What is branding?
Quite simply, it’s the commercial expression of values. It’s about how you want to be perceived by your customers, how you want them to perceive your products or services and what you stand for. Branding is not just limited to logos, visuals and symbols; it is the entire personification of the company. It embodies and represents the mission statement, goals, and values of the company.
In today’s era where consumers are more aware and curious than ever, they want unique experiences that they cannot get anywhere else. As a consequence, the branding industry has also evolved. Companies have transcended from employing just traditional advertisements to more interactive experiences. No longer is branding just about influencing the consumers to buy a product or service, branding now encompasses the total experience of the company.
Such evolutionary changes in branding can be attributed to new marketing tools and technology. Technology has changed the way brands communicate with customers across different platforms such as social media, websites and mobile apps that are used both by consumers and businesses alike.
The world has become a global village. With the advent of the internet, rising customer base and a lot more information available at fingertips, the strength of your brand is more important than ever. It is not only what you say but also how you present yourself to your customers.
Truly great brands are built on values that go beyond product benefits. Branding cannot be bought or sold. It’s not a logo or a tagline. It’s an emotional concept that is embedded in the minds of people and triggered by a perception of goodwill, quality, trust and value. The best brands are able to consistently deliver on these values.
Branding in 2022: Key Highlights
Rise of Personal Branding: In 2022, personal branding will be right at the top of the list. We’ll see more and more people becoming famous on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Increasing Role of Design: The importance of design has been raised over the last few years, but it will be on an all-time high in 2022. If a product or a service doesn’t look good, it won’t sell. There is too much competition out there for us to have poor products in the market anymore.
Designing for Mobile Devices: It’s no big news that almost everyone owns a smartphone these days and it has become an extension of our hands. This means designing for mobile devices has now become more important than ever before.
More Playful Designs: As the world gets busier and busier, we are trying to find ways to entertain ourselves and this is why we don’t like serious designs anymore as they make us feel bored. We now want something that makes us smile while looking at it, something light-hearted but with a purpose.
So what does branding in 2022 look like?
Branding in 2022 is about a unified experience that takes place across all channels, the same way that it happens in the physical world.
This does not mean to have a Facebook page, an Instagram account, and a Twitter profile. It means to have a single, integrated brand that exists on every platform and across every channel.
This is where we’re headed, but there are some hurdles in the way. For example, how do you use your personal brand as a professional? How do you build your brand through social media while also protecting your privacy? And how do you extend your brand beyond your own online presence to create offline opportunities?
These are all questions we’ll need to figure out as we move forward into the future of branding.