This is our selection of the top five trends:
1.- Weaving relationships
Brand humanization, authenticity, relevant information and personalization are buzzwords that will be at the heart of all successful brands in the new year.
Building connections with our target, our buyer persona, will allow us to get to know them in depth, to know where they are in their buyer’s journey or buying cycle, and thus be able to help them. The secret lies in knowing, before they do, what they need, and anticipating their desires or needs.
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A clear example of this is the construction toy brand Lego. Lugnet (Lego Users Group Network) is an unofficial website created by a community of Lego fans. It is a platform where news is disseminated and images of creations are shared. This community has been recognized by the brand as a “valuable source of information”. As a Lego spokesperson said, “Lugnet offers incredibly valuable insights into hardware, software, design and usability, useful information for developing branded products, marketing and much more.”
2- Absolute triumph of Branded Content
Branded content is increasingly displacing classic advertising. Over time, it is gaining ground to the detriment of traditional ads and messages. Consumers are becoming more astute and discerning, in a good way, and are not satisfied with just an ad. They want to learn, to know, to grow in knowledge, in experience?
It is a type of creative and fun “advertising” that seeks to build customer loyalty and make them fall in love with the product. It is not a fad or a passing trend. Branded content is here to stay.
Coca-Cola and Red Bull are two major international brands that periodically surprise us with their branded content strategies.
In the online environment we also find different examples of branded content. In reality, the purpose of a blog is to generate traffic and visibility to the website, but there are also large companies that create blogs outside their websites with attractive information for the buyer persona. It is a practice that any company, no matter how small, can implement .
Autotaller.net, a network of workshops in Mallorca, publishes on its Facebook page relevant information for its followers. How often is it advisable to change the car tires, tricks to keep the bodywork of our vehicle shiny or the current state of the roads in periods of bad weather are some of its most shared posts.
3.- Storytelling through video marketing
Big brands are no longer looking to sell. Great brands work to create and build connections with their target… And so, sales come on their own.
Nike has produced a video under the title “Da Da Ding” that aims to promote women’s sports and transmit the values of discipline and self-improvement. The video stars Deepika Padukone, an Indian model and actress in the Bollywood industry.
The passion conveyed by this ad, like all those of this great brand, is able to go beyond the screen and give us goose bumps.
The video does not talk about Nike products, but its protagonist wears and shoes this brand. Video marketing content is becoming more authentic and relevant. Storytelling is the most important thing.
4.-Highlighting brand values
There is a clear trend among consumers to value the integrity and environmental culture of a brand. Zara, Benetton and H&M are, among many others, three major global textile companies that are working very hard and focusing their efforts on improving their image. Emphasizing its sustainability values, reducing the environmental impact on the planet and moving towards a greener culture is also key to the future of branding.
5.- Automation to provide precise personalization.
Big brands treat their customers as if they were unique… and it is not precisely because they have few customers and can dedicate time to them. There are fantastic software tools that facilitate many of our day-to-day work processes. It is clear that marketing is a discipline that must be based not only on creativity, but also on the existence of a direct relationship with customers, staff, and therefore we should think about the many actions we can take to automate to make our day-to-day life more bearable, and save time and effort or, in other words, money.
Brands are using data to increasingly personalize customer experiences. Until now, you may have been oblivious to that reality. Don’t worry, you’re sure to notice the change in 2017.
You’ll walk past a bakery you’ve already entered a couple of weeks ago, and your cell phone will vibrate informing you that they’ve just released a new batch of croissants or offering you a 20 percent discount for the purchase of a delicious breakfast.
These are the top 5 trends for 2017, but, without a doubt, Smartphones become the support par excellence. Google reveals that more than half of its searches are now initiated on mobile, and Twitter claims that 90 percent of its videos are also viewed on smartphones. So, if you don’t already have it, all your online platforms should offer a responsive design.
We wish you a happy branding 2017.
