I think adaptable branding is a big thing. On my channel, I use my channel name in my art, but the letter "D" with mouse ears is also my watermark and I use it on my thumbnails. It could also potentially be used elsewhere. It's able to signify the mickey/disney theme of my channel, as well as bring back the actual "D" sound that is in my channel name (Dateline Disney). Another good example of this is Video Creators TV's logo, which they adapt to several parts of their channel. If you can become identifiable by something very simple like a logo, then your brand probably has a better potential of being recognized.