well if you want lindon leader or pentagram to whip up a logo for you, sure. otherwise great design and memorable branding does not rely on deep pockets. it relies on creative and talented designers who can (and are given room to) do their jobs.

While colors and graphics are still important, I don’t think huge promotional pushes need to be set behind these anymore… and that’s where the real money always was (developing the identity isn’t expensive, it’s the promo of that identity).

But yeah, you can’t really ignore the aesthetic elements of branding… otherwise you get the “I had this great experience on this one web site…” and I don’t think you want to be “that one web site…” you want to be James.com… that’s where aesthetics come in.

I think those of us who are branding on a budget should be focusing on getting people to remember the positive/remarkable experience they have with the product, not the colors or even the logo (that kind of branding costs millions in most cases).

Who gives a shit if people remember your colors or logo when they remember your company’s name and they tell other people about the great experience they had?

Google: Searching for Shit on the Intarweb.

At least unofficially, anyway.