The future of branding is digital. It’s a fact that cannot be disputed. In 2021, it will make up 98% of all marketing and advertising and virtually every aspect of our daily lives. As more millennials enter the workforce, they are looking for brands that represent them with authenticity and personality, which is an opportunity for marketers to create a new type of personal connection with their audiences. And digital branding is the way forward!
In this blog post, we will explore digital branding strategies that are leading the way in 2021. These approaches offer a fresh perspective on marketing and provide new ways to think about how you can make your company stand out from the competition.
1. Inclusivity
Inclusivity has been a key part of digital branding in 2021. Brands that include more people, races, and genders are the most successful over time. The old way of thinking was once you reached your target audience, it would work for everyone else too. But today’s world has changed drastically with many different cultures and beliefs all competing at once. You’re now targeting specific audiences rather than general ones. To stay competitive, marketers need to focus on diversity from the start instead of just using their perspectives when designing campaigns while letting others feel left out or discriminated against.
A brand that strives for diversity is Nike, which has a long history of advertising campaigns featuring sportsmen and sportswomen from around the world. They also campaign about inclusivity by sponsoring athletes with disabilities, such as Paralympian Amy Purdy, who famously participated in Dancing With The Stars while still on her prosthetic limbs.
2. Geofencing (Location Based Marketing)
Geo-fencing is the use of technology to send push notifications or advertisements based on location. Market Research Future states that global geofencing is expected to grow approximately USD 2378 million by 2023. The best way to do this would be through mobile apps, which allow for a high degree of accuracy with targeting people who are in proximity to one another at that moment. This type of digital branding strategy also will enable brands to provide offers (such as discounts) only within a specific geographical range–which can be super valuable for retailers trying to drive foot traffic into physical stores!
Sephora is an excellent example of a brand that offers in-app purchases. In this case, the geo-fencing is happening through an app on your phone with which it can identify where you are to offer deals and promotions in stores near you!
3. Omnichannel Marketing
As we move ahead into 2021, omnichannel marketing is a trend that will continue to grow in popularity. There are many different ways you can use it: on your website, across all of social media and more. Omnichannel marketing is important because it provides a consistent experience and because people usually make decisions about purchases based on what they see through these channels as opposed to visiting the physical stores themselves firsthand.
Singapore Airlines sets a great example of omnichannel marketing with their partnership with AOE integrated airports and shopping malls that combine offline and online experiences. Customers can, therefore, easily shop, pre-book and improve in-flight experiences.
4. Interactive Content
Interactive content enables audiences to actively participate rather than passively watching, listening, or reading. Interactive content can be a complete entertainment experience, or it may extend traditional media.
Interactive content can take many forms:
Posting comments on a blog post or social media feed
Participating in polls, quizzes, or online contests
Creating a photo tour of their favourite destination
Completing interactive puzzles for points to redeem prizes
The key is to give audiences the chance to interact with you through channels that they choose themselves. In this way, it’s not just a great customer experience but also a smart marketing strategy!
Airbnb is one great example of how interactive content works. Every time a user opens the Airbnb app, they see an updated map of their city with pins to show where people are currently renting out rooms or apartments on the site.
You can also check into local attractions and restaurants from your current location by clicking on the “What’s Here?” icon in the corner of every screen. These features make it easy for travellers who don’t know much about what’s happening in town to find relevant places.
5. Google Ads Smart Bidding
To reach the right people, businesses need to use their advertising budget wisely. Google Ads Smart Bidding can help with this by automatically adjusting your bids according to what is likely to convert into a conversion on your online store or website.
It’s important for digital marketers to understand how smart bidding works and know when it makes sense as part of their marketing campaign strategies.
ACME is a widget manufacturer that produces widgets for the global market. It’s important to them that their ads reach as many people in different markets with different incomes and languages, so they strategically use Google Ads Smart Bidding to create budget targets based on:
Target audience (e.g., age, gender) – or location if needed
Customer lifetime value (CLV) of customer segments
This allows ACME to adjust bids according to what’s the most cost-effective at any given time while reaching more potential customers along the way!
The Bottom Line
The digital age means that businesses must be more flexible in their strategies to reach audiences. Read our guide to know more about creating and launching branding strategies.
The use of interactive content can give your brand a competitive edge against other marketers! In this post, we mentioned five trends for digital branding strategies, including adding interactive features into the marketing campaigns and how Google Ads Smart Bidding is an effective tool for reaching customers. We hope these insights help you find creative ways to integrate these ideas into your own business strategy!
Want more from your digital branding strategies? Call or write to Litmus Branding, a Digital marketing company in India that provides digital marketing services.