The Evolution of Branding

As the digital world evolves so should branding. By regularly researching trends and how best to portray your brand, your business will remain relevant and appealing to your target market.

The digital era has changed branding in many ways. Online advertising and marketing are now primary tools for many businesses to share their stories with customers and build their brand. However, there is also much more competition out there and it can be hard for a company to build a compelling, standout brand identity.

Businesses that adapt the fastest to the changing digital landscape are more likely to thrive. If you want to stay ahead of the branding game, keep reading for a comprehensive guide.

Communication

Social media has made it possible to talk directly with the brands that we use every day. The audience can challenge, ask questions and develop a truer picture of the company. There are no more “gatekeepers” that have control over who speaks and what is being said. Thanks to social media, you don’t need a huge budget as a brand for your message to be heard.

The Audience

Audiences are now tech-savvy and can quickly determine what content is a paid ad and what isn’t. Branding has changed from selling a product to selling values and beliefs. Most brands have moved on from purely descriptive content to more interactive, information-based and more versatile content. 

Do you want to market a product or service? It's important to get other people talking about it. Customers know what they want and we can assure you, it’s not generic, promotional ads. You should instead be proactive in measuring what types of content appeal to your target audience. For example, perhaps video content performs best on your social media accounts, and therefore you should use this more frequently in new creative ways.

Relationships

Consumers desire a relationship with a brand. In order to build this relationship, companies and the content they share have to be people-centric. This being said, it’s not about being “friends” with your customers, but rather about being a trustworthy resource, that provides meaningful exchanges.

By paying attention to your customers’ expectations and considering them when approaching your brand strategy, you are guaranteed to obtain more buzz and interest for your product or service.

Competition

In the growing online market, competition between companies has become fiercer in terms of marketing and branding. With the transparency of the digital world, consumers have higher expectations, they follow trends and are much less brand loyal. Branding is currently less about the actual product and more about the ethos and values of your brand.

Experience

Branding is far more than a logo or a colour palette. Strong brands are engaging and multidimensional. They invite consumers to participate in an experience. More importance than ever is placed on the customers' experience and how it contributes to the way they view a brand. 

Many components influence your target audience's experience of your brand. For example, in order to tap into the interests and motivations of their audience, many companies send out regular newsletters or press releases concerning issues they deem relevant to their brand and interesting to their audience. 

There are a number of tools you can use to get to know your audience's interests. One of the best tools to use is Google Analytics, which can collate your customer base’s interests into 'Interest Reports'. These reports will help you implement a more targeted branding strategy.

Website

A potential customer's first experience with your brand often happens on your website. Therefore, your website should visually appeal to your target audience and should be user-friendly to leave them with a positive impression of your brand. Your website, social media presence and advertising are all important puzzle pieces that work together to establish key elements of your branding.

Dynamic Branding

In the past, companies valued consistency as the most important principle of branding. Today, however, strong brands strike a balance between brand uniformity and evolution. Forward-thinking companies are now using ‘dynamic branding’. It allows trademarks and logos to change and adapt, creating a more memorable impression on the audience. The most prominent example is the logo on Google’s home page, which changes regularly. A modern brand changes with the times.

Ideas

Ideas are arguably the biggest assets a company has. Any brand with a great idea has a solid chance of success. The main aim is to create products or offer services that help and please your target market, and your branding should do the same. By using inappropriate or deceitful tactics to “hype” your product/service, you will most likely alienate your customers who will ultimately lose trust in your company. Today’s brands have to strike a balance between getting customers’ attention and maintaining their trust. 

User-Generated Content

Influencers and content created by customers are becoming increasingly popular as a marketing tactic. They have become the digital versions of word-of-mouth and they work. Where consumers were once comparatively passive, they are now active participants.

Brands are no longer self-defined, they are defined by the messages they put out, what they do and their consumers’ opinions. The new dynamic between the company and the customer means a lot of adaptation is needed for successful branding. In the current competitive environment, companies can’t afford to be complacent about their brands. The strongest brands are those that evolve and adapt. They are flexible yet stay true to their core values.

To get professional advice on how to further your branding efforts and grow your business, contact us.