Both traditional approaches and some innovations are used to create a strong brand image in 2021. This article will explain the concept of branding and its main strategies. You will learn about ways to gain consumer trust using 5 branding trends and the importance of visual presentation. New approaches in 2021 can be applied at the level of visual communication or for a separate marketing proposal.
Why Is Branding So Important To Business Development?
Branding is a concept used in marketing for referring to the process of creating a name, trademark, company logo, which distinguishes the company’s products from other manufacturers.
Brand development in 2021 is characterized by the use of communication approaches and the advertising of products on the Internet. Applying the right branding strategies can increase product sales by promoting the brand. Companies with a strong brand image are attractive to future employees and customers.
The brand-building process consists of several stages:
- market research: analysis of competitors and the needs of the target audience;
- definition of brand missions;
- brand style development;
- creation of visual identity (colors, shapes, logos, etc.) — all the elements that will be associated with the company and its product by customers.
Three crucial components of a brand: product attributes, customer needs, company values. Based on the needs of the target audience, the company creates values that are attractive to customers and reflects them in the quality of the product. In 2021, branding will focus on 4 approaches for building strategies:
- Involvement of the company’s product in the daily life of the client.
- Maximum utility of the product, which turns the brand into a reliable assistant to the consumer.
- Brand uniqueness for the target audience and association with something fashionable and necessary.
- Link the brand with a popular personality, which will increase the desire of customers to be as cool, owning the company’s products.
Below, we present 9 trends in modern branding visualization. You will find the right one for your company.
The Basics of Visual Branding Trends 2021-2022
- Environmental friendliness. Caring for the environment is not just a fashion, but a necessity of the modern world, which unites millions of people on the planet. You need to think about the environmental friendliness of your products: recyclable containers, the use of environmentally friendly production. It is also important to reflect natural hues in corporate colors to evoke consumer associations with purity and safety.
- Naturalness in the visual presentation of the brand. With the development of social networks, a new rule has appeared in branding: maximum openness, honesty, real emotions. In 2021, suppliers of goods and services are competing not only with other businessmen, but also with popular influencers on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
- Minimalistic logos, transparent packaging, uncomplicated typography, live communication in messengers with the client, as well as a team life open to the public are the basic rules for creating a friendly and trustworthy brand. Show your clients not only a shiny product but also a satisfied customer. A perfect example would be Bill Murray’s jeep ad.
- Images and fonts of any style. There are no norms for the visual design of the brand in 2021. The only condition is that the picture reflects the values of the company and all elements of the brand visualization are in the same style. You can look at stock photos for free as a source of your ideas.
- Adaptive branding. That means that the company must stock up on variants of logos and images of various formats (to create a whole brand book). The goal is optimal displaying on any user’s mobile device. Brand elements should reshape to match the screen expansion of the device allowing the company’s products to look advantageous in any presentation.
- Imitation of the real world. Much attention is paid in 2021 to the online presentation of the brand. Especially after the coronavirus pandemic, more and more sales are made via the Internet. Therefore, the company needs to make sure that the presentation of the brand on the network is as realistic as possible. The buyer should have an immersive effect. Bring all the brand elements to your online presentation as much as possible. The design of skeuomorphism is gaining popularity — imitation of texture (leather, wood, stone, etc.) as well as audio branding. High-resolution stock photos may help you in your design.
- Dreamy branding. What is a buyer looking for in a world filled with disasters and bad news? Relief, hope, faith in a bright, colorful future, happiness. Bring this feeling to your customers by building a brand based on dreams. Add lightness, naivety, pastel colors to the visualization. Create a sense of security and faith in the best. Don’t be too serious. Stock photos for commercial use would be good helpers.
- Minimalism + Baroque. In the style of the brand for 2021, it would be nice to diversify minimalism with subtle baroque. The company logo should remain discreet, not overloaded with an intricate font. And at the same time, you should add some original zest that is remembered at first sight and attracts attention. A brand doesn’t have to be boring. A great example of neo-baroque in the company logo is Balenciaga, Uniqlo.
- Nostalgic notes in the history of the brand. Combine visualization, verbal communication, and customer service logic in branding. Walk the path of your purchase. Think about what makes customers look for your product, how he interacts with the company to close a deal, what happens after the purchase. You can design an advertisement for your product, packaging, and even a sales receipt. All this will turn into a whole brand story. Add a touch of 80s, 90s (music, movie references). The nostalgia of millennials will make them ardent fans of the brand.
- Make active use of the latest technological developments. Add modern technology to every stage of brand making. Think about what sets you apart from the competitors. Additional smartphone apps from your company, trade beacons, speech recognition, health monitoring, and more. Learn from Nike — they’ve created an app for aspiring athletes.
How to Create A Memorable Brand?
For your brand to attract customers by forcing them to choose your product among thousands of others, heed a few tips:
- Determine how useful your brand can be to the customer. Shape company values. Let your product or service anticipate customer needs. The consumer should know that he can always count on you. If you are selling flowers, the client should always receive a fresh bouquet, be able to choose from the catalog, order delivery, pay conveniently, and so on.
- Introduce your ideal client. Describe for yourself your buyer in full, including gender, age, marital status, profession, income, tastes. The more information you have about the target audience, the easier it is to satisfy its needs, which means – to increase the brand image.
- Create an emotional connection. Think about what emotions a customer needs from your product (there may be several of them, at different stages of interaction). Give him a sense of peace of mind that the order will be completed on time, a sense of superiority, when your gift turns out to be the most original among all the guests.
- Find common ground and branding tools. Think about at which stages of the interaction with the client you need a visual effect. Shop window decoration, website development, packaging, and more.
- Develop multiple brand concepts. This will require a brainstorming session with part of a manager, marketer, and designer. The more visual brand ideas you create, the richer your choices will be.
- Improve your brand. Gather a team to analyze the work of the company and proposals for its improvement. Use customers’ reviews, royalty-free stock photos, and marketing analytics.
Conclusion
Branding is not an easy task. But careful preparation and attention to detail can make your brand recognizable around the world. Decide on the benefits of your product, the emotions you want to evoke in the customer, research the client, and develop company values. Express the value of your product visually, get customer feedback and improve your brand.
