In our over-communicated society the collective opinion is very much against ALL CAPS. It’s the written equivalent of shouting and tells us that the author is trying to demand too much of our attention.
So disliked is the all cap style that many online publications ban comments that are typed in all caps. An anti all caps group even launched a “Caps Off” campaign to pressure hardware manufacturers to eliminate the Caps Lock key, to make it harder for all cap writers to operate.
In the world of brand architecture, the equivalent of ALL CAPS is ALL BRANDED FEATURES. Primarily an affliction of technology companies, branded features are often found in the nurturing environment of trade show product brochures. At their worst, these brochures become a blizzard of trademarks as companies brand and then try and protect every single one of the features that’s built into their products.
It’s an affliction often fueled by the worthy intention of giving credit to all the different product teams that have put in countless hours to build and complete these individual features. But the net result is TOO MUCH NOISE. If the volume is “11” for everything, the important things, the things that are really better, different and valuable to customers gets lost.
It may be difficult to implement but a system that limits the use of branded features pays great dividends. Such a system requires both a process (all new names to be created/vetted by a nominated group) and a set of rules and guidelines (nothing will be branded unless it delivers competitive advantage and is supported by a marketing budget). This is an important investment for brands. Especially those that have become the noise.
The Blake Project Can Help: The Brand Architecture Workshop
Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education
