In a rapidly evolving consumer market, your brand needs to shape-shift faster than a Marvel character—and look just as good doing it.
Big flashy logos dominated the streets in the last century and why not? At that time, a logo was the focal point of a brand which is why it had to be prominent, recognizable and all over the place.
The past couple of decades have changed that. Logos are no longer the whole ship but still work as an anchor to hold the ship together. Brand itself has evolved into a whole ecosystem that has a personality of its own and that almost feels alive with the way it interacts with the people.
Entities, today, have not only moved and replicated themselves online but have also made their existence felt in the virtual world. The world is evolving faster than you can say the word ‘evolve’. We can catch up and thrive or fade away into the past. Our approach to what a brand truly means has also transformed over the years. Let’s understand how.
Demand fuels dynamism
As time flies by, we are increasingly looking at screens rather than looking around. Offline spaces are making their way to digital spaces. Brands need to imbibe fluidity in their personality and be flexible enough to take shape and form according to the varying digital devices.
Increasing competition and rising demand for a more interactive experience is changing the norms, leading a brand to become a living breathing identity. As the characteristics of a brand evolve, we can see the concept becoming more dynamic. The logo still plays an important role, but a brand becomes a whole personality with a voice, a tone and interactive elements, and has its own rules. Google doodle, for example, changes every day and is now an important part of the brand whereas the dusty rulebook would never allow a logo to change so frequently. The scales change from app to social media to website to tangible assets and the brand, although consistent, is effectively represented throughout, a perfect example being Google’s typeface ‘Google sans’ that adapts effectively from huge billboards to the smallest smartwatches.
Beyond the visuals
Be it the unmissable ‘Tudum’ by Netflix or a theme closer to home ‘See it. Say it. Sorted.’ by TFL, brands don’t need to depend on visuals alone to be recognised. The welcome back campaign by TFL ‘Tube it. Bus it. Train it.’ immediately takes us back to their previous campaign. The messaging makes a brand recognisable without even mentioning the logo.
More millennials and Gen-Zs are driven to a brand if it tells a story and has a purpose. From sustainability to a social cause, the likeability of a brand has moved beyond colour psychology.
This does not mean that visuals are not as important. Subtle animations and inclination towards movement from a static presence attract the attention of an increasingly distracted generation, where every scroll comes with a new brand trying to lure them.
Building lasting connections
The main idea behind creating a brand has moved from gaining revenue to building a connection with the customers. Ideas that resonate with people and bring a sense of belonging through interaction and engagement create brand loyalty. The more interactive a brand becomes the more lasting the relationship is established with the customers.
Building communities on social media drives engagement towards campaigns while UGC content makes the customers a part of the brand itself. Social Media Employee Advocacy Programme, for example, is one of our products that aims to involve employees in promotions of the brand by making them active advocates of the brand.
The idea of what is relevant changes very quickly in an environment of revolving trends. Active responsiveness to these changes takes a brand from being recognisable to becoming unforgettable. A brand takes you on a journey, tells you a story and makes you a part of it when all of its elements, including the logo, collaborate.