3 min read
Branding is what sets a business apart from its competitors but in today’s digitized age, a nice logo and a catchy name are simply not enough to pique the interest of consumers. The Covid-19 pandemic created additional disruptions on industries and consumers, forcing even the most experienced marketers to come up with new ways to stay relevant.
So, how do you highlight your brand in times like this? We have compiled a list that will help you start off the right foot by learning about the latest branding trends.
1. Focus on Digital CX
As more and more consumers are having their first interactions with businesses in the digital world, optimizing the digital CX has become one of the most important aspects of branding management. And according to marketing experts, this trend isn’t going anywhere any time soon as nearly 70% of consumers say that the pandemic has increased their expectations when it comes to companies’ digital efforts.
Brands have to shift toward being digital by offering highly intuitive website design that matches the lifestyle of their target consumers and delivers outstanding convenience. Sales and customer service need to become proactive, and personalization is an absolute must.
2. Have an Omnichannel Approach to Marketing
Most contemporary brands are already aware that they need to have an amazing website and a solid presence on multiple social networks, but a truly strong omnichannel approach is more than simply being present on different digital channels.
Omnichannel marketing optimizes offers, messaging, and content across all online channels based on a customer’s previous interactions with your brand. This data sharing across various marketing channels becomes much more engaging, provides a more personalized experience, and makes your brand more memorable.
According to research, brands with strong omnichannel capabilities increase their revenues by nearly 10% each year, outpacing the growth of their competitors who don’t have an omnichannel approach by more than 3%.
3. Consider Giving Marketing Gifts
Many companies might not realize that marketing gifts can be an excellent complement to their branding strategy. Promotional merchandise branded with your company logo and/or name should be considered an important investment and part of your branding marketing budget.
Sending marketing gifts is a great way to cut through the noise and connect with people on a more human level. Nearly 45% of people said they had visited a brand’s site after receiving a marketing gift and about 35% searched it online.
Giving marketing gifts to your clients can aid in branding, improve their opinion of your company, help them remember your products and services, make them more likely to buy from you. On top of everything, it’s far less expensive than other forms of marketing and advertising.
4. Try Customer-Driven Branding
Today, being customer-driven is no longer just about conducting surveys to discover what your target audience needs. Brands are now directly collaborating with their customers and involving them in their creative processes.
According to Bulbshare, more than 75% of consumers prefer brands that collaborate with them and the majority of these customers view customer-driven brands as more trustworthy and authentic.
Using a good CRM tool can help you reinforce your customer-driven branding campaign by keeping tabs on your customers and helping you organize your strategies.
5. Increase Interactivity
After the Covid outbreak in 2020, when most people were forced to spend a large portion of their time online, interactive content seems to be having a comeback. Polls, contests, and quizzes can be a great way to personalize and enhance the CX, drive engagement with your brand, and make it more memorable. All this will not only result in people returning over and over to your website but it will also help boost your rankings in the SERPs.
In addition, interactive content allows you to collect user data, which can help you understand your users’ preferences so you can adjust your future marketing efforts to better suit their needs.
6. Focus on Sustainability and Inclusivity
Today’s consumers are more passionate than ever when it comes to issues related to the environment and inclusivity. In fact, more than 40% of them say they would drop brands that don’t showcase diversity, and about 80% of consumers feel that brands have a responsibility to help the environment.
So, if you want to stay on top of customers’ minds, inclusivity and sustainability have to become part of your brand’s identity. Make sure your branded content represents people of different genders, races, religions, etc. to illustrate your commitment to inclusion, and highlight any eco-friendly actions your organization is taking to improve the perception of your brand.
Final Thoughts
We hope this list of branding trends helped you in the formation of an effective strategy that will highlight your brand in 2021 and beyond. Good luck.
