Like me, you may frequent Jeff Bezos’ little online store: Amazon. A wondrous place full of many things you probably don’t need, but plenty that you tell yourself you do. It may be the designer in me, but I often whittle down my options mainly by the reviews and product images. This is the junction where branding often wins.

The reviews speak for themselves most of the time. So once you have a list of items with more than you’re personal benchmark (mine is 20 reviews at 4 stars and above) its time to make a decision. I’m not sure I have ever vocalised this thought process before now, it is something that one does subconsciously when making a purchase. The more conscious aspect of the purchase is finding what one likes and connects with.

The catalyst for this particular blog post is sleep: something I am awful at and happily watch Ted Talks, read books and look into anything that will help me sleep better. It was during my recent ‘self sleep assessment’ that I yearned to venture into the world of earplugs. After dipping my feet into the water with some foam style plugs that a friend recommended, they just were not cutting the mustard, I once again needed Jeff’s help.

Search: Silicone Ear Plugs. Filter: 4 stars & up. Prime? Yes please. I was then greeted with an array of bland clear boxes that all looked like they had the same 12 earplugs in a clear box, some pushing as far to be in a different colour. But out of the mundane list stood BEARY QUIET. It showed an image with all the parts the others had, at a very similar price, but with an engaging box with a sleepy bear on it. ‘We Help Humans Hibernate’ was the tag line that greeted me on the product page.

As humans, we make split-second decisions as to whether we like something or not and if it connects with us on any level. Where this product gained my attention was by standing out from the rest. Someone had clearly looked into the market and through a sea of generic boxes and indigo blue styling this cardboard brown box with black and white print made an immediate impression. A lot of the time, an immediate impression is a perfect incentive to engage with something. The cardboard is on trend with an eco-friendly feel. The black and white print is perfect to stand out from the crowd. The bold bear logo was friendly and inviting.

The second point to make is memorability. Businesses want repeat customers, they want not only to make the sale but be in the minds of their customers the next time they go to buy a similar product. Once I had the product in hand (one day later, thanks Jeff) it made a further positive impression on me with the quality and thought into the product. It came with a leaflet that had helpful tips, how to use the product properly and where to reach out if you have any issues. It had a playful tone of voice that leans into the name and overall feel of the brand. They had kept it simple but executed it perfectly.

The main thing I want you to take away from this post is that it doesn’t matter if you are selling a multi-thousand-pound service or a set of earbuds for £7.99, branding matters. I am not suggesting you sink an inappropriate amount of money into branding, but its something that should be thought about and explored no matter what industry you are in. Humans are strange beings but if there is an edge you can gain over your competition by looking better, appealing more to your customer base or showing that you care, it can make all the difference.

What do you think about this branding style? Have you had any experience with an instant connection to an inanimate brand? Let me know by commenting on my IG post.

TIP: While we are on the subject of Amazon, my top tip is to check some really old reviews as sometimes sneaky vendors sell an item for several years, then, when its discontinued, post up the new item using the old reviews to push them to the top of the list. I was once looking for a projector (essential items, please don’t judge) when I noticed half of the reviews were referencing a TV bracket, so be careful!