The Trends Shaping the Future of Branding

by Juno Yates | Guest Contributor | DIGITAL MARKETING, BUSINESS

Trends you need to follow if you want to stay current with the factors changing the future of branding.
Photo by Adrianna Calvo via Pexels

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Branding trends have been changing a lot in recent years. The ways people interact with brands and their expectations are different than they were just a few years ago. There is more to it than having a distinct visual identity and products people recognize – modern consumers expect more engagement from brands, social responsibility and a brand that has a personality.

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Many brands will have to face big changes to keep up. You might even have to consult with a digital strategy agency if you want to adapt to the future of branding.

The following are some of the trends you need to follow if you want to stay current with the factors changing the future of branding. 

Deploy Chatbots
Chatbots are transforming the ways brands and consumers interact. They can now do so much more than the chatbots of the past, and many consumers even prefer chatbots for some interactions. According to one survey, 62% of consumers like using chatbots to interact with a company. This percentage also tends to increase as you look at younger segments.

Using chatbots can be a great way to resolve simple customer service issues. They can also be trained to answer most of the simple questions consumers may have before they decide to make a purchase. Some chatbots are even smart enough to help consumers find the products they want by asking a series of questions.

Personalize Your Brand
Customers don’t connect with businesses; they connect with people. The more you can personalize your brand, the more customers will trust your business and the greater their loyalty will be.

One way to do this is to have a real person be the face of your company. You could also use customer stories to show the human connection to your products. Another option is to create behind the scenes content. Seeing the people behind the business can be a good way to build a human connection between customers and your brand.

Show Your Values
Today’s consumer wants to shop with brands that reflect their values. This is another trend that tends to increase as you look at younger audiences. In a survey from 5W Public Relations, 60% of respondents over the age of 55 said they prefer to buy from brands that reflect their values. If you look at people 35-54 (73%) and people 18-34 (83%), you see that the numbers go up as the audience gets younger.

Brands need to show that they are socially responsible. They need to understand the issues that are important to their customers and show their support. Most brands would also benefit by finding the right causes and donating some of their profits to charities that support those causes.

Community Building
Online communities also play a big role for a lot of consumers. They meet on social media sites and form groups to talk about their favorite products, share tips and make recommendations. Brands should try to be involved in these communities and they should also mine the conversations for insights into the opinions, pain points and needs of their customers.

As another tip, some brands should consider creating their own communities. Whether it is on a social media platform or your website, a branded community can be a great way to build customer loyalty and personalize your brand.

Mobile First
Everything is shifting online. Beyond that, more online activity is moving to mobile. Many of your customers will see your website from a mobile browser before they ever see it on a desktop. If you are sending them emails, they are more likely to read them on their phone than on a PC.

With mobile traffic continuing to grow, businesses need a mobile-first mindset. You need a website that looks good and performs well on a mobile device. If you are using email marketing, you should think of the mobile user when formatting. Many businesses will also need to build an app to leverage the full potential of mobile marketing.

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Branding is getting more complex, but when it is done right, it can really pay off. With that said, modern branding will be too much for many business owners. That is why many will need to turn to the help of a digital strategy firm or digital marketing agency.

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