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Charles O'Tudor

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The Editor's Pick

Following Trends, Holding On To The Past: Marketing Communications And The Future Of Brand Management

by Charles O'Tudor
written by Charles O'Tudor 10mins read

I would like to start by quoting Samuel Scott’s last paragraph from his in-depth
piece titled “How Google Analytics ruined marketing.”
“There is a whole world of marketing out there beyond attempts to answer the
flawed question: What content should I publish on my website to get the most
traffic and customers?
Here is the real question to ask: How would you market yourself if the Internet
didn’t exist? Answer that, and it’ll help your online marketing too.”
THE NEW MARS
5.16 billion; this figure by Statista is the number of internet users globally as of
January 2023. This is a stunning 64.4% of the global population. Of this total,
4.76 billion people, or 59.4 per cent of the world’s population, were social media
users.
The internet has become the ninth planet in our solar system, and its population
keeps growing.
The marketing communications industry has undergone significant changes in
recent years. With the advent of new technologies, the proliferation of social
media platforms, and the rise of the internet, the way brands communicate with
consumers has been transformed. As a result, brand management has become
increasingly complex, requiring a sophisticated understanding of consumer
behaviour, market trends, and the latest digital tools.
One of the biggest challenges facing marketers today is the fragmentation of
media. Consumers now have access to an unprecedented array of platforms,
each with its unique audience and set of communication channels. This has
made it difficult for brands to develop coherent messaging strategies that can
reach all of their target audiences. To succeed in this environment, marketers
must be able to tailor their messaging to fit the specific needs and preferences of
each platform.
THAT’S ORIGINAL
Another challenge facing the marketing communications industry is the growing
importance of authenticity. In today’s hyper-connected world, consumers have
become increasingly sceptical of traditional advertising methods. They want to
engage with brands that are transparent, genuine, and socially responsible. This
has led to the rise of influencer marketing, which involves partnering with
individuals who have a large following on social media and who can help to
promote a brand’s message in an authentic and relatable way.
But this is also not entirely foolproof; according to Meta, which owns competitor
platforms Facebook and Instagram, it estimates that fake accounts represent
about 5% of monthly active Facebook users, based on its most recent 2021
fourth-quarter data.
Since influencer marketing has grown in popularity, a new type of fakery called
FAKE FOLLOWERS has emerged. Hundreds of accounts interacting with a
product are no longer sufficient to judge its authenticity; instead, customers
require more established channels of contact with both real and fake products
and services.
At the same time, marketers must also be mindful of the need to protect their
brand’s reputation. A single error can swiftly spin out of hand and harm a brand’s
standing in the age of fast feedback and internet reviews. Brands must be aware
of their core values and be prepared to act quickly when those values are
violated to prevent this.
THE NUMBERS GAME
“Doing business without data may make a company’s life easier—but it will
definitely make it shorter.” – Brand Trust.
Looking ahead, the future of brand management will likely be shaped by several
emerging trends. For example, the growing importance of data analytics will
make it possible for brands to develop highly targeted and personalised
messaging strategies. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence and
machine learning will enable marketers to automate many of their processes,
allowing them to focus more on developing creative and strategic messaging. In
all of these influences, the greatest hack for brand management consultants is to
stick to the basics of Brand Management, understanding the core of a brand’s
existence, the why, and how to express that why in a way that helps the brand
exist with proof.
What are the numbers saying in this regard?
All existing social media platforms gather user information, both actively through
the development of user-profiles during platform setup and passively through
user interactions and transactions. Businesses use this data to monitor user
behaviour both on and off the network, including status updates, likes and
dislikes, cookie tracking, photo publishing, etc.
According to Internet Live Stats, 2022, Google processed more than 8.5 billion
searches daily.
Total worldwide emails sent per day is 347.3 billion in 2023 – Oberlo.
The average Number of Tweets Sent Per Day is 500 million – SocialShepherd.
70% of Internet users are active on at least one Meta platform – Hootsuite.
As of June 2022, more than 500 hours of video were uploaded to YouTube every
minute – Statista.
Brand managers can now learn more quickly, act more decisively, recognize
market trends earlier, and appraise them better thanks to data-based brand
management. They can also avoid letting experience slow them down.
If you are unaware of the foundational elements of the brand, all these metrics
are meaningless to your strategy.
But how do you understand a brand if you do not question its basics, why, how,
and feel?
BALANCING EXTREMES
The increasing significance of storytelling is a further significant development.
Consumers are inundated with information in the current digital era. Brands must
be able to tell captivating tales that connect with their target audience to stand
out from the competition and grab their attention. For this, it’s important to have a
thorough understanding of consumer psychology and the capacity to create a
message that speaks directly to customers’ wants and needs.
In the words of J.K Rowling, “No story lives unless someone wants to listen.”
According to renowned cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner, the human mind is
approximately 22 times more likely to remember facts if those facts are part of a
story; this is further supported by Search Engine Watch, which states that
storytelling can increase conversions by a staggering 30%. Storytelling basically
helps prospects remember your message.
The “Share a Coke” campaign, which involves modifying the usual wrapping
around the Coca-Cola bottle to say “Share a Coke with…” and a well-known
name, is a great illustration of how narrative can lead to conversions. The
campaign’s goal was to forge closer ties with customers and elicit happy
memories that could be shared.
When Avis management was questioned by DDB, the company’s advertising
agency, about why people leased vehicles from them, “We Try Harder” was born.
The comment was that Avis will always work harder as the competitor to keep the
client happy because it was second in its market after the market leader Hertz.
Doyle Dane Bernbach was able to turn being the number two car rental brand in
the market into a true marketing advantage. Due to their creative effectiveness,
the market share for Avis grew from 29% to 36%.
In conclusion, the marketing communications industry is in a state of constant
flux, driven by new technologies, changing consumer behaviours, and evolving
market trends. To succeed in this environment, brands must be nimble,
adaptable, and willing to take risks. They must leverage the latest digital tools
while staying true to their core values and developing authentic relationships with
their customers. By doing so, they can build strong, enduring brands that stand
the test of time.
Ambassador [Dr] Charles O’Tudor is the Group Principal Consultant of Adstrat BMC, Africa’s premier brand management consulting firm

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Economy

Political Branding: Redefining Politicking

by Charles O'Tudor
written by Charles O'Tudor 10mins read

Politics, elections, campaigns, voters; these words mean different things to different people. They are attributed to democracy, a concept that is built on giving equitable representation, but what is equitable representation if a few too many are not involved in the process that determines how the democracies of their different nations are shaped?

We do not have a government by the majority. 

We have government by the majority who participate. ” 

Thomas Jefferson couldn’t be more apt when he made the above pronouncement.

In my over two decades of creating impossible brands, converting customers, designing campaigns, winning and losing, I have come to understand how, through the use of a few branding principles, we can run campaigns, choose leaders, and compete in ways that are ethical and free from the usual vile and “negative-focused” campaigns that are slowly becoming the norm.

I have summarised my initial points in a series of write-ups posted on my personal blog, but I have decided to harmonise all three talking points and break them into bits using language and references that are simple, so it’s easier to connect, reflect, and recall the core essence of this message.

A Game of Consistency

One of the most successful teams in NBA history, the San Antonio Spurs, has a quote from social reformer Jacob Riis hanging in their locker room: “When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundredth and first blow, it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it—but all that had gone before. “

Being in an election year in Nigeria means having hundreds of people shove their big dreams of transformation in our faces, some of whom we know all too well, and most of whom only show up every leap year with promises. 

This does not negate or confirm the chances or intentions of these august visitors, but it does highlight the difference between politicians who win big and those who continue to play the four-year card.

Taking lessons from the life of a Chinese bamboo tree, which takes five years to grow,

Every day, it must be watered and fertilized in the ground where it has been planted.

It doesn’t break through the ground; there is no visible result for all that consistent input for five years.

In five years, once it breaks through the ground, it will grow to 90 feet in five weeks! What happens to the Chinese bamboo tree can be likened to “overnight success,” but is it really overnight or a five-year journey of consistency, as the opening quote alluded to?

A more relatable, “human-like” example is the narrative of someone whose life is so extraordinary that his story of reaping the value of consistency is only beginning to unfold.

Tunde Onakoya (Founder, Chess In Slums) set up what has now transformed into a nonprofit that’s intentional in delivering on its promise of empowering children in slums across Africa. These are children who live in some of the most terrible living conditions and have gone back to school and accessed other opportunities that have set them on a path of success using the game of chess as a driver.

With a GoFundMe campaign whose target was changed twice to set a current target cap of 1 million dollars, Tunde’s consistency over the years has given birth to a global movement that is committed to ensuring vulnerable children have an equal opportunity to live purposeful lives.

Both cases studies are lessons that speak to political brands on the need to not just jump on every moving trend but identify and carve a niche where their talents are their truest self and keep building, showing up and putting themselves out there.

Similarly, in governance and leadership, you can amass all of the spoils in a single strike.

When you finally break through the Plateau of Latent Potential, people will call it an overnight success. 

The outside world only sees the most dramatic event, rather than all that preceded it. 

But you know that it’s the work you did long ago—when it seemed that you weren’t making any progress—that makes the jump today possible. ” -James Clear

When it comes to political and emotional branding, the ugly truth is that it is simpler to make a consistent brand rise than an almost non-existent one. Even if the consistent brand has a pile of skeletons, selling a promise of “tested and trusted” or “the devil you know” is an easier sell.

We are always attempting to improve ourselves, but it is never that simple because we are continuously confronted with challenges that encourage us to give up. 

Progress can be gradual, but like the Chinese bamboo tree, you must have the strength to overcome any difficulties because it will all be worth it in the end. 

Growing a new set of talents is beneficial not only to you but also to others, as is the ability to persevere even when you don’t see results.

Without a doubt, all big things come from small beginnings. This is not to say don’t play big, but to recognise the value of consistent effort.

Start today.

The Last Mile is Perception.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

This statement from Hamlet by William Shakespeare speaks to the need for aspiring leaders to understand the need to own up to whatever they choose to stand for.

In playing politics with leadership, we have seen various perception-shaping campaigns where deceit and lies take charge, and trust, consistency, and self-awareness take the back seat.

I think the big question then is, “how do you create a perception that is both true to you and sellable to your followers?”

Let me share with you the catalytic story of Viktor Frankl—he was imprisoned in the death camps of Nazi Germany, where he experienced things that were so repugnant to my sense of decency that I shudder to even think about them. His parents, his brother, and his wife died in the camps or were sent to the gas ovens, and Frankl would often wonder if he would suffer the same fate as he shoveled out the ashes of those so fated.

One day, naked and alone in a small room, he began to become aware of what he later called “the last of the human freedoms”—his Nazi captors could control his entire environment, they could do what they wanted to his body, but Viktor Frankl himself was a self-aware being who could look as an observer at his very involvement. He could decide within himself how all of this was going to affect him.

In the midst of the most degrading circumstances imaginable, Frankl discovered a fundamental principle about the nature of man: between our realities and our responses to those realities, man has the freedom to choose.

He became an inspiration to those around him, even to some of the guards. Helping others find meaning and dignity in their suffering and prison existence can benefit them as well.

What does this tell us about brands that aspire to political leadership?

For one thing, you have to create who you are, first in your mind’s eye, then in the eyes of your followers, opposition, and those who are indifferent about what you stand for.

Recognise the things you can control and leverage on them. One key factor in this, as Frankyl’s story revealed, is that the human mind is always free and available for the next convincing story to occupy (Your opponents might own the money, but you own the gold mines, which is people’s minds).

Be an existence that expresses what you stand for; speak it, wear it, be it, engage it. Once you identify who/what you want to be, apply the tools of the modern world (media, communities, etc) to sell your message and promise.

The best way to actualise that which you claim to be is to actually be it, even in private, which is why brand management identifies, highlights, and transforms those things which can be found in your belief systems when queried.

Be in the minds of your followers and you don’t have to be in anyone’s pocket.

The mastery of controlling perception is one of the biggest determiners in politics and leadership in general.

How are you shaping yours?

A special thanks to Stephen Covey for inspiring the use of Viktor Frankl’s teachings.

Campaigning Differently

The level of voter participation is mostly contingent upon the sophistication of the channels utilised by candidates and political parties to manage and disseminate political information and campaign messages to the electorate. Succinctly put, the robustness of a party’s propaganda machinery is a key determinant of the outcome of an election.” [Excerpt from Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, Chukwuemeka Enyiazu, and Kelechi Elijah Nnamani’s Study].

It takes a lot of courage to do things differently, but this is what sets you apart from the deluge of posters, messages, and other materials that are commonly associated with election and campaign seasons. 

People have lost trust and faith in a system that is supposed to empower them, not put them down, which is why a large percentage of Nigerians are not paying attention to the 2023 elections. So, how do you gain votes and trust?

Running campaigns traditionally the same way as “it has always been done” has been proven to be a defeatist strategy. The typical Nigerian campaign landscape revolves around churning out money with no clear-cut strategy on community engagement. Money is definitely important, no doubt, but the question is how do we use money as a transformative campaign tool rather than a weaponised one.

I have always been fascinated by the process of persuading others to make particular judgments. 

Based on my experience with hundreds of successful and a few unsuccessful brand management procedures and tactics, as well as Louis Perron’s comment on the topic, I will summarize my observations on the following six points:

Identify and speak the language of your audience.

In your attempt to connect, you risk alienating your core supporters by attempting to be everything to everyone. 

Find something that connects to your audience’s diversity or give them that one thing by getting to know them.

Message

This is not about a tagline. It should express something about you and your opponents. You have to give voters a reason why they should vote for you. Ideally, not by talking about yourself but by telling them what’s in it for them.

The 2008 Obama campaign slogan “Change we can believe in” and the chant “Yes We Can” played a vital role in making the Obama campaign one of the most successful in modern-day democracy.

Every great political campaign rewrites the rules. Developing a new way to win is what gives campaigns a

comparative advantage over their adversaries.”

—John Podhoretz

Media:

Successful campaigns tell a story and are not afraid of taking their voters on a journey. Great storytelling is not an ideology, but simply about storytelling. Leveraging social media, print, and local/community engagement — the ability to harmonise them makes for an exciting campaign. Also, if you want the media to run your story, give them fireworks and rainbows in the answers to their questions. Remember, strategy.

Be human.

As simple as it sounds, being human is one of the most difficult things politicians aiming for leadership positions face. People want to know that you are a part of them and can relate to their common reality. Have human moments, but be strategic about it.

If you think that elections are cerebral affairs decided by logic and facts, I have bad news for you. As psychologist Drew Westen explained, “Two-thirds of voters’ decisions to support one candidate or another could be accounted for by two simple variables: their partisan feelings and their feelings towards the candidates.” Candidates’ positions on the issues had only a modest effect on their electoral preferences.

Money:

One of the most difficult tasks for anyone in politics is to inspire the public. 

Many people believe that money is the most essential aspect of campaigning, but I believe that you can get the proper message out with less money. 

In my line of business, I have had clients with too much money, and one thing they all had in common was that money impedes/undermines discipline; for example, you’ll see campaigns with so many advertising platforms and zero consistency that the heart of the message is lost.

Politicians need to rethink how they gather finance for campaigns, from social media fundraising to event sponsorship. 

The deployment of precise storytelling, informed positioning, and forming principled alliances may all help raise money that can subsequently be used as a transforming instrument. 

We need to shift our minds about money in politics in general, including where it comes from, how it is spent, and how transparent we are with campaign donations, among other things.

Lastly, make no major mistakes.

You may be wondering how it is possible to avoid making a mistake when it is human nature to do so, but through consultation and strategy, you can avoid making major mistakes.

The following are major blunders: starting too late, conducting faulty research, and, by far, the most serious error is producing campaign materials that are devoid of context.

What are your font type, colors, poses, and so on? 

Why should your campaign billboard look the same as everyone else’s?

You should offer a unique solution to a common problem and address issues that other politicians are unable to recognize.

Is there a consistency to your processes, or do you think order does not matter in Nigerian politics? 

Have the courage to take a step forward and stand apart from every other campaign.

I enjoy the fast pace and adrenaline rush of campaigning, but most importantly, it is an opportunity to make a positive contribution to society.

These concepts are not all there is to leadership, politics, or campaigns, but they are the framework for any successful political campaign, so use them, expand them, and build a campaign that unites rather than divides.

“Talk is cheap, voting is free; take it to the polls.”-Nanette L. Avery

Charles O’Tudor is the Group Principal Consultant, ADSTRAT BMC and Alumni, The School of Politics, Policy & Governance [SPPG]

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Olusegun-Obasanjo
Economy

CHIEF OLUSEGUN OBASANJO: WHAT ROLE IN OUR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

by Charles O'Tudor
written by Charles O'Tudor 10mins read

To many, National development is about philanthropic ideas such as ‘Doing something for humanity, ‘Changing the world for better, ‘Improving the lives of the poor, or even the ‘Leave no one behind’ principle of global development.

National development does not necessarily follow these morals, it is sometimes the wolf in sheep clothing but one thing is clear, you’d see through that sheep sooner rather than later.

In practice, the process of development involves a great number of interactions between actors of different status with varying resources and goals, but “the endpoint of any developmental thinking or process must be the welfare and wellbeing of the people themselves”.

Beginning with the colonial development plan (1958-1968), Nigeria has a unique background in national development planning— Long-term prejudice, political instability, and corruption, among other things, are stumbling blocks to Nigeria’s development.

Nigeria has tried to promote national development through major strategic initiatives – such as the Structural Adjustment Programme; the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy; the Strategy for Attaining the Millennium Development Goals; and the 7-Point Agenda – which were not seen to have been effectively implemented mainly as they lacked the critical essence of continuity as administrations changed.

With the 1979 election, while still a military dictator, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo redefined national development in modern-day Nigeria by handing over the authority of the country to the newly elected civilian president, Shehu Shagari.

Despite protesting his innocence, he was arrested in 1995 and convicted of being a part of a planned coup against the Abacha dictatorship. He achieved a higher level of spirituality while imprisoned, with providential having a profound influence on his eventual worldview.

The reality that the lessons and pathways built yesterday define our course today necessitates a review of some of the initiatives taken by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to put Nigeria on the road to inclusive development.

To combat corruption in Nigeria, Obasanjo established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), as well as strengthening the Code of Conduct Bureau, after inheriting a deeply divided, indebted, corrupt, and insecure country.

The depoliticization of the military, as well as the expansion of the police and mobilization of the army to battle widespread ethnic, religious, and separatist violence, produced results that were not followed up on by later administrations.

To reduce the country’s spiraling debt, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo privatized various public firms while receiving an $18 billion debt relief from the Paris and London clubs.

Influenced by Pan-Africanist ideas, he was a keen supporter of the formation of the African Union and served as its chair from 2004 to 2006.

Obasanjo, who has been dubbed “one of the great figures of the second generation of post-colonial African leaders,” has been lauded for overseeing Nigeria’s transition to representative democracy in the 1970s as well as his Pan-African efforts to promote cooperation not only within the country but across the continent.

Obasanjo sought to alleviate poverty, reduce government corruption, and establish a democratic system which he followed with action, results of which we still see today in form of the institutions he established.

If there is one thing that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo will be remembered for, it will be his part in ensuring that Nigeria’s telecoms sector thrived.

What then is our takeaway from all this?

A lot I must say, but one thing I’d take away from all these is that development is only possible if there is a willingness from the very tip of power to make sure it happens.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo Exemplifies this narrative.

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Impact

Succession Planning

by Charles O'Tudor
written by Charles O'Tudor 10mins read

There’s an old saying that explains the inherent benefits of succession planning best: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. However, when your business is just growing and your financial future looks secure, it can be hard to stop long enough to consider what might happen to your company if you suddenly weren’t there.

The purpose of succession planning is to make sure a company always has the right leaders in place should a change happen quickly. By failing to create an orderly plan for succession, your company may not get a second chance if it doesn’t adapt immediately after a key player leaves the company or passes away.

After all, you can’t anticipate when a serious illness, accident, disaster or pandemic will strike, but you can prepare for what will need to be addressed should one happen.

While it may seem like a time-consuming process, there are six main ways succession planning benefits your business.

The benefits of succession planning are:

Disaster-proofs your business
You buy insurance to protect the company from hurricanes, floods, and fires. You install security systems to defend the company from theft. And you back up data to an off-site location to safeguard your business’s proprietary information. Many business owners get so busy with the day-to-day operations of their company that they fail to make succession planning a priority. These leaders may think they’re too young to be hit with a serious illness.

Or they forget that a key player (or several) could be lured away by another company that needs their skills and is willing to pay top dollar for them. Any of these scenarios can leave a business uniquely vulnerable.

Remember: Succession planning is another step in your senior leadership’s strategy to protect the company – whether you are physically there for its long-term success or not. Starting the conversation may be daunting, but the sooner the work on your succession plan begins, the quicker your business is shored up for the long haul. Think of it as business continuity insurance that requires grooming employees. Identifies your most-qualified future leaders
Formal succession planning requires your company to:

Identify those positions most critical to the future success of the company. These might not all be C-suite positions.
Identify internal candidates with the values, skills, and desire to take on those critical jobs.
Talk to potential candidates about their interests and career plans. These crucial steps in succession planning lead to several benefits. First, a thorough look at your org chart helps your leadership better understand potential vulnerabilities and can bring a sense of urgency to cross-train key employees in certain roles.

On the other hand, if there are truly no internal candidates who seem right for leadership positions, then you know to begin an external search early on. Most importantly, one of the benefits of succession planning is that it lets ambitious, less-experienced internal candidates know their hard work and skills have been noticed and appreciated enough to be considered for advancement. This can be an incredible retention tool and motivator for junior managers and subject matter experts who want to advance their careers into management.

Creates a structure for training and development Once your company has identified that Segun or Folake is interested in moving into senior positions, you can identify any competency gaps and begin grooming them for their eventual succession. Some of the employee’s professional development may come in the form of coaching, mentoring, job shadowing, or a gradual increase in more advanced responsibilities. Other positions may even require the candidate to go back to school to get additional education or professional certification.

By tapping potential successors early, you give employees time to acquire the skills and experience they’ll need to perform well in their senior roles. You also let employees know that you’re willing to invest in their growth as well as the companies. Keeps extra eyes on a job
Once your top prospects are being groomed, your company has a chance to reap perhaps its best tool to grow and thrive. This happens when a junior manager is sitting and talking with their senior leader about why they’re doing things a particular way.

The simple process of explaining the status quo helps reveal a weakness in processes and procedures, uncovered sales opportunities, and opportunities for positive change. This natural process allows your company to keep an extra set of eyes on its senior roles and encourages questioning of the corporate norms that may have become dated or inefficient.

In this way, succession planning results in future-proofing your company. Conversely, when retiring employees leave, they can act as a sounding board for questions and concerns, troubleshoot customer problems, and more. This helps to smooth the transition. Maintains brand identity
You frequently hear news of CEOs who come into a company from the outside with great promise, only to fail in a short time. Sadly, such disastrous hires often damage the company’s reputation and long-term growth along them. This usually happens because the outsider CEO doesn’t understand the fundamental values and mission of their new company because they haven’t “grown-up” in it, so to speak.

Wanting to put their own stamp on the business, or failing to grasp customer needs, they move the organization away from its core brand. The benefit of succession planning is that it helps your company avoid this. By identifying and grooming an internal successor, your company ensures it will be led by someone who shares its values and deeply understand the company’s brand promise, its customers, and its employees because they’ve lived it themselves.

Helps the company plan for the long-term change that happens fast. When your company knows where it’s going, your team can plan for the future.

If you position succession as part of your company’s overall growth plans, you create a path for retiring employees to hand off their years of hard-earned knowledge and transition important working relationships before they leave.

The objective of a succession plan is to help your company grow with intent as you identify and build plans for vulnerabilities in other areas of the business.

Other benefits to succession planning may include providing help in ascertaining which areas require innovation, setting realistic goals for growth, and planning for future talent needs that may result from that growth

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BrandingColumnMedia

Branding Trends for 2021 | Latest Predictions to Watch Out For.

by Charles O'Tudor
written by Charles O'Tudor 10mins read

Branding—it’s what defines a business and sets it apart from competitors. However, in this era of digital distractions, a catchy name and a nice logo are no longer enough to pique the interest of modern consumers. 

So, how will you create a solid brand identity that will capture the attention of your target audience? Well, for starters, it helps to have a good grasp of the latest branding trends.
To help you out,I have taken the liberty of compiling data on the most important branding trends and developments. From logo designs and social media hashtags to customer-driven strategies and branding technologies, we have all the information you need to keep up with your competitors and stand out in your industry.

A solid branding is what will set your company apart from the rest.
This is why many companies put a great deal of effort into coming up with a catchy brand name, designing their logo, and planning color schemes.
However, this is only the first step to building a brand. 
Remember, branding is all about perception. 
In order for you to make your company embedded in the mind and memory of the market, you need to go beyond the aesthetics.
Modern customers want substance and they want purpose. 
The way you uphold your company values as well as what advocacies you stand up for resonate more with them than how pretty your color scheme is or how detailed your logo may be.
That said, we can safely say that brand building in the 21st century is no walk in the park.

It can take years to build a strong identity that represents your brand. Furthermore, once you’ve developed that, it will still take you at least 5 impressions to elicit brand recall.
In addition, brand managers deal with other challenges. 
For instance, delivering messages to the right audiences  is now more difficult to do. 
Furthermore, balancing brand voice and personalization is more complicated than ever.
In order to help you overcome these challenges as well as ensure effective branding for your company, i have compiled the essential branding trends of today. 
Here, you’ll find in-depth explanations and examples of each trend so that you can better understand how to use them to your advantage.

Logo Adaptability

Companies have to be everywhere if they want to be noticed. 
That is to say, it is no longer enough to just have a physical store that you promote online and through advertisements. 
If you want to thrive in the digital age, you will need to have a website and be present on several social networking platforms as well.
Because of this trend, many companies are now choosing to create shape-shifting logo designs. 
This just means that your logos change in size, complexity, or color depending on what you are using it for. 
For example, you can have a master logo that you can use for your website and create a simpler icon for your Instagram account. 
Another thing you can consider is creating a one-tone logo that can be used as watermarks on photos.
By having these different variations, you can ensure consistency no matter what medium your logo is viewed on. Meaning, it allows you to make your logo work regardless of the layout it is being used on. 
Moreover, it allows your customers to recognize your branding in different ways, increasing the chance of brand recall.

Blandified Branding

Minimalism has taken the world by storm in recent years, with everybody moving to remove clutter from their day-to-day lives.
It seems the movement has caught up even in the business industry as many companies started stripping down their branding to the simplest possible form.
For example, both Google and Airbnb recently had facelifts that changed their logos to sans-serif, a popular typeface for Minimalism. 
The same can be observed for big fashion labels such as Balmain, Yves Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga.
Other brands are following suit as well by opting for fewer colors, using more negative space, and leveraging simpler typography. 
In fact, 95% of top companies now use two colors for their branding.

Minimalism aside, another reason why many brands are choosing to go bland is because it gives them a better shot at becoming iconic. 
After all, the simpler the font and colors, the easier it is to pair with all sorts of supporting graphics. 
A good example of this would be Nike and Levi’s—both brands are easily recognizable no matter what background you put their logo on.
The only downside to this branding trends design, however, is that there’s a very real chance that you’d blandify your brand to the point where it’s boring. 
So, before you join the bandwagon, you should test out different color schemes and font styles that will help you make your brand stand out without compromising simplicity.

Nostalgic Brand Marketing

Trends have been a focal point in the digital age. 
People have their eyes glued on their social media accounts for the latest technology, gadget, fashion design, and trends in various industries. 
However, this culture of “keeping up with the Joneses” can be frustrating and tiring for a lot of consumers. 
This is why blasts from the past now play a more meaningful role in branding.
Many relish the past and wish to recapture the feeling of how things used to be. 
By using nostalgic brand marketing, you can invoke these old memories and attach positive feelings to your products and services. 
Therefore, you can improve the chances of boosting customer trust and brand recall. 
This is backed by a 2017 Nielsen study that revealed advertising aligned with emotions yields better results.

Branded Visual Content

Humans are visual creatures. 
We are naturally better at retaining images than any other form of content. However, from a brand marketing perspective, this doesn’t mean all types of visual content can elicit the same response from your target market.
According to HubSpot, branded images can yield 67% more attention than advertisements and other promotional content. 
This can be attributed to the fact that this type of visual content aims to promote your brand without the risk of overt advertising.
In addition, this type of content allows you to generate new leads more effectively on social media. 
With all sorts of content circulating on these networks, GIFs, charts, infographics, videos, and other substantial visual content have a better shot at being noticed compared to ads that simply lay out what products you have to offer.
This is important especially now that Facebook recently changed its algorithm to focus news feeds on friends and family instead of ads.
As a result, you’ll see that many B2C marketers now focus on creating videos and webinars.
Of course, before you leverage this strategy, be sure to create visuals that reflect the aesthetic of your brand. 
For example, if it’s an infographic, use your official font style or decorate it using your color scheme. 
If it’s a video, add your logo to the bottom corner of the video. 
This way, customers know that you produced the content. 
This allows you to subtly advertise your brand.

Social Media Branding

The accessibility of the internet has paved the way for an always-on social media culture. 
This consequently transformed sites like Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram into prime spots for building your brand. 
This is why it comes as no surprise that 90% of organizations leverage social media for brand awareness.
That said, you should pay attention to how you showcase your products and services on these platforms. 
A good way to start is to zero in on which sites your customers mostly use and study the format of each social network. After all, these platforms focus on different types of content. 
For instance, Twitter relies more on written content while Instagram relies on visuals.
After this, you’ll need to create a consistent visual theme for your accounts. 
This means creating a color scheme and having a standard for photo editing and layouting to give your brand a more solid identity.
Lastly, you will have to develop a voice for your brand. 
Do you want to sound formal? 
Quirky? Punny? 
Be sure to create a lingo that speaks to your target audience and stick to it.
In addition to these, companies also need to keep updated on platform changes. 
According to the latest Bynder State of Branding Report, 65% of companies say that social media algorithm changes are the biggest threat to their brand engagement efforts. 
By staying in the know of these modifications, you will be able to adjust your social media branding efforts accordingly.
You should also consider using social media management tools to plan posts and measure the impact of each content you publish. 
This way, you can make your social media campaigns more organized and data-driven.

Official Hashtags

Still on the topic of social media, another branding trend that has become essential in the past few years is the use of official hashtags.
According to Omnicore Agency, nowadays,7 in 10 hashtags are branded -that’s on Instagram alone.
One reason for this is because hashtags can increase customer engagement by 50% as well as reinforce brand awareness.
By asking your customers to post about their recent purchase from your company and using the hashtag, you can extend your reach to their followers. You can also choose to share screenshots of these user-generated posts on your social media page to encourage other customers to share their experience with your brand as well as persuade leads to purchase.
In addition to engaging customers, hashtags can also be used to gauge the pulse of your consumers. 
Monitoring these closely can give you a better idea of how they perceive your brand. In addition, having specific hashtags for particular products and services allow you to see their impact on your customers.

Online Communities

Customer interaction has many faces. 
It can take the form of social media comments, instant messages, phone calls, emails, or even through the hashtags on their posts, as we’ve discussed earlier. 
Aside from these, there’s another kind of customer interaction that helps you reinforce retention—online communities.
These online communities serve as a platform for your customers to interact with each other. 
With these, you can connect your clients with like-minded individuals and create deeper relations between them and your brand. 
Think of this participatory experience as a casual get-together no different from inviting friends for a cup of coffee to discuss your interests.
According to CMA, 37% of shoppers stick with companies because of online communities.
Having the option to participate in discussions about a brand makes them trust a company more. 
Consequently, this increases the likelihood of them purchasing from the brand.
This was backed by a MarTech study that revealed 2 out of 3 brands with online communities experienced a revenue increase thanks to strong community engagement.
Aside from boosting retention, online communities, in a similar light to hashtags, are also a great way to understand the wants and needs of your customers. 
This reduces the need to extensively monitor social media for trends as you can see what they are discussing right on your servers.

Brand Authenticity

Customer trust has hit an all-time low in the past couple of years. 
In the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer, they reported that only 34% of consumers trust brands they buy from. This is why creating an authentic brand image is critical for modern businesses.
A Stackla report on consumer content revealed that 86% of shoppers view authenticity as a huge factor in purchasing decisions.
Moreover, the same study also reported that a whopping 90% of millennials say authenticity is important in branding, noting that they prefer “real and organic” companies over those that are “perfect and packaged.”
This data goes to show that photoshopped ads, heavily edited commercials, and using picture-perfect models no longer have an allure for modern shoppers. 
They would much rather do business with companies that are honest with them.
A good example of this would be McDonald’s. 
Following controversies about their ingredients, they decided to publish a behind-the-scenes video of how they make their food in the hopes of evoking transparency. 
They also launched an “Our Food, Your Questions” campaign wherein they address popular queries about their company and post the information through webisodes. 
As a result, this campaign allowed them to tackle misconceptions about their brand and curb negative rumors surrounding their food.
As such, you can also apply this strategy by showing snippets of your manufacturing processes. 
Similarly, you can share where you source your materials or how you inspect for quality to help customers learn a little bit more about what your brand does.

Brand Inclusivity

Diversity, body positivity, and inclusivity are reshaping customer expectations. 
A survey by Accenture showed that 70% of millennials will choose inclusive and diverse brands over those that are not.
The 2018 State of Branding reported that the majority (79%) of companies acknowledge the importance of addressing issues both social and cultural for their branding strategy. However, a good chunk of these businesses are also struggling to keep up with the demand.

Sustainable Branding Initiatives

Greta Thunberg is perhaps one of the most ardent environmental activists today. 
However, the school strike that she started in 2018 is not the first time that people called for the government as well as companies to do their part in creating a healthier planet. 
What’s more is it’s highly unlikely to be the last.
Studies show that 88% of consumers believe companies can influence societal change.
Thus, they should take the lead in addressing environmental issues by providing more sustainable products.
Plus shoppers nowadays are more conscious about what they purchase. They make it a point to opt for more sustainable brands whenever they can. In fact, according to the Global Web Index 2018, 58% of Gen Zers, 61% of Millennials, 55% of Gen Xers, and 46% of Baby Boomer consumers will pay more for eco-friendly products.
With this data, it comes as no surprise that many brands are now implementing sustainable operational practices as well as ethical business processes. 
This way, they can meet the demands of green consumerism and gain the trust and loyalty of their customers.

Socially Responsible Branding

Consumers no longer see products as mere commodities—each one is now a statement. 
This is why purpose-driven brands have more appeal to modern shoppers. 
In fact, 87% of customers purchase from organizations who shared their cause.
To quote the 2017 Cone Communications CSR Study, “companies must now share not only what they stand for, but what they stand up for.”
One such reason for this is because 46% of all consumers say brands have better ideas for resolving problems than the government.
Take a look at the American shoe and apparel brand Toms, for instance. 
They have one of the most effective social responsibility strategies to date. Some even say they are one of the companies that led the social impact movement.
For starters, they’ve teamed up with several organizations and institutions to support multiple causes. 
They have campaigns to end gun violence, promote equality, and raise mental health awareness, among others. By letting customers choose which advocacy to support with each purchase they make, they attach a sense of purpose to every sale and help customers be part of something bigger than just their customer base.

Humanized Brand Personality

The truth of the matter is, it’s difficult for customers to trust brands. 
They feel like most companies are simply out to get their money. 
If you want them to do business with you, you must humanize your brand.
Attaching a personality to your brand is one of the most tried and tested brand marketing trends of all time. 
After all, just as people have multifaceted personalities, so should your company.
In the Sprout Social Index, they revealed that consumers want to see different behaviors from brands on social media. As can be expected, shoppers want companies to be honest (86%), friendly (83%), and helpful (78%). 
However, aside from these qualities, shoppers also like brands that are funny (72%), trendy (43%), politically correct (39%), and snarky (33%). 
These behaviors make it easier for customers to relate to a particular brand.
One such company that has successfully implemented this strategy is Old Spice, an American brand selling male grooming products. 
Across their posts, ads, and websites, they are consistently playful and wacky. With this, they keep their customers from getting bored with the content that they publish. 
Moreover, they make themselves more approachable to customers.

Technology-Based Brand Strategy

Technology is deeply ingrained in our day-to-day lives as well as the operations of various industries. 
So, this item on my list of branding trends of the future is not necessarily new.
Marketers and brand managers have been utilizing technology for various aspects of branding for years. 
They invest in branding technologies to improve engagement16, development (20%), and awareness (17%). 
Furthermore, these can help them boost customer loyalty (15%) and implement automation (10%).
However, these past years, there are emerging technologies that they are slowly adopting to further optimize branding.
According to the 2018 Bynder State of Branding, some of the top tech that marketers are incorporating in their operations are mobile applications (68%), voice assistants (40%), and virtual reality (37%). 
These will allow them to accommodate internet users that rely on their smartphones as well as create better experiences for their potential customers and existing clients. 
In addition, these new technologies can help them make stay relevant in this fast-paced landscape.
Chart context menu

Customer-Driven Branding

The modern business landscape has taken customer-centricism to new heights. 
Being customer-driven was no longer just about conducting surveys to find out what your target market wants. Nowadays, brands are directly involving their customers in the development of products.
In a study by Bulbshare, statistics showed that 77% of shoppers prefer brands that collaborate with them[22]. This is because the simple act of letting them join your creative process empowers them.
Furthermore, this approach makes you look more trustworthy and authentic. The same study revealed that a majority (86%) of these consumers view customer-driven brands as more trustworthy. 
Meanwhile, 81% of them find brands that collaborate as more authentic than their competitors.
The LEGO brand is perhaps one of the pioneers and gold standard for customer-driven branding. 
One of it’s most recent co-creation campaigns, LEGO ideas, asks customers to check its website each week for new challenges and propose their very own LEGO creations that fit the theme. Winners not only win prizes, but their submissions are also turned into a real LEGO set that will be released on the market.

Micro-Influencer Partnerships

According to a TEDx Talk by Rachel David, influencers play a big part in modern brand marketing strategies. If you can get the right influencer, you no longer have to worry about reaching audiences that are interested in your niche. 
These people have already established themselves as an authority in their field and have an army of followers and engaged audiences.
The gaming industry perhaps utilizes influencer partnerships the most thanks to its large market share in the video streaming space. 
The second most-subscribed YouTuber, Felix Kjellberg aka “PewDiePie” performed a simple 11-minute let’s play video of Vainglory by Super Evil Megacorp in 2015 with his fans. 
The video amassed 2.2 million views to date.
Similarly, Electronic Arts’ published game Apex Legend sponsored a real-life battle royale tournament with a $200,000 prize pool at stake. 
It starred 39 YouTubers with subscriber counts that ranged from a million to 11 million.
With results like these, it comes as no surprise that 79% of brand managers have invested in influencer marketing over the past year while 22% have planned to utilize it for the first time.

Going Phigital

Striking a balance between digital and physical customer experiences is the key to successful brand building. 
This is what makes “Phigital” experiences such an integral part of modern branding strategies.
In a nutshell, Phigital campaigns are created to blur the lines between physical and digital strategies. 
With these, you can provide your customers with a more unique and memorable experience of your brand.
For instance, Audi uses augmented reality tech and touchscreens in their London showroom. 
With this, visitors can explore the different features of the cars for sale before they even inspect the actual vehicle.
Another good example of this is McDonald’s Pick N Play billboard game that they launched in Stockholm, Sweden. 
Using this campaign, customers can play the game displayed on the billboard by using their smartphone as the controller. 
No app was needed: all they had to do was visit the website advertised on the billboard, turn on their GPS, and start playing.
All the customers who tried the game won a coupon for a free Mcdonald’s meal if they survived for 30 seconds. This campaign was a success as it created a buzz for the brand and even promoted branches of the fast-food chain in the area.

McDonald’s Pick N Play billboard game is an example of a Phigital ad that helped engage customers on a grand scale.
Phigital Branding Takeaways:

    Phigital experiences will let you give customers the best of both the physical and digital worlds. This allows you to engage them as efficiently as possible.

    These Phigital campaigns make it easy for your brand to set itself apart from competitors.

Anti-Ad Advertising

Overt advertising has long been considered a nuisance by consumers. 
In fact, roughly 9 in 10 shoppers find ads more intrusive today than a few years ago. 
More often than not, ads are seen as clutter in their social media feed and distractions during their day-to-day commute. 
As a result, many consumers simply ignore the advertisements that they see.
To cope with this issue, several brands have resorted to leveraging anti-ad advertising. 
This allows them to capture the attention of customers by essentially doing the exact opposite of promoting their brand.
For example, the dating app Hinge advertised that their app is meant to be deleted. 
According to them, the application is a surefire way to help you meet the love of your life. So, you’ll end up removing it from your phone anyway.
A more recent instance of an anti-ad ad—and a more ambitious example of one—is the Doritos “Another Level” campaign. 
Here, they ditched their logo and brand name, confident that their customers will still recognize them. 
True enough, they managed to bring their brand to a whole ‘nother level as the campaign proved how iconic their company is.
One thing to note here, however, is that while anti-ad advertising may prove effective for brands like Doritos and Hinge, it might be difficult to pull off for smaller companies. 
After all, big brands already have name recall. 
Thus, they can easily benefit from such a stunt.

In the Doritos’ “Another Level” campaign, they proved the iconic status of their brand by stripping their advertisements of their logo, slogan, and name.
Anti-Ad Advertising Takeaways:

    Customers appreciate anti-ad ads more because they are not blatantly promoting a product.

    Anti-ad advertising is a great way for big brands to tap their audience; however, it might not be ideal for small businesses with minimal name recall.

Step Up Your Branding Game
Gaining the trust and loyalty of modern consumers has become harder than ever. 
With the abundance of distractions online and the frenzy of daily living, traditional branding strategies are slowly becoming powerless.
Building a brand now takes more effort compared to before. 
For starters, it focuses less on how a brand looks but more on how a brand acts. 
As such, brand activism is becoming more prevalent. In addition, many companies are working towards fostering authentic consumer experiences to meet demands. 
To top it all off, tech-driven campaigns that leverage both physical and digital platforms are now the new norm.
This just goes to show that brand managers and marketers have to go above and beyond to make sure to capture and retain the attention of their target audience.
To sum up, i hope that my compilation of branding trends was able to shed some light on the emerging strategies in the industry. 
With this, you should be able to create more updated branding tactics through 2021 and beyond.
 Should you need more clarity on any of trends highlighted,please do not hesitate to contact me.

ToYourBrandSuccess.

References:

    ^10 Reasons Why Personal Branding is a Requirement for Marketers & Business Leaders
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