Branding 2017: Digital & Traditional is Key
Imagine you’re cruising in your new car, enjoying all of the new bells and whistles and modern conveniences, feeling like you own the road…until you spot for the first time, the all-new, upgraded, redesigned model of your [now older] car on the road. It’s the makings of becoming ordinary, the new smell has worn off and now it’s just you, in a regular car.
If you oversee branding or marketing on any level, the Q1 wrap up can feel just this way. You’re reviewing marketing milestones and memorializing campaigns, hoping you don’t spot the newer, upgraded, redesigned model of your marketing vehicle along the way. For traditional as well as digital campaigns, now is the time to examine branding bright spots and blind spots to keep your model brand new.
Traditional
On the traditional side, branding changes every year starting with that signature pantone color. Look for it everywhere: fashion, décor, design, technology, textiles. This year’s featured color is Greenery (15-0343) a “fresh and zesty” yellow-green that calls to mind the first days of Spring. Fast forward 3 years, and Greenery (15-0343) doesn’t look so fresh, more like the “who missed the block heel” memo! So, look at your campaigns and make sure your accent colors are still screaming current. Traditional marketing trends aren’t all about looks, either.
Authenticity
In a culture that celebrates streaming selfies and unbridled individuality, the prevailing theme is authenticity. Anyone or anything that does not ring true will miss it’s intended mark. Messaging that makes intimate, real and personal connections are the most effective.
Simplicity
Simplicity in design is just one way of seeing this concept, but think of simplifying your messaging, and making it more targeted and focused. This limiting of information in varied spaces yields greater impact and action.
Digital
Addressing your digital presence: design, messaging and functionality must seamlessly integrate. How you utilize widgets and apps to create intuitive online experiences for your partners and clients matters. How you treat them online also matters, greatly.
Customer Service
With so much digital content, apps and onDemand, how dare a brand not integrate features like customer service and other easily accessible user interface options? Loyalty begins with a smile, and smart marketing campaigns are built on the strength of relationships.
Email Marketing
Personal touch is the driving force that keeps email marketing relevant. Like all things digital, email campaigns will become more targeted and yield greater market research data based on demographics and online behavior. To extract this data, look for more embedded video and interactive forms, surveys, etc.
Social Media
Sharing is caring. The best way to get content off your site and into the realm of qualified leads is to make this a top marketing priority. The media on your website must be sharable on various platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Text, Email, etc. If you don’t, it’s like printing a brochures and keeping them in the box
Lentini Design & Marketing understands the upgrades necessary to maintain marketplace dominance. We know that your brand is forever challenged to keep up with the hottest new trend, not only for traditional aesthetics, but also in responsive and digital functionality. As technology changes and your clients interact with new apps and tools in other settings, the key is maintaining relevance, making sure your brand is current and always reads latest model, instead of old luxury car.