When somebody is discussing something related to Coca-Cola or Apple, you know about whom they are talking. You understand each bit of conversation about those brands.
If you go around for a walk and watch a hoarding of Mac Donald’s or Starbucks, you are keen to know what is new in their plate or cup.
Wondered Why? That is because of their strong branding today even a small kid can identify the logo of Mac Donald’s and says its name.
We feel very familiar with this famous brand that is because, over the years, they have created a strong emotional bond with us. We think they are very much part of our family, and we are always curious to know any new thing is happening around them.
Everybody aims to create such a brand which will act as a standard for other companies. But it necessary to reach such stage you have to build your foundation stable, and irrespective of your size of professional business help is required from “Branding Agency“.
Role of branding agency?
Branding agency communicates your brand uniqueness, values, and voice in such a way that is visually appealing by creating a presence in the marketplace by developing in a brand which displays brand identity and influences customers.
The main aim is to uphold the brand in such a manner that it’s goals are objectively communicated, and a positive image is developed for targeted customers.
A branding agency creates more than just a pretty logo or website. They establish how your customers, employees and other stakeholders perceive your position in the marketplace. They shape how your unique corporate values and identity will be presented to the world.
RESPONSIBILITY OF A BRANDING AGENCY
Many people handle different roles and specifications as per their designation:
- Account manager act as a link between the client and the creative team who ensure to lead a team to provide at most level of customer service. The responsibilities of a branding agency are essential as the image of the companies they build brands for will depend on their expertise.
- Branding agency ensures to develop versatile brand name, brand positioning, brand architecture, research, packaging design, website and digital marketing.
- Responsible for ensuring that it meets the client’s requirements and also the image that they want to promote for their company/product.
- Highly smart and creative way with words will work. The Art Director on campaigns and visuals to make sure that the copy reflects the design and vice versa.
A branding agency must be reliable, unique, and must have an expert team to deal with the various challenges in making successful brands.
EXPERTISE IN BRAND STRATEGY AND VARIOUS KEY IDENTITIES:
Branding agencies are not the same as advertising or digital agency their have their niche services which act as asset and foundation for your organisation. They plan strategies which will help your brand to gain a competitive advantage in such cut-throat competition. These branding elements will then act as essential elements of your brand story.
Below are a few areas in which branding agency are expert and justify their existence.
- Brand Research/Market Research/Competitive analysis
- Brand naming as per the type of industry
- Brand architecture (based on the business model)
- Brand Design(Visual aspects logo, stationaries, marketing collaterals, packaging design etc.)
- Brand identities
- Brand Guidelines
- Brand story
- Brand tone/messaging
- Internal audit and branding
- Re-branding
9 trends branding agency should adopt to capitalize in 2020.
1. Personalise Touch
Looking at the pandemic this year, we must understand customer will now relate to people instead of products. If they can relate to your brand in a personalized manner, then they will feel confident to trust you.
Your focus should be on building honest relations with customers and not directly selling, which will not be appreciated. Developing a beautiful and meaningful brand story is one of the ways to personalize the brand.
2.Revised campaign strategies
Changing situations and market have enforced brands to improve their age-old traditional norms and communication style. Now people will value companies who talk and display the latest trends.
Hence branding agency has to play the role of conveying social distancing, change in positioning as per need now and many more updates need to add for brands so that they remain relevant.
Example – Brand like master card, Coca-Cola logo were departed away to show social distancing. While a company like Google maps which motivated travelling now communicated as stay home.
3.Focus on customers pain point with empathy
Customers like branding agency who never pushes them on various services, a right branding agency will always understand their requirements and cater that explicitly making sure they are not hard on selling concept.
They should try to understand customers keeping themselves in their shoes and realize his concerns and then provide solutions.
4. Be active in online industry communities
Make sure the branding agency is aware of what their customers are talking on various online medium about their products or service. These platforms will keep you updated and while you can provide solutions, advice and tips to people there. Here it is a subtle way of selling without actually selling.
Join various online groups, live chats, participate in community events; this will keep you aligned with the latest talks; this will enhance customer relationship also.
5.Enhance customer experience
To develop customer loyalty, one needs to render an exceptional customer experience and manage clients emotionally also. Hence goes beyond giving perks or gifts and just complementary stuff. It has to be unique, special, and something that differentiates you from your competitors.
By the year 2020, customer experience is expected to overtake product and price as a differentiator. As it is said, this year is all about making relationships and increasing affinity with your customers instead of focussing on profits and returns.
6.Modify payment modes
People are going through a crisis which has hit everyone from small businesses to the big hence branding agency should modify their policies and ensure to provide instalment based payment structure.
Therefore this can make customers still consider branding as part of their mandatory set of services. Helping people in this way can give them a ray of hope, and they can again start working based on a new standard term.
7. Show you care
There has been a significant shift toward being more human in everything marketers do. You have to scrutinize activities through the lens of how marketing can help rather than sell. Try to understand customers situation to be empathetic with them.
Guide them with correct directions which will lead them towards hope, today’s help will be remembered for their life. It is based on the give theory where you give a lot to gain from it.
We believe this situation will improve and bring collaboration between people in organizations virtually. It will bring departments closer together than they were before.
8. Provide lots of freebies
To motivate customers, branding agency should provide a free consultation and many other small but relevant services as complementary. Hence this way, we are not only motivating them but also doing our bit towards social care when people are so helpless and worried about future businesses.
A branding agency can provide taglines or brand names free as part of whole club services opted by clients. It will also increase your brand recognition as well as reputation, which will then come back to you one day for sure.
9. Brand is Mandatory
A lot of people have a myth that branding is luxury or can be done only by big companies while it’s not true. Looking at the economic and environmental situation going forward people will not prefer loose items for purchase such as grains, pulses, salt, sugar, tea powder etc.
Considering the hygiene factor people will prefer packaged food. Hence this leads to opting branding as mandatory services rather than a luxury. Thus the role of a branding agency is to make sure to understand brand needs and pain points and work accordingly.
CONCLUSION:
As per research, 63% of modern consumers prefer to do business with brands that share their values and beliefs; hence don’t miss adopting these strategies to sustain in the market. The millennial are much more aware that what they are being marketed to. Every brand wants that immediate idea that’s going to lift them above the noise, but the messaging and authenticity – really making a change – isn’t easily achieved in the blink of an eye. We all end up even more cynical. Hence from understanding the situation to moulding yourself in that shape is always a smart option. Go ahead, change your ideas and start working on these lines, which will give you sure shoot outputs.
