Colour in Branding

It's common knowledge that colour is an essential part of branding, but this became hugely evident today when I saw these signs. Presumably, the owner of this plaza did not want to ruin the look of the buildings with colourful signs, so he/she insisted that every store in the plaza must have a white sign. It's astounding what a difference it makes in the connection to the brand. The first thought is, "that can't be Walmart" then... "is it Walmart?". Ordinarily a brand would not be able to afford this break in brand identity but my assumption is that this plaza is so centrally located that it doesn't matter. The fact is that, no matter if the consumer realizes it or not, a brand is remembered by, and associated with, its colours.