What counts as a distinctive brand asset?

Anything a brand can own clearly enough that people associate it with that brand alone: a colour, shape, sound, character, or pattern, tested and confirmed through consistent, repeated use.

How many distinctive assets should a brand have?

Quality matters more than quantity. Building brand fame doesn't happen overnight, so a focused strategy involving a few genuinely ownable assets works better than trying every trick in the book.

Can a competitor use the same distinctive asset?

The point of a distinctive brand asset is that it can only be used by and associated with that one brand, so if a competitor is using it or encroaching on it, then it doesn't fall under that definition.

How long does it take to build a distinctive asset?

Longer than most brands expect, especially if operating in a particularly crowded category. Since recognition comes from repetition, the most distinctive brand assets are a product of consistent exposure over time. Consumer testing at key intervals can help track recognition and project future goals.

Are distinctive assets the same as a design system?

They are related, but ultimately different things. A design system documents how a brand's whole visual language works. Distinctive assets are the specific, recognisable pieces within it that carry the most weight.

Branding Handbook

Visual Identity

Distinctive Brand Assets

Distinctive brand assets are the specific, ownable details that make a brand recognisable at a glance, without its name present.

What are distinctive brand assets?

Distinctive brand assets are the non-verbal cues that allow consumers to instantly recognise a brand, even without its name attached.

Popularised by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, the term can be used to describe any element of a brand identity, so long as it only evokes that particular brand, rather than its competitors or the category itself. A brand without distinctive assets must rely on its name and entire identity, creating a much narrower path to recognition.

Creating a distinctive brand asset is just one part of the process. For it to build fame, it needs to be used repeatedly and consistently, effectively becoming a mental shortcut for consumers.

Examples of distinctive brand assets

Logos and symbols

While a logo is one of the most obvious distinctive brand assets, it's also one of the most difficult to pull off. Every brand has a logo, but not every logo is so distinctive that it can operate without a name attached. Nike's iconic swoosh has set this standard.

Colour

Far from a simple aesthetic choice, the right colour has the potential to be synonymous with a brand for all time. They call it Tiffany Blue for a reason.

Typography

Investment in a custom or heavily customised typeface can make words look as distinctive as they sound. Think Google's own Product Sans, which is so commonplace that you'd associate it with the brand anywhere.

Mascots and characters

The Michelin Man, The Energizer Bunny, Tony the Tiger, Duo the Duolingo owl: these are all iconic brand characters designed to stick in people's minds, only getting more classic over time.

Taglines

The hardest working handful of words a brand will ever write. From 'Think Different' to 'Just Do It', the best taglines go beyond mere positioning statements, framing a brand's entire worldview.

Sonic cues

A brand that uses sound as a signature is able to bring more dimension to their distinction. This can be as snappy as Netflix's "ta-dum" intro sting, or as elaborate as the Haribo jingle, which has been adapted in over 20 languages to maintain its rhythm and rhyme across markets.

Packaging structure

A product's physicality and tactility can be one of its brand's most distinctive assets, standing out on a shelf before you're close enough to see a single logo. The Pringles tube, the Coca-Cola contour bottle, and the Toblerone triangular prism all tell you exactly what's inside it.

Shapes and patterns

A motif, silhouette, or pattern that's applied expertly and consistently enough will eventually be recognised on its own. Louis Vuitton's monogram canvas is identifiable from a pattern alone, as is Adidas with its three stripes.

How distinctive brand assets work in practice: Wild Thingz

While there's plenty of better-for-you candy out there in the world, the branding behind it is just about as joyless as having no candy at all. If only kids could taste the rainbow without all that rubbish...

Enter Wild Thingz: a plant-based rebel candy with a cause. Unsatisfied with shaking up the wholesome organic confectionary category, they wanted to take on the 'fun' artificial competitors too. So we decided to take a big chomp out of the candy aisle, literally.

Challenger

Consumer Goods

DTC

Wild Thingz

Letting loose with a world of plant-based anarchy, Wild Thingz' brand is led by Vee, a mohawk-sporting Venus flytrap whose design is inspired by tattoos and grunge-y skater brands.

By subverting the explosion of bright colours and flashy characters you only expect from the 'bad candies', this mascot asks: why does junk get to have all the fun? Meanwhile, a logo made out of thorns and bushes, a rock-and-roll typeface, and a whole 3D world of overgrown forests and rusty shopping trollies only add to the brand's distinctiveness.

Outcome: A category-defining brand with instant recall on a crowded shelf, leading to listings in Ocado, Waitrose, Co-Op and Amazon.

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Related work

A Venus flytrap mascot to take a bite out of the candy aisle

Loud and proud on every packet, Vee steals the fun that 'bad candies' had been hogging to create a world of plant-based anarchy.

Result: A challenger brand that kids go mad for, and parents don't feel bad about.

A Force for Nature with custom details to match

Sharp Type, a twist on a Grotesk with cuts and curls to mimic tails, leaves and claws, works alongside a custom 'C' logo to celebrate Chester Zoo's conservation efforts in a way only they can.

Result: Distinctive assets that act as storytelling tools, rather than just brand signifiers.

Leveraging the world's OG environmentalists

An all-new toolkit for brand partners allows Great Uncle Bulgaria, Madame Cholet and the gang to champion circular living through sustainable brand collabs.

Result: An iconic visual universe with real crossover impact.