Branding has always existed from the start, because branding — is timeless. We might not be able to see or recognize branding right away, but it is everywhere around us. From the flags of different countries, to the logos that warriors and war ships donned to represent themselves, this is all part and parcel of branding.
How has branding changed?
Given the ever-changing landscape of how consumers relate to brands, brands have become smarter and more innovative by constantly coming up with new ways to stay relevant and to stand out. How and why businesses brand themselves has changed over the years, but the purpose of branding has not (Source: insightsucces.in).
1. The Rise of the Internet
The first and most obvious way in which branding has changed, is with technological advancement and the rise of the internet. In the past, everything was prepared beforehand — commercials and advertisements could be well crafted way in advance, and companies could control the narrative of their brands through the media channels they choose to advertise in.
Today however, with the advancements in technology and the rise of the internet, everything becomes instantaneous and real time. Your marketing effectiveness is determined by your ability to respond quickly to opportunities, trends, queries, crises and situations. There has also been a shift in power from the boardrooms of companies to the hands of the consumers. These days, you can never expect what gets thrown at you. People have more freedom than ever to share their opinions online; and they can either openly support your brand or criticise it. We see this in the rise in the number of brand backlashes these last few years, as their missteps are heavily scrutinized by a growing and increasingly unforgiving online community. This has also led to the many consequent need for brands to issue public statements and apologies in order to cease the hate fire and salvage their reputation (which for some, is a reputation that they have painstakingly built for many years).
One memorable campaign that received quite a bit of backlash recently, was Pepsi’s advertisement with Kendall Jenner. People were outraged when the ad made reference to the Black Lives Matter protests as it was seen as trivializing the movement.
Viewers took to Facebook and Twitter to express their unjust and Pepsi had to pull the ad and issue a statement of apology (image: Independent.co.uk). The negative buzz that was generated shows how consumers can make or break a brand and its reputation, especially with this digitally empowered generation. Therefore, in this day and age, brands have to tread carefully when it comes to creating and pushing out content, and to respond promptly in the face of crises or new trends — because your brand image depends on it.
2. Increased Exposures for Brands
Secondly, in the past, where social media did not yet exist, television commercials, radio and print ads were heavily relied on for brand-building as it helped to raise awareness. However, these avenues were often expensive and only the bigger brands could afford them. As such, new businesses and small brands were faced with a very unlevelled playing field and the odds stacked against them. It was harsh and difficult back then for small brands to survive or even launch.
Now, look around you. Almost everyone owns more than one social media account. Furthermore, it costs next to nothing to create one. Today, social media is not just the means we use to connect with one another, but with brands and products as well. By having ready access to social media platforms, it gives brands of all sizes an opportunity to create, publish and broadcast their own content at virtually no cost, so as to increase their brand visibility and exposure. In fact, with such platforms, you, me, or anyone with an idea can start a business today. This digital and social media revolution has allowed brands to get equal opportunities to be seen and to reach a wider audience more effortlessly.
3. Product-focused VS Emotion-focused
Thirdly, consumers used to focus more on the physical features of a brand’s product — what can it do, what benefits it can offer, etc. Selling the product’s features was one effective way for brands to market. Today, unless you are an innovative, first-of-its-kind, market-leader brand like Apple, that strategy is obsolete. The focus has since shifted to how brands can make consumers feel — “what does it reflect about me?”, “what would people think if I am associated with this brand?”. Storytelling as a strategy has thus grown. Brands are now channeling their marketing resources to finding out how they can emotionally engage their consumers and convert them into loyal customers. In fact, more people today tend to despise brands that focus overly much on lauding their own product features rather than on what the customer wants or values.
One great example is Nike’s advertisement “What’s Your Motivation?“, where instead of its usual focus on athletes, it features your ordinary boy-next-door — but one with a dream and a motivation — someone whom the general public can relate to. The video also highlights things that appeal to the emotional side of viewers. First, Nike focuses on one individual instead of 50, which makes the video more personable. Second, it tells the story of the inner struggles of one’s journey. Third, apart from just pushing its products, Nike also shows viewers what the brand believes they are capable of — that they do have the motivation to work hard and achieve their dreams. Thus, based on the understanding that we usually buy things that appeal to us — who we are, what we treasure, what we value, and what we desire to achieve, Nike’s ad hits home on us emotional beings. After all, whenever we feel for or care about something, we’re usually more willing to act on it (Source:referralcandy.com).
4. Consumer-driven Focus
Lastly, unlike the past, consumers today are now part of the brand-building process as well, and are what we call “co-creators” of the brand and brand experience. They are able to shape how people view your product and your business and likewise, steer the conversations on social media (Source: 10twelve.com).
To increase brand affinity and the resultant positive word-of-mouth for your brand, your brand has to consistently create positive customer experiences, and be able to create a strong relationship with each and every customer. That is why more and more brands are putting their customers/users first, and allowing them rather than their products, to drive their strategy. This is definitely a more effective form of branding and marketing as instead of pushing its products to consumers, it is the consumers’ needs that they have gotten to understand, that is pulling brands to them.
An exemplary brand that has made an effort to understand its customers and deliver a good customer experience is Netflix, where “personalization is the key feature of their movie and series selection.” (Source: omniconvert.com) Just take a look at their seamless customer journey: First-time Netflix users are able to enjoy a month of free trial and thereafter, choose their preferred membership plan with the flexibility of cancelling it anytime.
Apart from the wide selection of movies and drama series available, there are no commercial breaks in between and users can download any episode(s) to watch later or for ‘on the go’. Netflix’s algorithm also suggests movies to users based on their preferences and watch history. By ensuring that it does not employ a one-size-fits-all customer strategy, Netflix is able to effectively deliver a personalised experience that is different for every user.