The top 5 trends in branding in 2019

Strong brands are built with clear DNA, archetype, brand values ​​and brand promise. You choose direction: you know who you are, what you stand for and who you want to address. Make clear choices in terms of target group. Choose an audience that fits your brand values ​​and promise. In B2C, do you choose an influencer that reaches the masses? Or do you choose an influencer that reaches your niche group making the impact greater? The message: choose one direction! For example, take the Just do it campaign created for Nike with the American Football player and activist Colin Kaepernick. Nike is typically a Hero brand. Why did this go viral? Because they have a strong opinion. And thus appeal to a specific group. But they also have the courage to exclude a large group.

Digital is booming. We automate everything. Our consumers are active online and buy online. We want to make everything measurable and that can easily be done online. But, remember to make sure there is balance in the combination of branding and conversion; online and offline. Online ads do work, but also continue to work hard on your branding for the long term. Do you want to achieve that via TV and Radio? Fine. Or Display ads? That´s fine too. Don´t forget to tell a story. Blend your branding strategy with your digital strategy. Don’t just measure on conversions and ROAS. But also measure awareness, such as web traffic and page depth. Think more holistically and creatively. Use the entire customer journey (see, think, do, care) to achieve your sales goals.

We have known for a long time that the customer (b2b and b2c) determines the purchase process. Yet there is a way to influence this and to bind customers to your brand. Take for example, a fashion retailer. Instead of "we design the best fashion items for the best price for you", you can change it to "we have a community in which you can influence the design of the latest fashion items". So you adopt a very different attitude here. You do not only ask, you listen, participate and motivate. This initiates movement. You do not say "I am the best brand", but rather: "we always want to continue learning, based on what customers need in this world".

Which voice and tone do you want to embody as a company? Most organizations have a brand umbrella, but no guidelines to uphold tone of voice. The tone of voice determines how your customer perceives you. What attitude do you want to have towards your customer? What do you want the customer to feel? Do you only want to help, actively initiate or shock? You determine your language based on your DNA and archetype. Is it formal, relaxed or funny? Which words can you use and which ones can you not? Coolblue is of course a leader when it comes to tone of voice! Follow their example. It is also good to think about: which communication tools our employees use? What do the quotations and PowerPoint presentations look like? Are all logos and expressions correct? Does everyone use the same resources and text blocks? Royal Ten Cate has done it this way.

Consumers are simply people with an opinion. Opinions on what happens in society and on political developments. Climate-neutral, free from animal testing, for or against the immigration policy, and so on. What opinion do you have as a brand? Because simply selling a product or service that states that you are the best is no longer enough. Consumers buy what they stand for and believe in. Which product or service are you selling in which you believe? As an organization, you must have a purpose and strongly promote it.

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