Branding. It’s everywhere. From social media, to magazines to the big screen. But how is your brand impacting consumers?
As the holiday season approaches, so does the end of 2019. So, we’ve taken a look back and compiled a list of what we consider to be some key takeaways from 2019 when it comes to branding:
- Transparency is key.
More and more consumers want brands to have a purpose. “Purpose-driven millennial consumers make purchase decisions based on brand values, which can be a proxy for the quality and trust that prior generations had put into legacy brands.”, according to Business Insider. No matter what your brand is about, be honest about your values, goals and what’s important to your business.
- The customer is always right…?
Sometimes the customer isn’t always right but making sure they have the best possible experience with your brand is SUPER important. A good experience can be made great and a negative experience can be turned into a positive if a customer feels their concerns have been heard.
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- Consistency is credibility.
In today’s world, marketing your business is multi-platform. How you represent yourself on one channel needs to be mirrored on the others. Nothing is more off putting for consumers than mixed messages.Important note: consistent messaging doesn’t mean word for word. It’s important to tailor your message for each channel based on your audience. For example, Facebook’s audience is not the same as LinkedIn’s audience.
- Utilize organic influencers.
Consumers are smart. They know when they are being marketed to, but organic mentions through relationships with influencers goes a lot further than sponsored ads.Caution: if you’re going to use organic influencers to help spread awareness for your brand, make sure what they post aligns with your goals and values.
“Internet users trust user-generated content (including posts by influencers) 50% more than traditional media such as ads.” – Neil Patel[2]
- Brand loyalty is fading.
The product options available to consumers today are endless and more and more consumers are unafraid of trying new brands and products they aren’t familiar with. Previous positive experiences with a brand still has a strong influence over the purchasing decisions of many consumers, but creating a personal connection, through values that consumers relate to is making way for new brands to compete.
These are just a few of the MANY elements that can play into your brand strategy. So how do you stand out? Where do you start? Keep it simple, ask yourself these basic questions: Why does my business exist (vision)? What does my company do or strive to do (mission)? What are my business’s core values?
You’ve just established your brand’s identity, now the only place to go, is forward.
[2] https://neilpatel.com/blog/become-an-influencer/
– Paige Sandvold is the Content & Digital Platforms Manager on the Brand, Digital Platforms & Research Team.
