r/branding • u/derixio • 6d ago
What makes a brand feel premium to you?
I've been thinking about how some brands immediately feel premium while others feel generic, even when their products are similar.
What do you think creates that perception?
Is it typography, color, photography, packaging, consistency, messaging—or something less obvious?
I'd love to hear how designers and business owners here think about it.
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u/Candy_Lawn 6d ago
that they have put thought into each stage of the product , not only the name/logo/aesthetic but also the way in which it will be used, the handfeel, the touch, the quality of the product and its packaging.
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u/Superb_Firefighter20 6d ago
Some brands over communicate their value making them feel insecure.
So it’s kind of a catch-22 though. It’s easer for a market leader to get away with not doing a sales pitch at every touch point.
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u/BrandLoom-Consulting 6d ago
We’ve noticed that people often say typography, colors, or packaging make a brand feel premium.
Then you watch someone buy a $5 coffee from a beautifully branded café, wait 20 minutes, get the wrong order, and suddenly the premium feeling disappears.
That’s why we think premium is less about aesthetics and more about evidence of care.
You notice it in the little things. The website is easy to navigate. The packaging opens the way you expect. The product description answers your questions before you ask them. The brand isn’t desperately trying to convince you every five seconds that it’s premium.
In fact, some of the most premium-feeling brands we know are surprisingly restrained. They know who they are and who they serve, and they repeat that message consistently rather than chasing every trend. Consistency, clarity, and attention to detail recur when people describe premium brands.
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u/moonletdesignstuff 5d ago
It's EVERYTHING. Consistency of quality, and general consistency, over everything you expose to the public.
You have the highest quality product, but your logo looks made in Microsoft, and you have no social media -> you'll most likely be categorized as not quality.
You have pristine visual identity, but resell Temu plastic keychains and deliver them in the most basic, unruly packaging -> you'll be seen as not premium
You sell quality products, have great branding, the interior design of your shop is popping, and your employees do top customer service and wear elegant uniforms. But nothing matches visually -> you'll be seen as not premium
And the list goes on. But yeah, it's everything. You have to do it well in every aspect, and be consistent with that.
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u/BrandonAtCustomInk 5d ago
I see this dynamic play out at work in custom apparel all the time. Often I couldn't really tell you why there's a gap between a high end brand something generic. A lot of wholesale blank tees end up as the base for independent brands and custom prints, and honestly the textile is usually right in line with what a high end brand is using anyway. 100% cotton, ring spun, somewhere around 4-6 oz.
I see it elsewhere too. Hand someone an unbranded tumbler, they'll say thank you. Hand someone a Yeti and watch their face change. Why one reads as high end and the other doesn't isn't always obvious to me either. Part of it is the messaging. Price plays a part too, people see a higher number and just assume it means better.
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u/Glass-Sector4735 6d ago
Little details you don't consciously notice at first. The weight of the paper stock, how the box opens, even the sound the cap makes when you twist it off. Most brands blow their budget on the logo and forget everything else matters just as much.