Building a Brand: The Marketing Techniques to Use in Your New Business
Looking for different ways to boost your brand identity? Maybe you're just starting up a new business. Perhaps you're going through a rebrand. Whatever the case might be, it's important to establish a brand that your customers can relate with. The more personable and transparent your brand, the more customer loyalty you'll build. If this is your first time building a brand, then you have nothing to fear. There are several concrete steps you can take towards building a brand identity for your business.
See below for several techniques you can use while building a brand and establishing yourself in your industry.
Find Your "Why"
Behind every profitable and successful brand is an underlying purpose behind it. Think of a successful company, and you'll be able to identify its mission. The clothing brand Patagonia has the purpose of building high-quality products without harming the environment they love. Target's purpose is to provide the best products at a reasonable price, hence their motto of "expect more, pay less".
In order to start building your brand, you need to find the "why" behind your company's existence. You need something that will resonate with your target audience. Something that will dictate every move and business decision that you make. The purpose that you define will help your entire company clarify its objective. More importantly, this will help you figure out how to build a brand identity around your "why". For example, if your purpose is to offer more help to the consumer, doing things like placing live chat on your site and offering discounts on products will back it up.
Hire a Marketing Agency
Odds are, you didn't start a company with the intention of focusing on establishing its brand and building a successful marketing campaign. You created it to drive revenue and grow your business while helping customers in your industry. However, without a successful brand strategy and marketing plan, your products and services will never be enough. If marketing isn't your forte, then you can turn that weakness into a strength for your company by hiring a professional marketing agency. They'll be able to help you with things such as search engine optimization, video production, and designing art on your website in order to double-down on your brand. Even if you're having trouble establishing what your brand identity should be, the marketing agency you hire can help. They'll walk you through each step of the process to identify and build a brand that you'll be proud of.
Consider Your Target Audience
At the end of the day, the brand identity that you choose must resonate with one person in particular: your target client. If it doesn't, then all your time and effort into building a brand will be for not. For that reason, it's always helpful to create buyer personas for your company's products and services. These are made-up "clients" that you use to study your customers and how your brand will appeal to them. For example, say you're a nutritionist. You might create a buyer persona named Jim. Jim is anywhere between the ages of 30 to 50 and is looking to get back in shape. He wants to lose weight but doesn't have the time in the day to focus on working out and eating right. He has three kids and works a job that requires 40 to 50 hours out of him each week. From that buyer persona, you can assume that "Jim" is looking to work with a brand that offers him a fully-customized diet plan that will work with his schedule. Since he doesn't have the time to focus on it, he needs a nutritionist who will keep him accountable. Building buyer personas can help you directly understand why your brand intrigues certain customers more than others.
Use Color Psychology
Whether you knew it or not, there are subliminal ways that companies integrate the tone of their brand into your head. It's called color psychology, and it can be a tremendous way to help build your brand identity.
Color psychology is the thought that different colors exude unique emotions and behaviors into the people that lay eyes on them. Each color has emotions and tones that are specific to them. Knowing what these tones are can help you as you design your logo, website, sales collateral, company signs, and much more. If you've already designed the colors of your logo, then be sure to use the tones of those colors to strengthen your brand. Odds are, you subliminally chose those colors for a reason!
Build a Mission Statement
Every championship sports team has a battle cry. Every superhero has a famous catchphrase. Your company needs a mission statement to use as you try to live out your brand each and every day. Now that you know what your "why" is, you can build a mission statement that reinforces it. This mission statement can be used on your website, to appeal to your clientele, inspire your employees and so much more!
Building a Brand: Find What Makes You Different
The most important thing in building a brand is finding something that will separate your company from the rest of the pack. Be sure to read this article on 5 incredible examples of brand strategies that you can draw inspiration from as you build your brand.
For more inquiries, please reach out to us via our contact us page and we'll be happy to assist you!
Brand Engagement: 5 Successful Brand Strategy Examples
Are you trying to up your brand engagement? Customer retention relies heavily on brand engagement, and if you're not working on maintaining that, you might be seriously missing out. Check out Our Work to see some great examples.
There are plenty of strategies that you can use to successfully increase your brand engagement, but taking a few tips from previous successes is a great way to formulate your own.
Combining different brand strategy examples, using one at a time, or even just picking and choosing different parts of each one to make something that works for your specific brand can all be great methods of creating a custom brand strategy.
If you want to learn about a few successful brand strategies that you can pull ideas from, keep reading!
1. Dennys' Social Media Absurdity
This might be a strange one, but while social media has been a hot topic for all brand engagement experts, America's diner did it in a way that left some people bewildered and confused.
Dennys' Twitter and Tumblr (the latter is less popular now) accounts are downright whacky.
While all brands have their own methods of navigating social media, very few of them touch on the core of a late millennial and Gen Z audience. These things that are tweeted are sharable because they're so strange and appeal to the absurdist humor present in this age group.
These posts get shared because they're amusing, not because they're selling something. The audience wants to engage with the brand in hopes that their jokes get reposted.
It takes a special creative marketer to do this work. It can't try too hard, or it won't be successful. Touching on this specific type of internet humor can be a great leg up if other people in your niche aren't doing it.
2. Coca Cola's "Share A Coke" Campaign
Have you ever found a bottle of Coke with your name printed on the side and gotten a little bit excited? You wanted to buy it, right? Maybe you saw one with "mom" or "dad" or the name of your best friend and picked it up to give to them.
That's by design.
This is a great way to make your customer base feel seen and give them something that they can engage and have fun with.
Coca Cola gave their customers a tangible object that they could purchase and then share with social media. The technique is sales-y, clearly, but in a way that still gave customers something that they wanted.
How can you provide a personalized good or service to your customers that would be sharable and fun?
3. Taco Bell's Millennial Engagement Through Transparency
Taco Bell knows what it is. Similar to Dennys, it isn't fancy. It knows that it's cheap, typically "drunk food", and about as far away from the "real thing" as you can get while still being in the same general flavor profile.
They've done everything right as a brand, though, from their funny and sharable sauce packets to their fun social media presence and even some "real life" events.
Taco Bell doesn't pretend to be anything it's not, and in a social media age, that's important. Young audiences value transparency and are quick to turn on a company that is clearly doing phony work.
Advocating for a social cause that clearly goes against the actions of your brand? Don't try it. Pretending to be all about health and wellness while not selling a single healthy menu item? It won't get past the millennial or Gen Z eye.
They've allowed the "cheap" to become cool with everything from Taco Bell parties to Taco Bell weddings. They reach out to influencers who follow their general brand ethos (authentic, affordable, low-maintenance) to widen their scope.
Taco Bell's consumers know they're being sold to. The Bell doesn't try to hide it through phony marketing or niceties. They put themselves out there on all of their social platforms and have reaped the benefits.
4. Bringing Art to the People with KFB Law
Law firms can be a hard sell to the average person. You don't really notice them until you really need one, so making them stand out from the crowd is crucial.
How can you make that happen and engage an otherwise uninterested crowd?
Well, law isn't especially exciting (unless you're a lawyer), but art and design are incredibly engaging, especially for a younger crowd.
Making large and unavoidable art displays that show what the brand's intentions are is a great way of grabbing consumer attention, but hosting a gallery of local art is a great way to actually engage the local audience. Even better, the gallery benefits the Make a Wish Foundation rather than the company itself.
This shows a brand's concern with the local community (something that's important for a law firm) and also gives consumers something to do (via creating) and something to share (when they visit the gallery and take photos).
This gets the community involved in the service and alerts them to the existence of your brand!
5. More Broad: Sharing User-Generated Content
This is a strategy used by plenty of younger brands, and it's one that you should also employ. There's no one right way to do it, and it's impossible to pick one specific brand that's doing it the best.
Your audience is already using your product. If they're posting about you and tagging or hashtagging you, don't you want the world to know how much they appreciate your work?
Sharing their content does two things.
- It's free advertising
- It shows other people that "real people" love what you do. It's authentic (remember what we said about authenticity?)
Many brands choose to share this content to their stories; some choose to share it to their feeds. It all depends on the personal aesthetics of the social media pages. Doing this helps your brand and gives exposure to the pages of the peoples sharing.
This has been successful for brands that span across all industries. From tattooers to clothing companies to restaurants, this works.
Do These Brand Strategy Examples Appeal to You?
Finding a strategy that works for your specific brand can be difficult. You don't necessarily want to mimic what someone else is doing, but looking to brand strategy examples from other successful companies can be useful.
Brand engagement is critical to the success of a business, but it can be tough getting customers to interact with your work.
If you're looking for brand strategy tips, or for a whole brand strategy overhaul, contact us. We want to work with you on a campaign that's right for your customer base.
Small Is The New Big
If any of us remember Jerry Maguire’s late night, pizza-induced rant that he insisted was just a mission statement, well, this really isn’t that at all. It’s just the musings (hopefully not too rambling) of a creative director and writer who’s worked in the industry for too many years to remember. I’ve learned a lot, some the hard way, but I’ve also been blessed with working with many great folks and large agencies around the country.
After all of that I decided to start my own little agency. Six years in, I’ve realized why being smaller is something I love, and I believe is too often overlooked by many clients - simply because of appearances. Think about that for a second. As technology marches on, things have gotten better because they’ve gotten smaller. Computers. Devices we listen to music on. Cars. Planes. Things are becoming more efficient and faster and more responsive simply by going small. So, with that, if you’ll permit me, here’s why I think now more than ever, small is better than big for today’s advertising agency and their clients.
SMALL IS NIMBLE AND SHAPES TO THE JOB AT THE DROP OF A HAT
Small runs lean and mean. Here at EraserFarm, we are a small, experienced core group who, over many years, have developed long-standing, trusting relationships with many top-level strategists, creatives and experts. When a specific project calls for it, we are able to create a very specific, targeted and relevant group to work on that project - rather than having the same people work on every job they may not necessarily be as qualified for or experienced in. It also removes the heavy overhead clients are forced to pay to compensate for employees on staff. Conversely, small is able to scale up or down accordingly per assignment. That flexibility also allows us to change the business model when your competition changes theirs. And in the end, all of this helps small get into the tight little spaces that big can’t. And, come out with emotionally charged ideas that connect with people on a very human level. And that can turn your customers into salespeople as powerful advocates for your brand.
SMALL THINKS BIG WITHOUT BLOATING AD BUDGETS
A big idea that can survive the test of time doesn’t need to come with a big price tag. We’ve worked on TV assignments for global companies like Pacific Life and social content that’s distributed around the world for Outback Steakhouse. We’ve created work for national health organizations and restaurant chains like Arby’s and Bonefish Grill, gotten in the trenches with startups and local clients and partnered with our clients’ in-house creative departments too. We just don’t care about process or the way it used to be done. We are here to do the best work we can for clients in any shape or form that may take. It simply doesn’t matter what the size of the agency is. It’s the size of the thinking that the agency puts into each project without ever taking one for granted, regardless of what it is.
SMALL PUTS ONE FOOT ON THE NECK OF BUREAUCRACY AND KICKS AGENCY LAYERS OUT THE DOOR WITH THE OTHER.
One of the main reasons I wanted to start my own thing was being able to show our clients work I personally thought was worthy, without it being diced, sliced and minced up and left on the agency cutting room floor. Hey, if the client doesn’t like it, so be it. We have small egos and big, broad shoulders here. But at least we didn’t do them any disservice to not show them some thinking that could advance their brand message. That’s why we also think proactively on each client’s business and gather as an agency each week for creative thinktanks.
Know what else is great? Small means we can say whatever we want on our blogs like I am right now without repercussion. It means we answer our clients’ emails right away personally and answer our cell phone (which is on our business cards) any time of day or night. Trust me, I’m not kidding. And small works very closely with each client without putting B, C or D teams on it. Every job gets 100% from all of us because we all wear many hats here at EF.
If we define ourselves and our business in terms of how other agencies operate, we're living in an echo chamber. And, new ways of thinking will never surface to better serve today’s clients and the environment they exist in.
SMALL WORKS HARDER TO SURVIVE.
This is a no-brainer. We’re small, our rope is shorter and so you can bet your ass we will bust ours on every job to survive and keep chugging along. I’m convinced that when people become associated with an idea or company, the personal stakes get higher.
In the end, I truly believe an ad agency succeeds because they’re good. Not because they are big. You see, if you can look past just the size of an agency, you’ll discover a very valuable, powerful mindset like the one we adhere to every day at EraserFarm. And no matter how big we get, you can count on one thing: We will always keep rolling the way we started.
Small.
Let us prove it to you. Let’s grab some coffee, say hello and discuss a project we can work on together. Email my partner Cindy at cindy@eraserfarm.com and let’s get to it.
What's On Our Menu For New Biz? Outback Steakhouse
We're celebrating over here. And that's because we're starting 2020 off with an announcement like this: EraserFarm is delighted to share that Outback International has named us their creative partner for social content development.
We have the pleasure of working with another one of the great concepts inside of the Bloomin' Brands family, so we couldn't be happier that Outback International came calling as well.
Our work for them began late last year as we prepared new social ideas and content for their international franchise system. Outback has a strong history in this market and across the US, so as the system continues to grow internationally they needed to ensure they had the right partner to grow along with them.
"We are excited to be working with the great team at EraserFarm. We've seen great things inside of their work for one of our sister brands, and look forward to carrying that level of creative thinking over to Outback International," said Claudia Mezzarano, International Marketing Coordinator for Bloomin' Brands International.
We look forward to continuing to make our new friends proud and deliver work that drives positive sales growth and traffic for their international business.
7 Ways to Promote Your Business with Social Media
If you’re a business owner, you’re in good company. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA) the state of Florida alone is home to 2.5 million small businesses. It’s also super friendly for startups, ranking as the number five state in the country for venture capital funding.
While these numbers are promising, they also mean that you’ll have to work harder to stand out in the crowd. Learning how to successfully promote your business is critical for your success.
Social media continues to be one of the best advertising options for startups. Start with these seven tips and you’ll be well on your way towards making a name for yourself online.
1. Humanize Your Brand
One of the most important things to remember when creating your social media presence is that people do not care about your company. Whether you’re a tech startup with a product that’s going to change the world or a stay-at-home mom selling homemade jam, the facts are still the same.
People don’t go on social media to learn about companies. They go there to engage with other people and to be entertained. Keep this in mind when creating your posting strategy.
Instead of focusing on facts and figures, or heavily promoting your products, make it a point to humanize your brand. This could mean anything from posting funny memes and cute animal videos to sharing behind-the-scenes videos and photos of your staff.
Each time you create a post, ask yourself if it’s doing anything to tap into the user’s emotions. If the answer is no, do yourself (and your followers) a favor and just skip it.
2. Hold a Contest or Giveaway
It’s no secret that people like free stuff. Holding contests or giveaways on your social media platforms is a great way to attract new followers and engage the ones you already have.
This could range from asking people to like or share a post to hosting an elaborate photo content where users can vote for their favorites. The latter is an excellent idea because it helps you build up user-generated content.
What is user-generated content, you ask? It’s basically anything that users post about your product or brand. This could include photos and videos, written testimonials, and more.
When your followers see other real people using your products and talking about how great they are, this helps to build up trust in your brand in a way that you simply can’t do yourself. It’s incredibly inexpensive (sometimes completely free!) and is also extremely effective.
3. Find Your Community
Creating groups on Facebook and LinkedIn is an excellent ways to engage your core followers on a whole new level. This fosters a deep sense of community. If you provide valuable insights and information as the leader of the group, it also gives you a chance to build up even more credibility.
You can also look for niche groups to join. This can help put you in front of the right people and give you the opportunity to create some strategic relationships that you otherwise might not have come across.
One word of warning, though. Make sure you go into these groups with the attitude of “givers gain.”
This means that you won’t blatantly promote yourself and your brand every chance you get. Instead, participate in conversations and offer advice and insight where appropriate without throwing in a sales pitch. Others in the group will appreciate this and will be more likely to refer you business when the time is right.
4. Engage with Your Followers
One mistake that businesses often make with social media is to “post and run.” You can’t expect success if you just drop a post and disappear for a week. Instead, you need to monitor your posts and engage with your followers.
This means responding to comments and answering private messages right away. Doing so will remind your followers that they’re working with an actual person instead of a faceless business. This is another critical element in building up that all-important trust.
5. Invest in Video
Video is definitely the way of the future, in social media and on almost every other platform. Any time you have the opportunity to lean towards the visual and away from the written word, do it.
It’s also important to note that you don’t need a major Hollywood production to take advantage of the video trend. Short, bite-sized videos of decent quality are perfectly fine for engaging your audience on social media.
6. Pay Attention to Analytics
Social media marketing does require time, effort, and money. So, it makes sense to ensure that you’re getting a decent return on your investment. Tracking your results on each platform with analytics software is critical for your success. Doing so will allow you to quickly see what’s working and what isn’t so you can make adjustments on the fly.
7. Go with the Pros
If you’re reading these tips and wondering how you’re possibly going to have time to implement them while still running your business, then you’re ready for one of the most important tips of all – go with the pros!
Social media algorithms are always changing, and it takes an expert to truly stay on top of all the ways to optimize your presence. Don’t make the mistake of leaving something this important up to chance. Find a great social media pro who can ensure you always put your best foot forward online.
Promote Your Business – The Right Way!
At Eraser Farm, we have all the tools and experience you need to promote your business the right way. From brand positioning and perfecting your user experience to integrated advertising campaigns and social media strategy, we’ve got you covered! Contact us today to discuss your goals and get started!
The Logo Design Basics: How to Create a Great Image for Your Business
McDonald's golden arches. Nike's checkmark. Apple's... apple. Today, brands are increasingly recognizable by their standout, eye-catching logos. Companies that neglect essential logo design basics, however, will fail to create a logo that breaks out from the crowd. When you do stand out, you can attract new business and build your business. A consistent brand that starts with a memorable logo can increase revenue by up to 23%. Want to develop a great image for your business! Start with your logo.
Here are the ten tips you need to create a logo that stands out from the rest successfully.
1. Add More Meaning
Too many logos fall into the quicksand trap of choosing dull, overused images. If you want to stand out, consider using the visual double entendre technique. This design technique takes two or more recognizable images and combines them for an eye-catching effect. What images connect back to your business? Consider what images people already associate with your brand. Then, determine how you can connect the two. This technique can add a fun, clever element to your brand. Instead of using imagery thousands of other companies have in the past, you can make sure your brand remains distinct. Careful not to get too clever, though. If your customers can't recognize the images you're using, they won't remember you.
2. Consider Your Colors
A signature color can improve your company's brand recognition by up to 80%. As you add these logo design basics to your brand, consider your color choices. Check out this color psychology map as you select your shades. What emotions do you want people to experience when they look at your brand? The right combination of colors can add another layer of meaning to your logo.
There are also different color palette combinations to choose from. A few include:
- Analogous - three colors side by side on the color wheel (green, yellow-green, yellow)
- Complementary - two colors opposite from one another on the color wheel (red and green)
- Triad - colors evenly spaced out on the color wheel (green, orange, purple)
Finding the right color combination creates an effect that's pleasing to the eye. As you develop your logo, try different color palettes to see what best suits your brand.
3. Avoid Design Clichés
Using design cliches won't help you stand out from the competition. When potential customers see the same images over and over, their eyes glaze over. Remember, you're trying to attract people to your business. What makes you different from the competition?
A few cliches include:
- The overhead arch
- Overlapping letters
- Using Helvetica, Papyrus, or Comic Sans
- Random colored dots
- The chat bubble
Instead of falling into the crowd with clichés, consider these 10 top brand marketing trends to amplify your reach and attract new business!
4. Consider Going Custom
There are more font typefaces out there than Helvetica and Papyrus. If none of the already-made options speak to you, consider creating a custom font. A custom-made font can give your logo a unique feel. You can also work with a designer to make sure your typeface captures your brand's personality. With a custom font, you're standing out while staying true to your company's brand.
5. Don't Neglect Simplicity
While you want to stand out from the crowd with unique imagery, it's important you don't overdo it. Sometimes, a little simplicity can go a long way. Don't overcomplicate your logo with crazy script fonts of dizzying double entendre designs no one understands. Instead, focus on your brand. How can you illustrate your company's personality? Work to capture the heart of your company in a classic logo. Then you can expand on it for a design that makes an impact.
6. Recognition Is Key
Instead of following the pack by using design clichés, consider imagery that will make you immediately recognizable. Think about the Evernote logo. They use an elephant head within their imagery. However, it's the folded ear (like the page of a notebook) and curled trunk that helps them stand out. As you develop a classic logo, start with a basic idea. Then expand on it. What can you do to turn your logo design into something unique?
7. The Beauty of Symmetry
Symmetry is pleasing to the eye. If your logo starts to look complicated, take a step back. Prioritize proportion and symmetry within the design. Symmetry will ensure your logo is balanced and consistent. Otherwise, it could end up looking complicated and chaotic.
8. Know Your Negatives
Using negative space is another way to add extra meaning to your logo. Consider the FedEx logo. Hidden between the second "e" and "x" is a small arrow. This imagery adds movement and extra meaning to the shipping company's logo. If it works within your company or blog logo design, try utilizing negative space. In addition to adding meaning to your design, it will also help demonstrate your company's wit and creativity.
9. Add Action
Movement (such as the Twitter bird in flight or Puma's pouncing wildcat) can give your logo energy. Instead of taking a passive approach, add movement, and activity in your design. For example, you can point your imagery upward, so it looks like it's moving. This will communicate a sense of motion, activity, and liveliness (instead of leaving your logo looking sleepy).
10. Know Your Brand
Above all else, know your brand. Your company has it's own story and history. Try to distill that story within your logo design.For example, the Apple logo has a "byte" missing from the apple. The World Wide Fund for Nature panda was inspired by a panda at the London Zoo, Choosing imagery that tells a story will spark intrigue and help people recognize your brand from the rest.
Design It Right: 10 Logo Design Basics You Need to Stand Out
Design it right and stand out from the crowd! With these 10 logo design basics, you can connect with customers through an eye-catching brand. Otherwise, you're fading into the crowd and potentially losing customers.
Ready to stand out from the crowd? Let's work together! Contact us today to get started with your next logo project.
Once Upon a Time: The Importance of Storytelling in Marketing
According to Forbes, there's a new technology for marketers out there called emotion analytics. Emotion analytics can be used to scientifically measure the emotional reactions to your marketing campaigns and individual ads. Ethical concerns aside, this technology has the potential to change the way marketers target potential buyers.
Why is emotion analytics making such waves? Because in today's oversaturated online world, your prospective customers won't connect with your brand without feeling something first. That's why thousands of businesses have begun to turn to storytelling.
Storytelling techniques have been around for as long as humans have. And it's not hard to understand why - stories are the methods by which we connect with one another. Using a brand story is no different.
Curious about the importance of storytelling for your next marketing campaign? Keep reading to find out why you need to use storytelling techniques, and stick around for our top marketing storytelling tips.
The Importance of Storytelling in Marketing
So why is storytelling important for your brand?
With so much content floating around online these days, your brand story can seem like a drop in a bucket on a rainy day. How is a customer supposed to connect with your brand over the hundreds of others like it?
With a brand story, that's how.
Stories go beyond mere words. Stories evoke emotions and make people want to take action. And that's no wonder since people tend to make decisions based on their initial gut reaction.
In fact, research shows that the part of your brain responsible for emotions can make decisions up to 5 times faster than the brain areas associated with reason and logic. It takes time to reason, but when you appeal to your prospective customer's emotions, they're quicker to make a decision.
That's not all, though. According to a 2016 study, customers with a positive emotional experience of your brand are:
- 15 times more likely to recommend your brand to others
- 9 times more likely to trust your brand
- 8 times more likely to try new products and services your brand has to offer
- 7 times more likely to make more purchases from your brand
- 6 times more likely to forget about a mistake your brand made
If you want to start attracting more references, increasing trust with customers, make more profits, and buffer your brand in case of future issues, you've got to make an emotional connection with your customers. That's where storytelling comes in.
5 Ways to Use Storytelling in Your Marketing Campaign
We've told you why storytelling is important. But now, we'll show you how to do it. If you want to start using storytelling in your marketing campaigns, here are the top 5 things you need to know to do it.
1. The Main Character
When you think of the main characters in your favorite story, what do they all have in common? At the very core, all main characters have a problem that is (usually) solved by the end of the story. The same goes for your brand story.
But contrary to popular belief, your brand isn't the main character or hero of your story. That role goes to your customers. Because when customers feel like they're the star of the show, they trust that they're in good hands with your business.
2. Beginning, Middle, and End
What makes a story different than a collection of words on a page? Stories have beginnings, middles, and ends. Your brand story should, too.
In the beginning, you should present a problem that is happening to the main character, your ideal customer. In the middle, the guide swoops in to offer advice and help the hero come to a solution to that big problem (more on this guide later). And in the end, your story's main character should be changed in some way by the guide.
3. The Guide
Stories about heroes almost always have a guide character. In the original Star Wars trilogy, Luke finds a guide in Yoda. In the Harry Potter series, Harry relies on the guidance of characters like Dumbledore and Sirius Black.
So if your client is the hero, that makes you, your products, and your services the guide. After all, it's their story - your job is to help them get the ending that they want. When you try to make your brand the hero of the story, it makes it harder for customers to trust you. But by putting them in the spotlight and making them feel more in control of their own success, they're more likely to come to you for help.
4. Rhetoric
If you think the only stories that use rhetoric are political ones, think again. Every good story uses rhetoric to get the theme across. Rhetoric is the language you use and the way you structure your story so that you can get the response you want.
Evoke passion with emotive language, appeal to intellect by citing stats and research, and show your social proof with quotes from happy customers.
5. Multimedia
Every truly great story has illustrations to go along with it. And the same holds for your brand story. Every truly incredible brand story is accompanied by animation, illustration, and images to really drive your point home.
Multimedia comes in many forms, but each image or video you choose should further the goals of your story. For example, if your product or service is difficult to explain with words alone, a video showing customers using your products can help. Not only that, you'll be building trust with your prospects at the same time.
Marketing Agencies as Storytellers
As a business owner, you're too busy to play the role of storyteller, too. Now that you know the importance of storytelling in marketing though, you don't want to miss out on any opportunity to engage your audience.
So what can you do, you might ask?
Well, EraserFarm can help you craft a brand that people relate to and connect with. Get in touch with us and let's chat about how we can create your story together.
3 Reasons Why Packaging Design Is Just As Important As Your Product
Approximately 72 percent of consumers state that the packaging of products influences what they wind up buying. And 61 percent of consumers stated that they are more likely to buy more of a luxury product if it came in premium packaging.
This makes it clear how important your product packaging design is and why it is so important you pay attention to what you are using. Remember, the packaging you use ultimately goes into your brand identity.
If you are trying to create a strong brand identity, you have to use good storytelling to establish your brand as relevant and unique, and to make it more engaging for your target audience. Keep reading to learn more about package design and how to ensure yours conveys the right message to your target audience.
1. The Right Packaging Makes a Good First Impression
Regardless of what industry you are in, you have competition. You have to think about how you can differentiate your product from your competition.
Effective packaging is one of the best ways to stand out from the competition and to attract customers. If you are selling in a brick-and-mortar store, the packaging design is the first thing a potential customer is going to see. They may get their first impression of your product and company based on the packaging you have used.
Even though the total value of your product isn’t determined by how it is presented, this is the first (and sometimes the only) opportunity you have to win a customer over.
The graphic identity of the package you use needs to capture your buyer’s attention. Think of the packaging you use the same way you think about branding and advertising.
2. The Right Packaging Design Creates and Demonstrates Your Brand Identity
Brand identity helps to connect with consumers in two ways:
- It creates a clear impression of a product or company
- It reminds consumers about the products or brand
The packaging is a key element in sharing and defining brand identity. The impression you create for your business and your product is what helps consumers not only recognize it but remember it.
Look at your current packaging. Does it clearly show your company logo? Does it include company trademarks, fonts, or colors? If not, then it’s time to consider a redesign.
Put simply, a customer should be able to glance at your product’s packaging and have it create a new impact or rekindle a memory.
3. Your Packaging Communicates all the Important Information
Not all packaging is created equal. However, there is something that they should all adhere to. The packaging you use should be informative.
You need to tell a user everything they could need or want to know. Put all the answers to common questions on the outside so they learn about the product before the box is opened.
Some questions the packaging should answer include:
- Why is this product needed?
- When should the product be used?
- Where was the product made?
- What is the product used for?
- Does the product have limitations?
- What skills are needed to use the product?
- Who designed the product?
- Who is the product designed for?
By answering these questions, the customer is going to be able to see why your product (rather than the one next to it) is the right option for them.
Tips to Use Your Package Design for Brand Storytelling
As mentioned above, the packaging you use should tell the story of your brand. Now that you see why it’s so important, it’s time to ensure you get the packaging design right.
Target the Product’s Audience
When you begin designing the visual elements of your package, you need to consider your target audience. For example, if you sell products for kids, use a colorful style and bold, large typography.
If you are targeting career-oriented adults, use a minimal design with typography that’s more elegant.
Convey the Experience
The package design you choose needs to reflect the experience of the product. For example, eco-friendly products need to be packaged with sustainable materials to build trust in the product.
If you sell a luxury product, use high-end materials for packaging, rather than cheap packaging. If you have a product that touts convenience, the packaging should be easy to open and use.
Create a Design that’s Aesthetically Pleasing
Most people judge a book by its cover – it’s really human nature. If they see a brand that has put effort into the creation of a package that’s visually appealing, they are going to assume this reflects the brand’s effort to make a high-quality product.
The real challenge is being able to create a great looking design, but that’s also unique in relation to the competition.
Details Matter
You can’t ignore the small details that go into your packaging. A carefully planned package design is going to let your customers see you mean business.
Details like FDA information can help you gain your customer’s trust, and help ensure the item isn’t recalled off the shelves.
Getting Your Packaging Design Right
The packaging design you ultimately use can have a huge impact on your brand identity. You should use the packaging to help spread awareness of your business, brand, and the products you offer.
It should also promise to deliver on your UVP (unique value proposition) while targeting your audience and speak to the brand’s personality. Not only should you use packaging that leaves a great first impression, but it also needs to have a lasting impression.
If you want to create amazing packaging, but don’t know where to start or what to do, contact us. We can help you get the desired results with the product packaging you use.
Building Your Brand: The Top Branding Trends of 2019
There are nearly 200 million companies around the world. With that number increasing each year, you must know how to stand out. Building a brand can set you apart from the competition. It's also your chance to make a life-long impact on new and potential customers.
So how do you make your company stand out? Well this is how.
1. It's All About Experiences
Pushing a brand onto consumers to make sales no longer works. Instead, brand marketing allows companies to pull consumers into the brand. There are several ways for this to work. For starters, you need to create opportunities for consumers to experience the brand firsthand. Consider pop-up shops. These use the fear of missing out (FOMO) to draw people in. Then, companies offer participants an exclusive, short-term experience with the brand. These unique experiences can be virtual as well as physical.
Experience-driven brand marketing can include:
- Mono-branded stores
- Malls with tailoring, personal stylists, and spa services
- Branded hotels
- Themed restaurants
- Themed exhibits
Combining your brand with these exclusive experiences is far more memorable than any billboard or banner ad.
2. The Online/Offline Overlap
Online and offline experiences are also starting to overlap. This brand marketing trend is blurring the lines in retail, too. For example, online retailers are heading into brick-and-mortar stores. You've probably seen Buzzfeed at Macy's. More Amazon bookstores are popping up, too. Instead of keeping still, brick-and-mortar retailers are upping their game to compete. Bridging the gap between on- and offline experiences will also help companies take advantage of micro-moments.
3. Ramp Up AR
Any Pokemon Go or Wizards Unite fans out there? You might want to take a page out of that book for part of your brand marketing strategy. After all, the market for augmented reality is expected to reach $198 billion by 2025 worldwide.
AR is another way for consumers to experience your brand. It also makes it easier for consumers to get information. With AR, they can see and experiment with products. This direct engagement can make it easier to make purchasing decisions. As a result, AR is changing the game for how consumers interact with a brand. This marketing trend brings digital experiences into the real world. Let's say you're trying to redesign your living room. Brands like IKEA and Wayfair offer apps that allow you to see how furniture looks in your home. Then, you can make a purchase straight from the app.
Easy!
4. Pick A Purpose
Young consumers are choosing brands that take a stand. In some cases, this can include controversial positions. The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School led brands to rally against gun violence and abandon the NRA. Meanwhile, some brands prioritize non-controversial positions. More companies are taking green initiatives every year. Either way, brands can no longer stand on the sidelines. No matter what cause your company supports, keep in mind that it's not enough to talk the talk. If you don't also walk the walk, people won't believe that your support is sincere.
5. Gen Z
Gen Z is taking the world by storm. This generation, defined as anyone born after 1998, now makes up 32 percent of the world's population. This generation is glued to their smartphones, Amazon, and Google. They're digital natives, too, so they jump between multiple platforms with ease. This generation expects brands to set sales tactics aside. Instead, they're looking for brands to act as advisors.
Generation Alpha is on its way, too. This generation includes anyone born after 2009. While they're not that old just yet, this generation impacts their Millennial parents' buying behaviors.
6. Digital Brands Dominate
Digitally-native brands are dominating online, too. Many are making a significant impact in the marketplace. Consider the online mattress-in-a-box company Casper as an example. This company spends a big part of their digital advertising budget on social media ads. As a result, the brand was able to compete with more prominent, more established names like Sealy and Tempur-Pedic. New digital brands will continue to emerge in the marketplace. These brands are equipped to target consumers who spend most of their time online.
7. Go Old School
If Stranger Things is any indication, old school is making a come back. Younger generations are even interested in the decades before they were born. To take advantage of this trend, Amazon is returning to brick-and-mortar bookstores. Meanwhile, consumers are buying more vinyl records in addition to MP4s. This can lead brands to bring back old products and trends as well.
8. Chatbots and AI
For a smooth online experience, more companies are using helpful chatbots. Chatbots make it easier for consumers to find what they're looking for. This helps to streamline the buyer's journey so that it becomes a smooth online experience makes your brand appear helpful and informative, too. Website chatbots can also direct website users to specific areas of content. By doing this, companies control the sales funnel as well.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence are stepping up their game, too. Data allows companies to make smart decisions based on consumer data. Using this data, you can develop a marketing strategy that's designed with your customers in mind.
9. Brand Differentiating
As one of 200 million brands, your company needs to stand out. Branding is becoming one of the most reliable business tools for company growth. Instead of trying to convince consumers to buy, companies can use branding to appeal to their emotions. That gets customers to care. This can impact customer acquisition as well as retention. That way, customers stick around for the long-term.
For this to work, your company needs a relatable, consistent brand. A relatable brand helps you connect with customers. Meanwhile, consistent branding ensures customers recognize you every time. Here are ten signs it's time for your company to consider rebranding.
10. Digital Detoxing
With all of the digital advancements out there, it's no wonder everyone is always stuck to our smartphones. However, consumers also want to take a break from their devices from time to time.
This cultural paradox offers companies new opportunities to reach out at the right place and right time.
10 Top Brand Marketing Trends of 2019
Brand marketing can redefine how you reach and interact with customers. With these top 10 trends of 2019, you can ramp up engagement and attract new business.
Learn more about how our methodology can help develop the foundations of your brand today.