Branding: the need of the hour
Where can your agency make a meaningful difference?
Over the past year and into this new decade, there has been a shift in the way brands produce their products, engage with their audiences, and market themselves to the public.
Where society once valued the titans of industry — whose profits towered their ethics — we see the new giants (ex. Facebook, Google, Apple, etc.) being held accountable for their actions economically and politically.
This realignment of purpose and morality not only shapes business functions but also transforms the visual imagery of a company. Logos appear simpler and softer. Taglines and slogans reflect acceptance and tolerance. Packaging becomes more ambiguous to the actual product. These are proponents of brilliant design and strategy.
We’ll analyze three industries experiencing incredible growth, why they are at an all-time high, and where freelance designers and branding agencies can contribute over the next two to five years.
1. Cannabis and CBD Products
The retail market for marijuana is booming. The legal market, that is.
With 11 states legalizing the drug for recreational use and 33 legalizing it for medical use, entrepreneurs are looking to capitalize.
With shows like Weeds and blockbuster movies such as Pineapple Express, the cannabis industry continues to shed its social stigma. According to the Pew Research Center, two-thirds of Americans believe the use of marijuana should be legal. Public perception has positively increased over the past decade with U.S. opposition to legalization falling from 52% in 2010 to 32% today.
The surge of cannabidiol (or CBD for short) — particularly in high-end lifestyle products — has been astronomical.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the non-psychoactive “cousin” of THC, the chemical found in the marijuana plant. CBD has taken over the industry because of its spread from mostly head shops to natural food stores, beauty products, cafes, and even doctor’s offices.
2. Esports Gaming
Online gaming has transformed into a spectator sport.
Expected to reach $1 billion in revenue this year, esports events regularly have millions of dollars invested.
It can be hard to imagine why anyone would want to watch someone else play a video game and have it be as enjoyable as watching Lebron James or Steph Curry play basketball. In the way traditional sports fans watch top athletes compete, the same is true for gamers.
In fact, more people watched the 2016 League of Legends (43 million viewers) world finals than the NBA Finals Game 7 (31 million viewers) of the Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Golden State Warriors.
Although the landscape is fragmented and purely digital, the esports market has shown it is full of monetization opportunities like sponsorships, merchandise, live events, and prize winnings.
3. Astrology and Horoscopes
We all know Big Data and Big Tech, but how often do we hear Big Zodiac?
Whether you believe in the “mystical services market” or not makes no difference when the industry is worth an estimated $2.2 billion. In recent years, the practice of astrology and readings have received a millennial facelift and a massive, tech-enabled boost.
Apps like Sanctuary and Co-Star are securing millions of dollars in funding. For $19.99 a month, Sanctuary allows users to receive a monthly one-on-one chat consultation with an astrologer. The app also provides free daily horoscopes and readings.
One of the world’s largest music streaming platforms, Spotify, launched a collection of 12 horoscope-inspired playlists early 2019. “Cosmic Playlists” feature a selection of music chosen with each zodiac sign in mind. The playlists were co-created by Spotify and beloved astrologer Chani Nicholas.
The campaign is designed to grow engagement amongst millennial users, given the growing popularity of horoscope apps and astrology. The playlists are intended to help users reflect on the direction of their lives and used them as a collection of “theme songs” for their month.
How Important is UI/UX for Your Business?
a
quick basic checklist to make sure you’re not neglecting your most important communication channel
Remember: even if the channel you’re considering is all the rage right now, it might not fit your brand. Always make informed decisions that directly relate to your company. Otherwise, your message won’t be delivered to its intended audience and you’ll have wasted time, effort and money.
Know Your Digital Goals
The first step is clearly identifying which goals you want to achieve. Get specific. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Are you all about locking in leads? Do you want to establish a strong network of influencers that can help you be discovered? How about pushing engagement on social media?
Get Specific
A useful tool for narrowing down your goals to ensure they’re viable is the SMART mnemonic. It’s important to get specific to understand exactly what you’re working towards, and help you break down the process of hitting your targets. This is exactly what this mnemonic helps you to achieve.
- Does the channel reach my intended audience?
- Is the channel sustainable and affordable within my company’s marketing budget?
- Will I be able to measure the success of the channel?
- Does the channel allow me to express my brand’s intended message?
- Do the channels I’m considering work together to convey my message?
Always Remember Your Goals!
Establishing a solid vision for your business is the first step to planning your digital marketing budget. Always keep your final goals in sight when organising anything for your company. When deciding which steps to take next in your business, ask yourself how they will help you achieve the goals you outlined in Step #1. This will ensure that you stay on track and prevent you from spending your budget on anything that won’t help you achieve.
Cum et essent similique. Inani propriae menandri sed in. Pericula expetendis has no,
quo populo forensibus contentiones et, nibh error in per.Denis Robinson
As your budget progresses and evolves, continue referring to your SMART objectives. Stay focused and remember your goals – they will always inform what your next step will be!
3 Marketing Campaigns That Nailed Augmented Reality Advertising
Augmented Reality is a relatively new technology combining things in the real world with computer-generated information. It allows people to enjoy experiences that are often more immersive than the real world alone offers.
Remember: even if the channel you’re considering is all the rage right now, it might not fit your brand. Always make informed decisions that directly relate to your company. Otherwise, your message won’t be delivered to its intended audience and you’ll have wasted time, effort and money.
1. Macy’s Offers AR Cosmetic Sampling
Anyone who has ever stood in the cosmetics aisle and gazed at the dozens of shades available knows how difficult it is to find the right one. Samples can help, but stores don’t always have examples for every color or product. However, Macy’s wants to help people try on makeup with the help of AR. Soon, they can do so via a mobile app providing more than 1,000 shades.
This approach allows people to understand which options are most suitable for them, even when they’re at home and prefer to buy things online. Without this option, individuals may decide to buy later or not at all. But, seeing shade possibilities in real time spurs the urge to purchase.
In 2018, the brand did a small rollout of the technology involving some lip color options. That trial seems to have won over customers and Macy’s alike, since the brand decided to move forward with this AR application in a much more extensive way. It’s also worth mentioning this embracing of AR is part of a more substantial investment in technology for the online and in-store experience at Macy’s.
2. Ford Helps People Explore New SUVs Through Snapchat
Ford wanted to stay competitive in the Canadian sport utility vehicle (SUV), market and knew doing so meant reaching out to a younger-than-average demographic. It worked with Snapchat to make an AR filter related to its EcoSport mini SUV that featured a true-to-life 3D model of the car inside Snapchat.
Users could position and scale the car anywhere in their immediate environment, discovering both the internal and exterior aspects of it. Ford did not publish sales figures linked to this campaign. But, this was the first AR vehicle marketing campaign in the Canadian market. That fact helped both media outlets and the public realize the car company is not afraid to take chances to reach its audience.
3. The BBC Promotes a New TV Series With a Curiosity-Sparking AR App
There are so many choices of things to watch — between broadcast television and on-demand streaming content — that it’s often challenging for TV executives to make their shows stand out. That’s why the advertising efforts for a BBC 2 show called “Civilisations” included an Augmented Reality app to get people in the mood to learn.
In the documentary-themed show, three experts become globetrotters to profile the progression of human development and achievements through the ages. The AR app lets people use their phones and tour several museum exhibits with relevance to the show. They can also interact with them, such as by rubbing on a surface to see what a scripture looked like when the author initially wrote it.
People who reviewed the app in Apple’s App Store said they appreciated how easy it was to use, and mentioned they were impressed by how well-done the app is, considering it’s free. It was the BBC’s first attempt at an AR app, so it’ll be interesting to see if the company deems the payoff enough to warrant future efforts.
Make Digital Presence Work for You
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us all to measure more of our lives online in new and unprecedented ways. From working home and homeschooling to socializing and meeting family and friends within the virtual world. So, does that mean for 5.9 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) both now and within the long-term?
An online presence is defined by how easy it’s to seek out a brand or company online. Brands need to build a reputation, increase brand awareness, and provide visibility to your products or services when users are checking out related keywords.
Digital Presence matters whenever a person searches for your business online. Generating digital presence is easy, with the assistance of resources – website, social media platforms, business directory listing, customer reviews and other online sources.
Modern digital marketing asks for a solid SEO strategy, an active and attractive digital presence, and much effort and patience. It looks like every New Year brings new disruptions.
Remember: even if the channel you’re considering is all the rage right now, it might not fit your brand. Always make informed decisions that directly relate to your company. Otherwise, your message won’t be delivered to its intended audience and you’ll have wasted time, effort and money.
The online world has changed.
Pre-pandemic, having a web existence was a key to promoting your company and involving together with your customers, but now, for several businesses that have evolved into creating digital spaces and virtual connections that employment alongside the physical world. Online has become essential than ever as it involves building your brand, increasing your credibility and managing your reputation.
Being able to adapt and making foremost of the opportunities presented by the changing digital world has already seen many small businesses not only survive, but thrive. Significantly, when resources are tight and SMEs have seen a 28% turn down in returns during the lockdown; digital marketing offers a cost-efficient approach to promote your products and services and ask your consumers, with many complementary and low-cost platforms and apps on offer.
If you want your brand to cultivate a solid digital presence, it’s the time to re-evaluate your approach to digital marketing. While your tried-and-true methods should offer acceptable results, you’ll find many ways to enhance your digital marketing strategy with often surprising results.
Businesses should even be regularly taking time to research your market and your target customers. Consumer preferences change over time, industry trends shift, and therefore the market might not be an equivalent six months from now.
Essentially, businesses need to keep tabs on their niche and therefore, the customers within it. Then they will be able to deliver the very best quality content and better experiences to keep them returning to you for more.
Every brand and every market niche is different.
Consumer tastes and behaviours are continuously altering, and it can feel like a battle of wear and tear to keep up with the rapidly changing rules of SEO and the shifting demands of your market. Setting up ahead and anticipating the next moves may not always feel realistic. Hence, there are a lot of other suggestions that can help brands stay ahead and generate more flexible, adjustable SEO strategy for 2021 and beyond.
Ways to build Digital Presence for your business –
A useful tool for narrowing down your goals to ensure they’re viable is the SMART mnemonic. It’s important to get specific to understand exactly what you’re working towards, and help you break down the process of hitting your targets. This is exactly what this mnemonic helps you to achieve.
- Create Online Website – Nearly 81% of the people search for a product or service online. It has become important for businesses to have a website and optimise the same for mobile use these days. In recent times, user experience is one of the key factors to make sure potential customers can find you on desktop and mobile search.
- Using Social Media – One of the most used and important platforms for your potential customers. Almost every business is on Facebook and Instagram by now reaching out to their target audience. But we all know there is much more to social media in terms of engaging customers and re-targeting them through right campaigns and content. Sellers need to flesh out customer profiles and determine which platform is more appealing.
- Business Listing – With the need of getting your business online in the tech-driven world, listing your business online is an important factor. The best way to reach to your target audience is to list your business through online directories, Local Directories, and Location listings. It maximizes SEO and is visible in every possible search.
- Participating on Online Question-Answer Sites – Asking consumers regarding your products or services optimizes the brand loyalty towards other potential customers. Quora, Stack Exchange, Yahoo Answers, etc are some of the ways to learn and seek information regarding your potential target audience.
- Digital Advertising – Facebook is the largest marketplace for sellers. Promoting your business online through sponsored ads on Facebook, Instagram, Bing ads, Google Ad Words, etc. help brands track responses and know your audience personally. Nearly half smartphone operators have taken action based on seeing relevant ads on their cell phones. It might even be more helpful to advertise on mobile than on desktop.
- Content Marketing – talking and connecting with your audience through the right content marketing approach is the best way to tell your brand story and purpose. Talking about B2B, 65% see the website as a content channel.
Above mentioned marketing strategies can assist brands, build an online presence, create brand awareness, and develop a robust reputation. Building a web presence requires effort, but over time it pays off with increased sales and better brand awareness in your industry.
Are you ready for a brand new world?
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many changes that were happening from our reliance on digital to a probe for a more connected, value-orientated world.
Despite the various economic challenges, there are opportunities for resilient, innovative, entrepreneurial SMEs to survive and thrive. Strengthening an online presence and understanding the way to create virtual and physical spaces and connections seamlessly together and supply great customer experiences are going to be the key.
The good news for SMEs is that now, quite ever, there’s a mess of low-cost, accessible ways to do that, with the potential customers for an excellent return on investment.
Cum et essent similique. Inani propriae menandri sed in. Pericula expetendis has no,
quo populo forensibus contentiones et, nibh error in per.Denis Robinson
As your budget progresses and evolves, continue referring to your SMART objectives. Stay focused and remember your goals – they will always inform what your next step will be!
Logo Can Make You ‘Think Different’
Whether you are a Mac person or a PC person, even the briefest exposure to the Apple logo may make you behave more creatively, according to recent research from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the University of Waterloo, Canada.
In work to be published in the April issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, Professors Gavan Fitzsimons and Tanya Chartrand of Duke, and Gráinne Fitzsimons of Waterloo, found that even the briefest exposure to well-known brands can cause people to behave in ways that mirror those brands’ traits.
“Each of us is exposed to thousands of brand images every day, most of which are not related to paid advertising,” said Gavan Fitzsimons. “We assume that incidental brand exposures do not affect us, but our work demonstrates that even fleeting glimpses of logos can affect us quite dramatically.”
To assess the effects of brands on behavior, the researchers selected two competing brands, both well respected by consumers, with distinct and well-defined brand personalities. “Apple has worked for many years to develop a brand character associated with nonconformity, innovation and creativity,” said Chartrand, “and IBM is viewed by consumers as traditional, smart and responsible.”
The team conducted an experiment in which 341 university students completed what they believed was a visual acuity task, during which either the Apple or IBM logo was flashed so quickly that they were unaware they had been exposed to the brand logo. The participants then completed a task designed to evaluate how creative they were, listing all of the uses for a brick that they could imagine beyond building a wall.
People who were exposed to the Apple logo generated significantly more unusual uses for the brick compared with those who were primed with the IBM logo, the researchers said. In addition, the unusual uses the Apple-primed participants generated were rated as more creative by independent judges.
“This is the first clear evidence that subliminal brand exposures can cause people to act in very specific ways,” said Gráinne Fitzsimons. “We’ve performed tests where we’ve offered people $100 to tell us what logo was being flashed on screen, and none of them could do it. But even this imperceptible exposure is enough to spark changes in behavior.”
Other than their defined brand personalities, the researchers argue there is not anything unusual about Apple and IBM that causes this effect. The team conducted a follow-up experiment using the Disney and E! Channel brands, and found that participants primed with the Disney Channel logo subsequently behaved much more honestly than those who saw the E! Channel logos.
“These experiments demonstrate that most any brand that has strong associations with particular traits could have the capacity to influence how we act,” Chartrand said.
The researchers note practical implications of their work for both consumers and marketers.
“Instead of spending the majority of their money on traditional print and television advertising, companies with established brand associations such as Apple may want to give serious consideration to shifting more marketing resources to product placement opportunities and other forms of outreach that emphasize brief brand exposures,” Gavan Fitzsimons said.
And consumers should be aware that they are susceptible to influences they may not detect and use this knowledge to their advantage. “If you know you need to perform well on some task, say something athletic, you may want to surround yourself with images and brand logos that represent success in athletics,” Gráinne Fitzsimons said.
Get Specific
A useful tool for narrowing down your goals to ensure they’re viable is the SMART mnemonic. It’s important to get specific to understand exactly what you’re working towards, and help you break down the process of hitting your targets. This is exactly what this mnemonic helps you to achieve.
- Does the channel reach my intended audience?
- Is the channel sustainable and affordable within my company’s marketing budget?
- Will I be able to measure the success of the channel?
- Does the channel allow me to express my brand’s intended message?
- Do the channels I’m considering work together to convey my message?
Always Remember Your Goals!
Establishing a solid vision for your business is the first step to planning your digital marketing budget. Always keep your final goals in sight when organising anything for your company. When deciding which steps to take next in your business, ask yourself how they will help you achieve the goals you outlined in Step #1. This will ensure that you stay on track and prevent you from spending your budget on anything that won’t help you achieve.
Cum et essent similique. Inani propriae menandri sed in. Pericula expetendis has no,
quo populo forensibus contentiones et, nibh error in per.Denis Robinson
As your budget progresses and evolves, continue referring to your SMART objectives. Stay focused and remember your goals – they will always inform what your next step will be!
