Most businesses want to be seen as contemporary and professional. However, far too many of them make changes that go against their brand standards in an effort to keep up with modern trends.

We don’t have to go too far back to see examples of companies incorporating the latest fad into their branded campaigns. The mid-2000s were ripe with brands jumping on the bandwagon of flat web designs, minimalist geometric logos, futuristic layouts, and more.

However, incorporating a hot trend into your brand without considering the long-term impact can weaken your visual identity.

Since it’s so easy for businesses to fall into this trap, we want to help you understand how chasing trends affects businesses and ways to utilize them without damaging your brand.

Following fads undermines your visual identity

Your brand identity exists for a reason. Your logo, color palette, graphics, and everything that encompasses your visual identity work in service of making sure that when people encounter your business, they remember it.

When you go back and forth between trends, you’ll ultimately need to force your existing identity to adapt to it instead of being an extension of the brand. This also leaves room for inconsistencies to occur because you’re creating new assets that may not align with your brand standards.

Chasing trends leads to messy brands

Making significant design changes without a good reason can cause a rift between your audience and how they see your business. Sending mixed messages, especially visual ones, makes it harder for people to connect with the brand.

It also limits your ability to stand out.

Your company’s brand identity is similar to a fingerprint in that it’s unique to you. When it’s clear, your identity is what people remember, and it’s the image that comes to mind when they hear your name.

However, the strength of your brand relies on its stability, which comes from giving people a consistent experience with the services or products you provide, along with what they see coming from it.

Introducing designs to your brand because they’re in vogue begins to dilute your established visual identity and disrupt the key elements your current (and potential) customers are used to seeing.

Using design trends without losing your identity

Changing your brand and bringing in elements that distort or alter it might lead to greater consequences in terms of awareness and longevity. However, there are a few ways to bring in a touch of trendiness without hurting your company’s visual identity.

Putting your brand identity first
Instead of copying a specific design trend outright, it should be woven into your existing brand identity. This means bending the trend to fit your brand, not altering your brand to fit the trend.

Use trends in seasonal or temporary campaigns
Making major modifications to your brand identity is work toward alienating your audience. However, if they’re temporary (and subtle), it gives you an opportunity to let your customers see a different side of your business.

Keep your core identity consistent
Any design trends you decide to adopt need to keep the elements of your brand identity (e.g., logo, color palette, etc.) the same. Since the idea of a “trend” is that it’s short-lived, there isn’t any reason to allow it to become a permanent part of your brand.

Utilize design trends in smaller campaigns
Social media posts, banner ads, and other digital media offer an opportunity to sprinkle in touches of stylish elements that can add to a campaign without taking away from the brand itself.

Solidify your brand guidelines
Your brand style guide lays out each individual element of your company’s visual identity and how to use them. While you can’t predict the next big thing, your company style guide can set the terms for using elements while limiting any negative impacts on the brand itself.

Once you understand how to use design trends to your advantage, you can continue modernizing your brand without affecting what people know and, dare we say, love about it.

Long-term brand retention above short-term trends

Your brand identity is more than what it looks like. It’s the visual representation of your brand. Keeping it consistent is going to be what ensures its long-term success.

Jumping from one trend to another might seem like it’s helping to innovate your brand, but it’s ultimately working against it. It waters down the key parts of your company’s identity that make it recognizable and memorable.

Working with a design agency will help you keep your brand consistent and enable your business to introduce trends without losing what makes it unique.