Brands have come a long way since the Age of Identity where visual consistency was considered enough to reach audiences and maintain market share.
All companies now operate in a much more demanding and ever changing world where audiences expect direct personal engagement in real time and right from the concept stage, so ever more innovative routes are being employed to make them relevant.
Whether for messaging, imagery, application or engagement, brand personalisation and innovation have become the marks of distinction for the brands that will best connect in 2015, and together with our clients we’re exploring where innovation is able to drive those changes in reactions.
Of course everything starts with having the right brand story that will connect with audiences both rationally and emotionally but what are the new channels that will genuinely turn customers’ heads?
The current trend for ‘all things video’ is here to stay. Whether for pitching, presenting, or for cutting into bite size social sharing chunks there is no substitute for capturing the authenticity of the people and processes behind the brand.
The same can probably be said for augmented reality as a means to visually communicate beyond the two dimensional although the jury remains decidedly out on whether the likes of google glass will ever make it into the mainstream much like 3D television has struggled to challenge the traditional norms.
Through display sensors, image and story personalisation is quickly allowing brands to tailor communication even within crowded environments and messages such as “Find a moment in the crowd” can now quickly update to “Find a moment in the quiet” when fewer people are passing by.
Indeed with a study by IPSOS Observer showing that 61% of consumers feel more positive and 53% more likely to purchase when a brand customises its messaging, the arguments are compelling but the key as always is balance.
Technology is powerful for brands, but so too is the need for human influence.
People buy people, and they always will.
So at Underscore we’re exploring where innovation is now able to drive changes in audience reactions and showcasing the most relevant in our branding workshops, giving all of our clients a better chance to innovate and display a pioneer brand position to their customers.
For further info on attending one of our brand workshops please contact Rachael Bradley on rachael@underscore.co.uk