Whether your brand is 50years old and reflects decades of excellence in a specific industry, was recently refreshed or is soon to be launched, the state of marketing in 2017 bears some timely and important branding considerations.
Mobile comes first
As we noted on our blog earlier this year, putting the mobile user experience at the forefront is imperative. What does “mobile-first” mean when it comes to branding?
- Your key message points should be succinct and easy for target audiences to digest as they scroll through your website from their smartphones. Lead with what people need to know and limit how much of the “nice to know” information that you share.
- Your logo should be eye-catching, impactful and “perfectly clear” on the small screen.
- Synthesize data and use visual representations to tell the story when you can.
It goes without saying that your website should have a responsive design – as should your email marketing.
Think visually
Goldfish have longer attention spans that humans (sad, I know). With waning attention spans, you have a very small window of opportunity to grab – and maintain – your audience’s attention. This small window of opportunity requires companies to maintain a consistent and cohesive brand identity – and brand story – across all of their marketing channels. There is no time for mixed messaging and brand confusion when you have less than eight seconds of your target audience’s attention to work within.
How can you make your brand more visual?
- Create infographics to simplify data-rich and technically-complex information
- Create custom images for social media to help get your point across
- Focus email marketing around a central topic or call-to-action
- Create a playbook of approved imagery (which can be a supplement to your brand’s style guide) that your team can use in their presentations
Balance trends with the “tried and true”
Embracing the latest and greatest marketing strategies and tactics can yield rewards; however, chasing the latest tool or trend for the sake of becoming an early adopter can take limited and valuable marketing resources away from a marketing program that is already generating ROI.
If you are going to make refinements to your logo, be sure they are a reflection of who your company is and what you do, not just an adaptation to follow a tempting new trend. If you are going to refine your brand’s messaging, keep company values and clarity top-of-mind. Adding in the latest buzzword may generate a short-term bump in website traffic or catalyze a few social conversations, but it isn’t likely to be the brand refinement that takes the effectiveness of your marketing program to the next level.
A clearly-defined and well-articulated brand is among a company’s most valuable marketing assets. It ensures that stakeholders understand not only who you are, but what you do and why it matters. As you evaluate your brand to ensure it reflects the current direction of your organization, be sure that maintaining consistency across all marketing channels remains a chief priority.
