Gone are the days
when branding was limited to simply promoting a product or a business.
Today, companies are
increasingly being challenged to incorporate a meaningful purpose into their marketing
and advertising campaigns.
According to
research, 75 percent of consumers – here and abroad
– expect businesses to contribute to their personal wellbeing and quality of
life, while 84 percent expect brands to provide content that entertains, tells
stories, provides solutions and creates experiences and events.
Purpose is especially important when marketing to
millennials, 71
percent of whom say they’re
partial to brands that implement environmental and social change into their
campaigns.
A new biometric
research report from Porter Novelli/Cone, published earlier this week, goes
even further in suggesting that purposeful content should lead the narrative of
your business.
“Purpose ignites physical and
emotional responses: Purpose-driven
advertisements were more effective in two-out-of-three brand categories tested,
with higher levels of attention, emotion and arousal from these advertisements
overall,” the study found.
In
other words, businesses that are searching for ways to build – and
maintain – customer loyalty would be wise
to focus on purposeful messaging that supports, for example, responsible
business practices, a charity or a social cause.
Purpose builds deeper bonds
Other key findings
in the report suggested that purpose builds deeper bonds.
A whopping 79
percent of Americans, noted the study, said they feel a deeper and more personal
connection to companies with values aligned with their own. Moreover,
respondents said they’d be more likely to feel better about brands with
meaningful messages.
And that’s not all:
“Purpose inspires
brand advocates and amplification,” research showed.
After
viewing purpose-driven advertisements, those who were surveyed also said they’d
be more likely to talk about the advertisement and the brand with friends and
family and share and discuss the advertisement on social media.
Perhaps
the biggest takeaway, though, is this: Nearly 73
percent of respondents said that given the current social and political
climate, they feel an urgency to support social issues, while 76 percent noted
that businesses dedicated to addressing social and environmental issues helps
them feel like they’re doing their part.
About the study
The research combined an
online study of more than 1,000 American adults with the results of biometrics
testing among a select group of respondents.
It measured facial, heart
rate and skin conductance impulses that captured levels of emotion, attention
and arousal/stimulation upon viewing a randomized set of advertisements.
Respondents viewed two ads
from the same brand: a Purpose-driven advertisement (e.g., support of a social
issue, responsible business practice) and an advertisement focusing on the
functional attributes of the product (e.g., performance, features or
specifications).
The research found that purpose-driven
messaging has a greater ability to capture the physical and emotional attention
of respondents compared to functional narratives.
If you’re exploring the rental market, it may be time to lower your expectations when it comes to landlord discounts, gift cards or complimentary amenities, writes Diana Olick, real estate correspondent at CNBC.com
As the rental market heats up and home ownership cools, rent prices are rising and freebies are falling out of favor.
Listings on HotPads, Zillow’s rental website, that mention at least one concession are down nearly 30 percent from the same time last year, and just one in 100 rental listings currently show any kind of move-in special.
No matter the size, mission, strength or success of your
business, brand-building
strategies are necessary components to building trust, establishing
relationships and strengthening awareness.
But like everything else, branding practices are constantly
evolving, and it’s important to stay ahead of the curve and understand what
your future branding strategies should entail.
To help, here are three best-practice branding trends that need to be on your radar:
Be
human: Technology is wonderful for increasing brand recognition,
and you should embrace it. But don’t forego human interaction.
At a time when
trust is precariously fragile, it’s vital for businesses to establish human
bonds. Strive to engage with your clients beyond social media platforms and
your website.
Be trustworthy
problem-solvers, aim for empathy, be an expert in your field, share knowledge
and insights and recognize that emotional, face-to-face communication tips the
trust scale in your favor.
Be authentic and transparent: When your business opens its curtain and
provides public visibility, it shows that you’re authentic and transparent.
And clients and customers
rank transparency above just about everything else. In fact, a Sprout Social
Report released in 2018 showed that 86 percentof Americans believe
transparency from businesses is more important than ever before.
Additionally, 73 percentof consumers are
willing to pay more for products that guarantee total transparency. The numbers
don’t lie.
Businesses need to account for the public’s increasing
demands for transparency and develop practices and processes that convey honesty
and truth.
Soul
is the key to content: A
compelling narrative that connects with your target audience is key to telling
your story, and a story without soul falls down the rabbit hole.
When creating branding content,
it’s all too easy to focus solely on promoting a product or service, but
falling into that formula potentially robs businesses of cultivating
relationships and providing meaningful value.
When you tell the story of your brand, aim to be
enthusiastic, inspiring and passionate—and don’t be afraid to show some
emotion. It’s good for the soul, and it speaks to your human side.
While global trade disputes
continue to shake up the financial markets, mortgage rates are holding steady.
According to the latest
data released by Freddie Mac, the 30-year
fixed-rate average dipped to 4.07 percent with an average 0.5 point.
The 15-year fixed-rate average slid to 3.53
percent with an average 0.4 point. Meanwhile, the five-year adjustable rate
average inched to 3.66 percent with an average 0.4 point.
It can be helpful to have a baseline understanding of what intellectual property is; and how it can benefit you and your agency.
Intellectual property comes in many forms. Your company logo
is intellectual property. So is the name of your agency, any tag lines you’ve
developed and consistently use to identify your company, your color schemes, if
you have any – and content you’ve originated, like your website’s copy.
The good news about intellectual property is that it clearly
identifies and separates you from your competitors. What can be a challenge,
however, is challenges to your right to use your agency’s name or logo – if
another entity takes issue with the use and raises the question of your right
to its use.
IP lawyers know the ins-and-outs of intellectual property,
but it can be helpful to have a baseline understanding of (a) what intellectual
property is; and (b) how it can benefit you and your agency.
The World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO) is a helpful
website dedicated to intellectual property issues.
Who hasn’t stopped, looked up addresses (including one’s
own) – to determine what a property is worth, how it compares to similar
properties and whether or not professionals involved in appraisals really know
what they’re doing?
As Zillow and similar sights today embrace the added option of selling a
property and eliminating real estate brokers’ commissions, the conversation about accuracy is a fast and furious trending topic.
And why’s it important to the success of your business?
There’s a better way to boost brand awareness that doesn’t
involve paid marketing, namely advancing your public relations efforts using
earned media management as part of your key messaging and storytelling
strategies.
Earned media management is focusing on journalists,
influencers and consumers to promote your brand through word-of-mouth, news
coverage, shares on Facebook, retweets on Twitter, and website comments and
feedback. It’s publicity that’s created by a third party – and it’s free.
And while it’s not rocket science, engagement is key, as is
creating compelling, relevant and informative content for your brand – stories,
posts and tweets that are share-worthy.
And building online relationships with your core audience is
vital, as those are the people who will help you expand your reach.
Between 25 and 40 percent of website traffic and lead generation results from earned media, and consumers, journalists and influencers who share messaging on social networks can potentially reach thousands – even millions – of people.
Second-tier cities and their suburbs are making inroads in
the real estate market. Millennials, Gen Xers and baby boomers are all shifting
their buying habits to include secondary cities.
Think
of a product or products that you gravitate toward. Maybe you like Nikes better
than New Balance. Maybe a Dodge product means superior quality in automotive
craftsmanship.
Think of a product or products that you gravitate toward. Maybe you like Nikes better than New Balance. Maybe a Dodge product means superior quality in automotive craftsmanship.
Do you know why (and how) you draw the conclusions you do? Do you understand what made you choose your last purchase over competitors’
Branding helped you choose. Branding is why
“Band-Aid” brand is so recognizable (though there are plenty of other
adhesive bandages to choose from). There are too many soda options to list
here, but pretty much everyone on the planet knows what Coca Cola is, and their
sales continue to stay strong.
Branding your agency is critical. It does not have to cost a
lot of time or money, but it does require some thought and intention. Here’s a
bit on branding in 2019. No one writes the rules and none of the rules are
anchored in stone. But being mindful of what to consider when branding your
agency – which is the public’s perception of you – helps you hit the branding
bullseye.
Brands are putting effort into connecting with audiences in a meaningful
way. Each of these five trends is all about appealing to your target
audience as a way to find success.
Millennials and the “affordable Southeast” are driving forces in the 2019 real estate market, says the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.
