universal aspect of the brand, and plays an important role in conveying the brand personality and credibility. Don’t believe it? Try reading that same sentence in a different font.
Fonts and credibility
It almost seems absurd that a reader would believe something to be true if printed in one typeface versus another. But it’s a fact: Fonts can shape the reader’s perception of truth. That means the right font selection can contribute to your credibility. Or, on the other hand, the wrong font selection undermines your brand’s reputation. This makes font selection of paramount importance when branding.
The bold concept that font can influence credibility was bolstered by a compelling experiment conducted by Errol Morris and The New York Times. The publication asked 45,000 readers to take an online test that would allegedly reveal whether the readers were an optimist or pessimist. In reality, the test presented the same information in different fonts in an effort to understand how the content could be interpreted differently by the same audience with font being the only variable. The result: Readers were more likely to agree with a statement written in Baskerville than other fonts.
So why isn’t everything printed in Baskerville font, if it’s proven to be the most credible? The truth is, fonts convey many aspects of a brand’s distinct personality, trustworthiness being just one to consider.
How fonts relate to brand identity and values.
Every detail of your logo will influence people’s impression of your brand — and ultimately their buying behavior. There is a body of research around the psychology of typefaces. The font selected immediately gives an impression of your brand personality. The Software Usability Research Laboratory (SURL) at Wichita State University conducted a study that examined the traits associated with various fonts. Results showed that traditional fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman were regarded as “stable” and “mature,” but were also interpreted as “unimaginative” and “conformist.” On the other hand, “youthful” fonts like Comic Sans were considered “happy” and “casual.”
The most universal aspect of your logo is the font
When done right, branding is everywhere. Everything associated with your business should be consistent and saturated with your brand. That includes a designated font for your logo and routine business correspondence.
The font selected for your logo should be flexible enough to appear in different sizes and places and still maintain the consistent look. For example, the font used in your logo should be legible when printed large or small, glossy or matte, and black and white or color. The font should be easy to read whether printed on letterhead, stitched on a shirt, or printed on a golf towel.
The font selected for routine business should be ubiquitous throughout every internal and external communication. From presentations and business cards to invoices, the font will help unify a consistent look and feel, resulting in a more reliable and desirable brand image.
When creating and managing a brand, the beauty is in the details. But the heavy significance of managing every aspect of your brand can be overwhelming. From brand conception to launch and maintenance, id8 offers the branding expertise necessary to capture and communicate your brand’s personality in a way that will positively impact your bottom line.
