Let’s not waste time.
If you think branding is just your logo and a pastel Instagram feed, you’re already bleeding relevance. And if you’re out here trying to “build trust” while breaking the rules that world-class brands religiously follow—especially Google—then you’ve already lost the game.
Because love it or hate it, Google is the GOAT of branding.
Yeah, they’ve got a $2 trillion market cap and control half the internet—but that didn’t just happen because of some magical algorithm or big tech luck.
It happened because they play by three brutally effective branding rules.
Rules that are so simple, most of you overlook them.
Rules that, if YOU break, will leave your brand looking like an amateur side hustle with a Wix website and a Canva logo.
So grab your overpriced coffee, cancel your next meaningless “strategy call,” and let’s get into the real reason why your brand isn’t scaling:
You’re not playing by the rules Google does.
Rule #1: Simplicity Wins Every Time
Let me hit you with a harsh reality: You’re trying too damn hard.
Your copy? Bloated.
Your design? Overcomplicated.
Your messaging? All over the place.
Meanwhile, Google?
Their entire visual identity is four colours.
Four.
Primary.
Basic.
Unapologetically simple.
Why? Because clarity beats creativity. Every. Single. Time.
Think about it: When you land on Google’s homepage, what do you see?
Not a flashy sales video.
Not a cluttered nav bar with 47 dropdowns.
Just a logo, a search bar, and a call to action.
Boom.
Google didn’t just create a tool.
They created a behaviour.
They turned white space into power. Simplicity into trust. Functionality into branding.
And here you are…
Stuffing your hero section with meaningless buzzwords, product shots, weak CTAs, and irrelevant animations.
Simplicity isn’t minimalism. It’s strategic focus.
Strip away the fluff. Get to the point. Tell people what you do, why it matters, and what to do next.
Until then, stop calling it a “branding issue.” It’s a discipline issue.
Rule #2: Consistency Builds Religion
Google doesn’t ask you to trust them.
They show up the same way—everywhere.
Same logo.
Same tone.
Same colours.
Same product vibe.
Every product they touch—Docs, Maps, Drive, Gmail—feels like Google.
Different functions. Same brand DNA.
And this is where 99% of you fail. You’re building brand schizophrenia.
- Instagram is playful.
- Website is corporate.
- LinkedIn is dry.
- Emails feel like a breakup letter.
Your voice is fractured. Your visuals are inconsistent. Your audience is confused.
And a confused customer doesn’t buy—they bounce.
Consistency is the branding religion Google practices.
And you?
You’re rebranding every time you get bored. Every time a new design trend drops. Every time a freelancer sends you a fresh mood board.
That’s not evolution. That’s identity crisis.
People don’t trust what they don’t recognize.
If your brand feels different every time I see it, you don’t have a brand.
You have content with a name on it.
Rule #3: Branding is Utility First, Emotion Second
Brace yourself.
This one’s going to hurt.
Most of you are treating branding like fashion. Like it’s about how it looks.
Wrong.
Branding is how it works.
Google doesn’t just look good. It works better than anything else.
The emotional response comes after the tool solves your problem.
The brand equity gets built because you type in a search—and BOOM—you get what you need. Fast. Easy. Consistently.
You don’t fall in love with Google because it’s beautiful.
You fall in love because it shows up for you—flawlessly—every single day.
This is where most founders screw it up.
You’re obsessed with surface-level branding—nice fonts, pretty mockups, a trendy website—but your backend systems are trash.
Your checkout flow sucks.
Your emails are broken.
Your onboarding is confusing.
Your product doesn’t deliver.
And you wonder why people ghost?
Because you forgot that trust is built in the interaction, not the aesthetic.
Function is brand.
Repeat it with me:
How it works IS how it feels.
If you’re not obsessing over your brand’s utility—the way your site flows, your emails read, your product delivers—then your visuals are a lie.
Google gets this.
That’s why their brand feels trustworthy.
It is trustworthy.
Now, ask yourself: is yours?
So, You Still Think Branding Is Just Design?
Here’s the kicker: Branding is NOT “a logo, colours, and fonts.”
It’s not even “content and story.”
Branding is how your business shows up—visually, verbally, emotionally, and functionally—at every single touchpoint.
- When I Google you.
- When I land on your homepage.
- When I click your ad.
- When I read your email.
- When I talk to your support team.
- When I see your logo in my inbox.
If even ONE of those experiences feels off, forced, cheap, or disconnected—you lose the trust.
You lose the sale.
You lose the growth.
You lose the game.
And guess what?
- Google never breaks consistency.
- Google never chases trends.
- Google never forgets functionality.
You do. That’s why you lose.
What to Steal from Google Right Now
Want to fix it? Here’s your unapologetic to-do list:
- Simplify Everything
If it takes more than 5 seconds to explain what you do, it’s too complicated. Rewrite it. - Pick One Tone, Everywhere
Are you cheeky or professional? Minimal or bold? Choose a voice and stick to it like your life depends on it. - Map the Journey
Follow your customer’s path—ads to site to purchase to post-sale—and make sure the experience feels like ONE brand. - Make Your Brand Work, Not Just Look Good
Tweak your UX. Rewrite your onboarding. Fix your slow-loading pages. Your brand is only as strong as your weakest link. - Systemize Your Style
Create a real brand guide. Use the same colours, spacing, headers, tone, buttons, everywhere. Yes, everywhere.
Final Word: You’re Not Google, But You Can Play Like Them
Let me be clear—you’re not Google. You don’t have their resources.
But guess what?
You don’t need a billion-dollar budget to get the branding rules right.
You need:
- Discipline
- Consistency
- Obsession with utility
- Clarity over cleverness
- Strategy over aesthetics
If Google plays by these rules to run the world, what makes you think you can ignore them?
Don’t want to be forgettable?
Then stop building brands that look good and start building brands that behave like they matter.
Because in the end, branding is not about getting people to notice you.
It’s about making them never forget you.
And the brands that understand that?
They don’t “get lucky.”
They win. Relentlessly.
Want help fixing your brand before it implodes?
Let’s audit your whole system—from your first impression to your final interaction.
Because branding isn’t magic.
It’s just strategy, done right, every damn day.
Let’s go.
