Font appropriateness and brand choice

Abstract

This paper illustrates how font, viewed as a component of a brand's visual equity, can enhance a brand's identity and build its market share. In a two-alternative forced-choice task, brands, covering 10 different product categories, were chosen twice as frequently when they were in an appropriate font relative to when they were not. This finding was replicated with no diminution of the effect even when brand names were highly connotative. In a subsequent small field study, consumers chose chocolates from a box of chocolates having an appropriate font rather than one having an inappropriate font on 75% of occasions. Our study establishes the importance for marketers to adopt a coherent font policy to cover current and possible future brand extensions. © 2002 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.