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Last week, Instagram unveiled a new wordmark logo, and like just about everything on the internet, critics quickly jumped in with their opinions. Most notably, users complained that the “r” in the new font now made it seem like it was instead a logo for “Instagzam.” Other brands from ChatGPT to KitKat joined the conversation, sharing parodies of the new logo in line with their own branding.

Flipping through these, though, the joke gets old and repetitive quickly. Scrolling through your social feeds, how much of the same content essentially recycled over and over again are you seeing in a relatively short span? If all of these brands are hopping on the bandwagon, will any of them get noticed?

The Psychology of Standing Out

This is best explained by the Von Restorff effect, a “proven psychological theory that the more something stands out from the crowd the more likely it is to be seen.” When brands mimic each other and their posts are hardly distinguishable, none of the posts will further the conversation or even make an impact on their intended audiences. 

When Trends Become Noise

We are seeing this trend more and more, even outside of social media. At the FIFA World Cup, a sea of players on the pitch wore bright pink cleats — so many that there were countless articles written about the phenomenon and even theories that the top sneaker brands leveraged research from the same agency to inform their decisions. In today’s saturated media landscape, strategy cannot come from data, research, or AI alone, especially when your competitors are utilizing the same tools. These are important factors to help understand your audiences, but comprehensive decisions must be made that take into consideration the full picture. If everything stands out in the same way, nothing will stand out at all. 

Build a Brand That Gets Noticed with Emerson Street Media

Emerson Street Media has the creative chops and the strategic thinking skills to help your brand truly stand out from the crowd. From social media management to video production, our approach is about so much more than hopping on the trend bandwagon. We stay true to your brand while reaching the audiences who will move the needle for your business. Reach out to us today to see how we can help your organization make the right impression.