Building a brand in the age of brandless

Consumers no longer want to pay for a brand if that’s all they’re really paying for. Does that fundamentally change the role of branding?

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Many new consumer brands launch with minimal branding. Simplistic typeface, unfussy packaging, streamlined physical and digital spaces that emphasize the product.

Thanks to ever-improving digital technologies created with the average user in mind, launching an online store or creating a new brand is easier than ever.

Some examples of minimal or brandless brands are Public Goods, Brandless (the brand), Everlane, AWAY, M/F People, and Deciem. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, even.

Thing is, no product or service is really brandless. A brand is a story, an origin, a rationale, or a bit of desirable IP. Any product (or service) brought to market — even the crisp green apples from your auntie’s backyard — have a backstory, one that helps consumers make choices based on their preferences.

But did anyone ever say they were tired of branding? I believe people love brands, and love the connection they have with brands they admire and trust. The power of branding and its lasting impression is immense.