New year, new you! Well it could be anyways. While you have probably set goals and aspirations for yourself have you had time to think about what’s next for your business this year? If not, then let me put you on to something- 2021 is the year to work on your branding! When it comes to branding Raleigh NC, I have put together three quick tips you can take and run with to maximize your branding and business in the year to come. Before we delve into the three tips for creative branding in 2021, it’s important to understand the importance of branding. Branding is one of the most important things when it comes to your business and its identity. Your branding reflects who you are and will often shape a consumer’s experience with your brand before ever making a purchase or reaching out. Without further ado, let’s get into what can make your branding stand out and work for your business in 2021.

Humanize and Put A Face to the Name

Think about your social media usage. When you’re scrolling through Instagram or Tik Tok for hours, what are you watching or looking at? Most likely it’s people, especially during the time of COVID-19. It’s no secret that we are all looking for human interaction, even if that is simply double tapping a work from home OOTD while you enjoy your morning coffee. Towards the end of 2020 and even in the just 11 days in to 2021, brands are realizing that people want to see people and they are working that into their branding. There are many ways you can add a humanizing touch to your branding. The most popular, and likely the easiest is to create a face of your company that is often an illustration that is separate from your logo but everyone will know what the product is, just from seeing the image. One of the most recent examples I can think of is with the label for 19 Crimes wine. 19 Crimes has used imagery on their labels for a while now but one of their newest wines is in collaboration with Snoop Dogg. See how the illustration of the famous rapper is on the label in typical 19 Crimes manner, I knew exactly what brand Snoop partnered with, without having to look at the label up close. 19 Crimes uses similar illustrations on ALL of their wines so it’s no secret who they are, even from across the supermarket.  

Photo Credit: 19 Crimes, Facebook

Show Up for Something

There is A LOT going on in our world right now, and no matter your stance, one thing is true, you have one. As time progresses, consumers are flocking to brands that are socially active and have views that align with their own. It’s hard to stay neutral in 2021 and as generations shift and younger markets like Gen Z and Millenials, actually expect the brands they follow to take a stance, whether societal, environmental or economical. In this day and age if you don’t show that you stand for something, you stand for nothing and that can cost you big time.  Because of this, I recommend finding an issue or interest that both you and your audience have aligned views on. Unless you’ve dropped the ball, finding this issue should be fairly easy for branding Raleigh NC. But once you find your stance, it is even more important that you bring this stance into your brand identity. You should try to reflect your stance in your branding materials so people know who you are and what they care about.. Talking about it on social media works, as well as partnering with a leader in your movement. Your design should also echo your stance, for example, featuring green and environmental imagery in your logo and on your website, or using photos to demonstrate your activism for the environment. I challenge you to identity causes you and your team are passionate about and work that into your branding this year. You won’t regret it.

Immersive Experiences Win, ALWAYS.

With the surge of online shopping, your branding now goes beyond your logo and marketing materials. Your branding Raleigh NC now includes the journey you take your audience on when they interact with your brand. One of the easiest ways to create an immersive experience is to amplify your unboxing experience. One of the most notable unboxing experiences I have the joy of opening quite often (maybe I have a problem) is that of Taylor Swift’s online store. Taylor is the mastermind behind these materials and has been amplifying her fans’ experiences. Ever since the release of Lover in August of 2019, Taylor has included confetti that matches the colors of the era in each and every package. Lover was full of bright colors and hearts, whereas her 2020 releases, folklore and evermore, ship in packages containing stars in neutral tones. Even the shape in which the confetti connects to a lyric in the lead single of the folklore era. That’s what you call an immersive experience. Not only is this an immersive experience for fans but fans then stage photos of their products with the confetti included, further enhancing the brand awareness for each of the products ordered, so you now have a win-win situation with both the brand and buyer benefitting.

Hey Kids, Branding Raleigh NC is Fun

Now that you have these three tips to branding Raleigh NC for 2021, don’t forget to have fun with it. If you have fun with your branding and let your personality shine, it will not go unnoticed. I look forward to seeing what you can come up with, and if you ever need professional help for a digital agency Raleigh NC, contact us today!