We are living in a fast changing world; the brands that evolve with the change outperform those that don’t. While certain aspects of your brand identity, such as your logo, brand colors and brand persona should be fixed, how your brand interacts with people should be fluid and responsive to changing customer perspectives and trends. Let’s take a look at some branding tips and trends for 2022, adding to it the “how to keep my brand in the spotlight in 2022.”

1.      RIDE THE SUSTAINABLE WAVE

In today’s world, consumers are doing the impossible to opt for a sustainable buying choice! You as a business have to know how to ride this wave; what we would suggest as a first branding tip is simple to bring sustainability to the forefront of your band.

With all the climate change happening around us, consumers are becoming more conscious about all of this and are choosing sustainability as a lifestyle. For instance they are purchasing brands that work with sustainable packaging, eco-friendly products, reusable or compostable containers, and ethical sourcing, everything that is a matter to a modern-day consumer.

For your brand to shine in 2022, make sustainability your motto by communicating how you’re contributing to more Earth-friendly practices with your audience and consumers.

The brands that understand how much it is important to be sustainable are more likely to be in the forefront of best brands and are subject to higher sales, such as the clothing brand “Reformation” that is doing a great job by highlighting how sustainable they are.

2.       BE DIVERS

People are really “sick” of seeing only one version of humanity being advertised. We live in a world of many races, colors, abilities, and cultures, which is something to be proud of. A growing effort in branding is a shift toward diversity and inclusivity, which is a breath of fresh air. This means including more people of color in your brand photos and illustrations, showcasing different body types and ages in your social media posts and advertising campaigns, and emphasizing inclusive business practices for people of various sexual and gender orientations and physical abilities.

Now you’re asking how I can do it:

  1. When choosing photos for your website or ads, go out of your way to find photos that include people of color, different abilities and ages, and people of different orientations. Models should be chosen in the same manner if you are doing your own brand photography.
  2. Make use of inclusive language. If you own a physical storefront or retail space, think about ways to make it more accessible; get an accessibility ramp, add braille to your signage, and hire people who can communicate using sign language.
  3. Your customers will be overjoyed to feel special.
3.       IMPERFECTION IN MARKETING

Another thing people are really over with is the perfectly edited visuals, 51% of consumers are strong believers that businesses are missing authenticity whereas 90% of consumers NEED IT! This is one of our resolutions at Better’fly Lebanon, we always seeks and advise to be as authentic and true as possible.

By that we mean, more wrinkle and skin imperfections in human beings and for products more natural light than edited studio shots.

4.      USE USER-GENERATED-CONTENT (UGC)

User-generated content is created by users rather than brands, and that’s the future. According to an AdWeek survey, 76% of people said they trusted content shared by “average” people more than by brands. UGC in essence functions as a customer testimonial by demonstrating how pleased your customers are with your products or services. Big brands are recognizing this trend and populating their Instagram feed with photos taken by their own customers.

How do you start using UGC?

As simple as a custom hashtag; persuade your followers to post on their social media using your custom hashtag which will make it easier for you to re-post people’s images as well as it will make it way more user friendly for potential clients to see what you sell.

  • CREATE YOUR OWN FANDOM OR YOUR COMMUNITY

In 2010s we were all about wide-open social media platforms but the 2020s will see a turn towards niche communities of interest and purpose.

Newsletters, online groups, customer community programs, local events all are on the rise in the next decade. A new tip for you, if you’re looking for a way to innovate your brand, thinking about ways to create community-driven content will bring your customers together.

Today the best way to have a community is when the brand treats the consumer as a friend more than business based acquaintance. By doing so everything will shift, from your content to the way you talk to them. Community-driven content is about creating a two-way, interactive experience between your brand and your audience. Start conversations, ask questions, ASK FOR ENGAGEMENT!!!!

Here’s a branding tip for you: think of your brand as a consumable experience—what’s the best way for them to engage?

Ways to engage your customer community:

  • plugged experiences
  • Niche newsletters
  • Real-life meet-ups
  • Raw and honest content about your business
  • Sharing customer stories
  • Virtual workshops and events

We know for a fact that every now and then massive design trends are shifting which will eventually impact your branding, visual marketing and website design.

Unless you’re desperate for a change, your logo and brand identity should remain largely unchanged! Marketing materials such as newsletters, business cards, product photography, social media posts, and packaging should evolve in line with design trends. This shows your customers and potential buyers that you are one with trends and you are staying updated.

In brief this is what we want you to know

Your number one concern is to keep your customer close to you. New era of Social Media is all about being more human and shift into more human branding. Our six branding tips briefly are:

  1. Be more sustainable
  2. Be divers and more inclusive in your visuals
  3. Be real and authentic with photos
  4. Refer to UGC for trust and loyalty
  5. Be more Focused on your audience and customers as a community rather than simply buyers
  6. Follow up on design trends

Get in touch with us and book your consultation session with our experts for more tips and hints.

nathalie.jeha@betterflylb.com

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Author Profile

Nathalie Jeha
Founder – CEO Better'fly Lebanon
General Manager - Certified Marketing Consultant