4 brand agency
clichés that need
to die in 2019
Branding and marketing today is a different discipline to one many of today’s Chief Marketing Officers and brand agency owners learned at the start of their careers.
Gone are the days when you could guarantee your brand’s success by the number of people you could afford to reach. Brand managers now face relentless disruption with categories, touchpoints and customer expectations expanding by the day. As we outlined in our Meaningful Healthcare Marketing Supertrends for 2019, the world is changing fast and spotting trends is essential for survival.
However, too many agencies are using the methodology they’ve always used, based on assumptions that no longer hold true.
Here are the top four brand agency clichés that we believe need to die in 2019, along with how to think differently about branding as the new year unfolds...
Branding and marketing today is a different discipline to one many of today’s Chief Marketing Officers and brand agency owners learned at the start of their careers.
Gone are the days when you could guarantee your brand’s success by the number of people you could afford to reach. Brand managers now face relentless disruption with categories, touchpoints and customer expectations expanding by the day. As we outlined in our Meaningful Healthcare Marketing Supertrends for 2019, the world is changing fast and spotting trends is essential for survival.
However, too many agencies are using the methodology they’ve always used, based on assumptions that no longer hold true.
Here are the top four brand agency clichés that we believe need to die in 2019, along with how to think differently about branding as the new year unfolds...
So many branding and marketing agency websites promise to bring an idea, a vision or dream to life. But even the most promising idea can fail because it was made on a faulty assumption.
What if the client’s vision turns out to be wrong? You can invest considerable time and money in products and campaigns that customers simply don’t resonate with.
"It’s important to always question what matters to your customer and how what you’re doing can enhance that -whether it’s providing a sense of community, a deeper sense of personal wellbeing or technology that helps people live life to the full."
Ricky Conaghan - Creative Director - HATCH
As we explore in our recent Meaningful Healthcare Marketing Supertrends for 2019 report, this is the foundation for meaningful and effective marketing.
Obviously developing a brand that stands out (especially in a competitive industry) is all about differentiation.
But it’s amazing how many brand agency websites look and sound exactly alike! We love the parody website Blandly, for this very reason.
If they were truly passionate about what they do? It would show.
Creativity in branding has never been more important. Take Slack, for instance. Slack is the messaging app that’s valued at an incredible £3.8 billion pounds and growing by the day.
They recently rebranded with a new visual identity but they’ve always invested heavily in building a strong, differentiated brand. Although Slack is identical to any other messaging app, it’s how it looks, feels and sounds that has made it a phenomenal success.
Andrew Wilkinson, the man behind this success story, explains;
“In a crowded market, we had to find a way to get people’s attention. Most enterprise software looks like a cheap 70's prom suit — muted blues and greys everywhere — so, starting with the logo, we made Slack look like a confetti cannon had gone off. Electric blue, yellows, purples, and greens all over. We gave it the color scheme of a video game, not an enterprise collaboration product.”
Andrew Wilkinson - Slack
It also feels more like a video game, with fun, tactile interactions and playful quips and snippets of copy that make you smile and has made users genuinely care about it. They want to share it with others because “it feels like a favorite co-worker, not a tool or utility.”
It has never been harder to build wider appeal. The amount of information we see today has more than quadrupled in the last 20 years. There’s just too much noise out there.
And certainly, the trend we’re seeing in healthcare marketing and branding is moving away from ‘mass appeal’ into hyper-personalised experiences. You just have to witness the rise mono-product brands, businesses that become known for one product, that prove you can scale a brand aimed at a niche audience. The Eve mattress, Moleskine notebooks and the Cambridge Satchel Company are just some success stories of recent years.
“In 2019, we predict that we’ll increasingly witness data, AI and even DNA being used to meet a need for greater control, relevance and personalisation. There is also great potential for all brands to offer a more personalised experience across all digital platforms.”
Ricky Conaghan - Creative Director - HATCH
Read more about this in our Meaningful Healthcare Marketing Supertrends for 2019 report.
Purpose-driven marketing and branding is everywhere. So much so that consumers are (rightly) growing cynical.
The knock-on effect to the amount of noise out there is that we have all developed a highly sophisticated bullshit detector.
“You can’t just pick a purpose. It has to be baked into your brand foundations and be authentic to who you are. People can smell it a mile away when it isn’t.”
Ricky Conaghan - Creative Director - HATCH
However, brands can do a lot of good when they choose to. In our recent 2019 Supertrends report we shared the example of Allbirds who have made their renewable shoe recipe open-sourced and available to the rest of the industry.
In a surprising move, even McDonald’s and Starbucks joined forces recently as part of a competition to source a global recyclable and compostable cup solution for the sake of the planet.
These brands show true leadership in working together to solve problems and create win-win situations for everyone.
Let’s make marketing
more meaningful
Forbes reported in May of 2018 that 87% of consumers would buy a product based on a company's advocacy on an issue they care about.
Consumers are more aware than ever that, through brands, they can help create the world they want to see. Those behind brands have that power too.
When you question your assumptions, ask better questions and make better choices all society benefits. And brands naturally gain attention and loyalty in a way that is more effective than traditional strategies. You can’t just slap better creative on a poorly conceived product and expect it to succeed, you have to build your brand on meaningful, strong foundations.
We'd love to know what you think? Have we missed any cliches or misguided assumptions? How do you think branding will change this year, and beyond?
Let's make something
great together!
Is there anything we can help you with?
Get in touch for a quick quote.
Let's make something
great together!
Is there anything we can help you with?
Get in touch for a quick quote.
