Who am I?
The brand identity no longer only consists of the logo and the identity system. With new and different touchpoints, a brand can not only be experienced visually, but with all senses. Consequently, a brand faces new challenges when it comes to presenting their identity to the outside world.
Back to Basics
Until recently, it was digitalization and social media that changed marketing and branding. Then big data came along. Now and in the future, however, one thing will be key: a deep understanding of how the consumer’s brain functions. Neuroscientists, psychologists, and behavioral economists are working hard to understand how the subconscious impacts decisions. Further, they want to find out why consumers build up loyalty to certain brands. With growing attention on this topic, brands in the future will be built in a way that they will align in perfect harmony with the consumer’s brain.
Millennials in power- but don’t call us that
The tech-affine millennials will account for the majority of purchasing power in the coming years, which calls for a restructured way of thinking. According to the Global Web Index, 4 out of 10 millennials use social media to consume entertaining content. Also, they mainly consume content on the move, which makes mobile experiences important. In addition to the mobile-first approach, authenticity above all is what ties a millennial to a brand. Ironically, millennials do not like to be generalized as a generation. At the moment, many brands make the mistake of including clichés about millennials in campaigns. An honest and transparent brand that stands by its principles is much more appreciated.
Social Media and the Cancelled Culture
Soon you will be able to rate everything and everyone online. Does this give the customer the ultimate control and can he/she, therefore, lead the actions of a company?
Consumers demand transparency on social media. After a faux pas, companies can quickly be “canceled” by strong opinions on social media, which resembles somewhat of a digital deathblow. That is why a brand needs to show that it is meaningful. Actions should be taken for the common good and not for turnover. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to seem. TOMS Shoes are a great example of purpose driven marketing: for each pair sold, they donate another pair of shoes to children in need. This works because on the one hand the consumer has the feeling that the brand is trustworthy and on the other hand that he/she has done a good deed as well. This purpose driven marketing strategy will become more and more relevant with the increasing attention to sustainable consumption, leaving brands without sustainable goals and actions behind.
Humans are made to make connections. If a consumer cannot make the connection between the values and the performance of the brand, he/she is lost. For this reason, it is important to attach great importance to showing this connection clearly and distinctly to the outside world. This needs to be done through the brand identity, while simultaneously trying to engage with new target groups and maintaining authenticity.
For more insights and realized projects in this area, visit http://www.brandsoul.ch/?lang=en
Published 19.08.2019 © Brandsoul AG
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