Top Brand Trends Of 2020 That Will Get Your Business Noticed
It was once enough to come up with a catchy slogan and a nice logo, but the ever-changing digital landscape makes it increasingly difficult for brands to get noticed. We have compiled a few emerging trends that will help you stand out and build engagement:
Minimalism
Recent decades have been in a constant state of technological evolution. We churn through fads and gadgets at a rapid rate, and nothing stays new for long. But we seem to be approaching an age of clutter removal, as people evaluate what is important and what excesses can be eliminated. The business industry is no exception to this way of thinking, and many companies are taking this opportunity to strip back their branding and refine their message.
A practical example of this would be the decision of many companies to convert to a simpler sans-serif typeface. Huge brands like Google and Yves Saint Laurent have taken advantage of this. Reducing the number of colours or making use of more negative space can also strip down the look and feel of your brand.
Not only will this make your brand more palatable for the consumers of the clutter-free revolution, but it will also mean that your branding elements will still look clean and recognisable when applied to various graphics and backgrounds.
Nostalgia
This trend goes hand in hand with the rise of minimalism. The aim of any businesses is to try and sell their product to consumers with the promise that it will improve their lives. The problem is that people are beginning to feel the strain of constantly looking ahead for new ways to stay on top. So, why not invite them to look back instead?
With the resurgence of vinyl records and Polaroid cameras in recent years, it's out with the new and in with the old. Throwbacks are becoming a popular mechanism of marketing campaigns. Spotify released ads comparing 80s and 90s trends with the current age, calling for people to go back and explore the music they loved from previous decades, with the message ‘Listen like you used to’.
Inviting people to indulge their nostalgia and take a trip down memory lane will appeal to the emotions of consumers and allow them to feel seen. Generating these emotional responses attaches positive feelings to your products and builds stronger relationships with consumers.
Official Hashtags
You don’t need us to tell you that social media is a modern necessity for businesses. But now is the time to take it further and start generating your own official hashtags.
There are many ways in which you can utilise branded hashtags. Run competitions or simply ask customers to post pictures of themselves using your product along with a dedicated hashtag. This gives you the opportunity to share the engagement you receive, encouraging others to do the same.
Every week, London’s Saatchi Gallery runs a competition in which its Instagram followers are invited to post their own artwork with the hashtag #SaatchiTakeover. Winners are then chosen and posted on the Saatchi Gallery feed.
Branded hashtags also create a cohesive community out of your follower base and extends your reach to the followers of each engaged consumer, providing a great way to monitor your reach and turn customers into ambassadors.
Online Communities
Having a dedicated space on your own servers where consumers can gather and discuss your brand as a community is another great way to build engagement and loyalty. The participatory nature of these spaces gives consumers the opportunity to openly discuss their experiences with your business, and in providing this opportunity, you are showing to consumers that your brand is transparent, inclusive, and welcoming. If you gain the trust and engagement of your customers, increased purchases will follow.
These communities can also be a great way to monitor and understand needs and wants of customers, identify what you are doing right and what you can improve.
