Why Unbranding Is Dumb

The latest trend in branding is no branding at all. Countless businesses, from beer makers to grocery companies, are stripping off their logos and sending products out into the world in all their naked glory. It’s easy to see why. Consumers are demanding more than ever before. We are discerning. We fret about GMOs, sugar, artificial additives and aspartame. We agonize over ethically sourced cotton, chocolate, diamonds, coffee, plastic and countless other things. We’re sick of corporate dishonesty. With Nars testing on animals, Chipotle cooking up e-coli, and VW fixing the results of emissions tests, the road to unbranding is littered with the stories of corporations that have betrayed our trust. Now we can smell bullshit a mile off. According to a recent report, only 23% of consumers in the USA believe that “brands are open and honest,” and that number dips to just 7% in Western Europe. Read more at Fast Company.