In the age of intense competition, customer hyper-awareness, and the virality of scandals, brands need to do their homework in order to maintain relevancy. Building a brand that stands the test of time requires more than just one-time cosmetic tweaks to your website or logo. What works is consistency and evolving with changing times. Let’s discuss how brands can withstand trends to last in the long run.
Online Reputation Management
Though the internet has helped many brands reach a wider audience, it has also made them hyper-visible to customers online. In an age where even one negative review can derail an entire product launch, and one scandal can flood your social media for weeks, brands need to focus more on online reputation management (ORM). ORM involves being receptive to customer feedback—both positive and negative—and taking accountability if you fail to deliver on your promises. Reputation management can be quite complex to navigate by yourself. This is where outsourcing to a reputable marketing agency, like Retna Media, can help.
Remember, reputation management isn’t just responding to and resolving negative feedback. Instead, it also focuses on elevating and promoting positive feedback so that it reaches new customers and helps spread brand goodwill.
Brand Consistency
To remain memorable for a long time, your brand must establish a core value system and identity. Over time, you need to stay consistent with that identity through your promotional materials, website, logos, social media, and partnerships. This way, you can develop a brand persona that becomes synonymous with your business, allowing your customers to relate and connect with you on a personal level.
Everything from the font, colors, messaging, content, and even photographs on your website and social media can help build a distinctive identity for your brand. Also, take into account how your customers interact with your brand online—their feedback on your branding and products is invaluable and will help you build and evolve your identity over time.
Crafting a Brand Image
Brands that have a distinct voice will always stand the test of time. Consider brands like Dove— there is an immediate association that people have when they think of the brand. Words like inclusive, kind, friendly, and positive are ingrained into the brand’s social media, visuals, the people who promote it online, and even in their modest packaging. Craft an image for your brand that transcends your product and focuses on emotion.
Standing Out from the Crowd
This goes without saying, but to withstand the test of time, your brand first needs to stand out. When in doubt, take a bold approach to marketing— be splashy with your messaging and useyour brand tagline in the videos on your website and even in your jingle to convey somethingunique.
Don’t be afraid to be different and engage your community with your efforts. Use taglines on social media to keep your audience engaged. Don’t hesitate to ask for feedback. Some specific brand promotions or ads go viral because they resonate with customers. So make sure your brand is also positioned to create a human-level connection with clients and stand out from the crowd.
Hiring a professional branding team provides you with access to a wide range of unique ideas that allow you to propel your brand identity and messaging forward. Retna Media offers a whole suite of services to take your business to new heights—from web design to online reputation management, social media marketing, pay-per-click advertising, and more. Contact our experts today to find out how we can help you.