A New Perspective: Creative Branding as a Marketing Strategy
In today’s society, with such a diverse range of marketing at our immediate disposal, competing brands have no choice but to dramatically up their game to survive.
With a prolific number of companies fighting to capture the attention of their audience, only those that break through the fog of perpetual advertising can become cemented within the consciousness of the people it is trying to reach.
It is for this very reason that creative branding should be looked upon as one of the most successful marketing strategies, encouraging those who wish to sell a product or idea to go beyond the everyday boundaries of advertising and think way beyond the confines of the proverbial box.
Creative branding is an increasingly beneficial way of finding new and long-lasting ways of communicating with a specific audience. By identifying three key areas of a brand – its identity, relationship to the audience and its image – and building a foundation around these aspects, marketing can extend way beyond the straightforward approach of technological communication.
Using local resources – from London media companies to south east label printing companies – will also help to cement a brand within a community. By building and imprinting a brand on the mind of a collective group, a company can achieve unlimited success.
What does it require?
To begin to approach a brand creatively, the following things must be considered above all else:
- The brand personality
- The brand relationship
- The brand image
These three key concepts should help to take a company beyond the usual generic marketing ideas and into the realm of new and more exciting possibilities. This works by encouraging the brand to reflect its own values, ethics, passions and achievements while still maintaining a firm grip on the audience it wishes to reach.
What does it mean?
The three ideas listed above all play a vital role in the creative branding process:
1) Most companies, especially smaller ones, have a personality. This usually stems from higher up within the company, but is reflected through the employees as a certain work ethos. Companies can place a strong emphasis on certain attributes, such as development, innovation or compassion, and this helps to define who they are. It is important to take this sense of identity and mould it into the brand to project a clear image of what the company stands for.
2) Based on this personality, build a relationship with the target audience in a way that will highlight the benefits of interacting. This is not an instant process, and it will take time as well as dedication to the advertising strategy and the service the customer receives. Creative branding must always start with a story, allowing the audience to both believe in a brand’s values and become a part of its power. Find the right medium to communicate with the right audience, and you have a very powerful tool at your disposal.
3) Visual symbols and memorable phrases are the final key to reinforcing this relationship. From logos to colour schemes, if carefully chosen, they can all help to trigger recognition, much like the ‘Swoosh’ symbol of Nike. You can characterise a brand and make it stand out using an endless array of techniques such as:
- Signage
- Typography
- Labels
- The layout and look of print, TV and other media
- Photographic style
- Bold graphics
- Brand character (like Ronald McDonald)
- Stationery
- Packaging
- Uniforms
- Ambient exterior icons
- Architectural style
What are the benefits?
By following these basic principles, a company can completely transform its marketing strategy. With careful consideration a company can reflect its identity in every aspect of its day-to-day running – thereby reinforcing the message it delivers to its audience.
To look beyond a simple marketing idea of television advertising, for example, is to begin to see the limitless ways in which creativity can become a part of its integral operation.
As technology continues to surge forwards and new ways of communicating with customers emerge, taking a step back and approaching the process with a fresh perspective can help to maximise the potential of a company.
