Shape-based assets are strongest: benchmarking distinctive brand asset performance across industries

Distinctive Assets, non-brand name elements such as logos, colors, sounds, or slogans, are increasingly measured by marketers, yet industry benchmarks to guide expectations remain absent. This study addresses the gap by analyzing 1162 Distinctive Assets across 21 categories, four countries, and nine years, covering auditory, word, and visual asset types in retail, services, durables, and consumer goods. Asset strength is assessed by Fame (how often an asset is linked to a brand) and Uniqueness (how exclusively it is linked to the brand). Shape-based assets such as logos and packaging consistently perform best (40% Fame, 71% Uniqueness), whereas color assets perform weakest (12% Fame, 39% Uniqueness). Despite the overall strength of shape-based assets, other types show industry-specific potential. For instance, narrative-driven assets perform relatively better in service industries. These findings offer practical benchmarks and strategic guidance for marketers aiming to select and manage Distinctive Assets more effectively in branding and advertising.