How much does branding really affect you?

Earlier this week, I read an interesting lesson plan posted by Carrie McLaren at the Center for Media Literacy. Armed with PowerPoint slides, she walked into a room of high school seniors and asked them to identify several plants and trees in their Brooklyn neighborhood.

Silence.

She then put on a slide of the alphabet comprised almost entirely of brand logos. Without fail, the group of students named them all.

I’d be willing to bet you can name most of them, too.

Still think branding doesn’t affect you?

Crazy as it sounds, we are a branded culture. Not unlike the seared hides of cattle, our psyches have been indelibly marked by corporations and businesses salivating over our dollars. Even the youngest among us has no problem identifying those golden arches.

You’d think the sheer variety of brands would do us in, that the average consumer would have no way to keep this all straight. Our brains only have so much room!

But no, once branded, always branded. That’s why they call it branding.

So, what’s your brand? How are you leaving an indelible mark on your clients and prospects?

Cross-posted at the Full Moon Design Blog.