How To Build A Successful Brand In 2022

Is your branding strong enough to survive the competitive marketplace?  

Volatility, dynamism and competitiveness are all buzzwords that are defining the current state of the marketplace, so it goes without saying that having strong branding is absolutely vital to your business’s success in the future. With increased digitalisation and new demands coming from all angles, how best should businesses adapt?

What is branding?  

Branding is the process of creating a strong, positive perception of a company, its products or services in the customer’s mind by combining such elements as logo, design, mission statement and a consistent theme throughout all marketing communications. Effective branding helps companies differentiate themselves from their competitors and build a loyal customer base. [1] Branding is the emotional component that forms the psychological relationship between your company and the consumer, and is the reason why consumers want to buy into your particular business. Essentially branding is reputation, reputation is trust and trust is everything for a company!

Why is branding important?  

• Branding is how you connect to your consumers, whether you are selling a service or a product.
• Branding brings an emotional dimension to an otherwise transactional experience, tapping into the emotional side of your customers makes them feel more connected to your company.
• Branding sets you apart from your competitors and helps a company find its place in a market.
• Consistent branding can help build trusting relationships consumers.

So, how can we build a strong brand in 2022?

1. Determining a target audience

The first step in any branding should be understanding the psychographics of your target audience. Who is your product appealing to? What is the most effective way of communicating your brands values? How old are they? Would it be more effective to focus on social media branding or more traditional forms of marketing? Once the target audience is determined your branding will be much more effective.

Any success in branding revolves around understanding your target audience and what It is that they want. These include:

• Age and economic status
• What are your target audiences pain points/motivations and what solutions do you have?
• What media do they consume and then adjust your branding to this

2. Defining your values  

With an increasingly competitive landscape defining your company’s core values and establishing what sets you apart from the rest is vital. Key themes from EY research show that while quality, convenience, and price still very much matter to consumer choice, factors like sustainability, trust, ethical sourcing, and social responsibility are increasingly important to how consumers select their products and services. Brand values such as a focus on sustainability give your business a ‘why’ and ‘what’. These values should always be consistent in every aspect of your marketing strategy.

3. Establishing a strong digital presence 

The world is becoming increasingly digitalised and now more than ever having a strong digital presence is the key to success. Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have the potential to generate huge sales and increased brand awareness, so failing to move with this trend is potentially detrimental to the success of your business. It is important to post frequently, engage with consumers and be consistent across all social platforms.

4. Emphasising a social conscious ethos 

Again, one of the fundamental shifts in the world of marketing is an increased focus on sustainability and ethical practice. Although the pandemic didn’t start the sustainability revolution, it has put it into hyperdrive, and Gen Z is in the driver’s seat. [2] One important factor to consider in highlighting your socially conscious ethos is whether this truly aligns with your core values, if not consumers may perceive this as greenwashing.

Consumers are becoming increasingly driven towards businesses with sustainable branding, so this is something to consider when creating a brand that will succeed in 2022. A survey conducted last year by DoSomething found that if brands are not authentic, Gen Z will be the first to raise a red flag. [3]

5. Creating a strong Visual Presence

Creating a brand that is visually pleasing may sound obvious, but it is fundamental in creating successful branding. Consumers are swayed by visual aesthetics and the chart below demonstrates that consumers are more likely to prioritise the visual over the textual. A consistent visual identity, no matter what platform, is the key to a strong visual presence.

6. Overcome the disconnect between brands and consumers through networking

Although the digital world has taken over in full force, this has not completely eradicated the need for customer-facing interactions. In fact, the pandemic has left people seeking a personable connection more than ever. The more personable your brand is the more people will feel connected, and connected consumers are more likely to stay loyal to your business. The digital world faces the issue of becoming increasingly disconnected and a study by Stackla found that 92% of marketers believe most or all of the content they create resonates as authentic with consumers, but only 13% of consumers said content from a brand is impactful, and a mere 8% said influencer-created content would highly impact their purchasing decisions [4]. A brand that is disconnected from their audience is doomed to fail.

The Tweak team can help your business to get the best ROI from their digital marketing, from brand and content creation to results driven lead generation campaigns. We believe that embracing diversity and creativity delivers the best results.