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Trends in Branding this year: What are the hot topics?
Most marketing professionals would agree — there isn’t anything much more important than your brand because it’s your face to the outside world. As far as what you need to know to help shape and maintain your brand, Landor, the brand strategy firm responsible for creating the image for a number of our clients, including Procter & Gamble and John Deere, provides a look at current trends in branding with a series of articles and videos, including gamification, brand purpose, Asian luxury, packaging, data, China and design.
I think that the following five are the most relevant for the balance of this year and into 2014.
Photo Credit: Landor Associates
1. Gamification
Gamification is poised to be as important this year as social and mobile were in the past, according to Jason Bice, Landor’s senior manager of verbal branding. “Gamification could be considered the third component of a new ‘holy trinity’ of digital marketing,” Bice says. The question that all small-business owners must ask is: How do I turn a virtual achievement in a real one?
Find out the answer and more about Bice’s take on Gamification here.
Sign of the times? Got a passion for the new and shiny – trade in the old (or not so old)
Saw the notices this week that Apple is encouraging the trade-in on iPhone 4S giving up to $345 on an Apple Gift Card. Just in time for the (new) iPhone 5 to debut. Doesn’t seem like much of a coincidence. Sounds like recommerce to me.
You’ve heard of recommerce, right? Trade in to trade up. Unlock the value in past purchases. Buy-backs, exchanges (commercial or private), insurance plans against obsolescence.
According to TrendWatching.com, recommerce is now increasingly affecting even consumers’ initial purchase decisions. Just as most do when buying a car, consumers are factoring an item’s resale value into the cost of ownership for an ever-wider range of purchases.
Seems like we can’t wait for the ‘Next’. We’ll make do with the ‘current’, but hedge our bets on what’s coming by fixing our mindset to make a change the first chance we get.
If you are interested in keeping ahead of what’s on the horizon, I recommend that you check out the free monthly Trend Briefing on trendwatching.com. It’s an interesting and diverse site with a growing following and translated into eight different languages.
The July/August 2012 Trend Briefing offers up some unique perspectives on Newism that goes beyond the ‘new and improved’ of yesteryear to the genuinely innovative and creative explosion taking place worldwide. Yet another trend to watch.
What are you trading in to trade up? Share your thoughts below!
You Can See The Possibilities – Clearer Than Ever…
In my last post, I shared some of my thoughts over the advancements in Augmented Reality due primarily to the resolution of the new iPad screen. The quality and resolution brings an even greater dimension to the whole concept of AR.
This led me to think about how the devices we use can be enhanced by apps and technologies in use, in development or in the minds of developers around the globe.
I recently came across a series of ‘visionary’ videos produced by Westernized Productions, a hot creative video firm in San Francisco. The videos for Corning reveal a vision for the future of glass technologies. The videos demonstrate how glass with companion technologies will help shape our world at home, in school, at work, in medicine, in our cars, outdoors, oh, and in entertainment.
Check out these two videos.
The first, “A Day made of Glass – Made possible by Corning” came out last year and has been seen by nearly 19 million viewers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cf7IL_eZ38&feature=relmfu
The sequel, “A Day made of Glass 2: Same Day” has been out for the past few months and has received almost 2 million views.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZkHpNnXLB0&feature=relmfu
It’s worth the 11 or 12 minutes to get a glimpse of things to come…. Let me know what you think of these advancements and about the creative minds over at Westernized Productions.
My Fascination with Augmented Reality Continues….
Augmented Reality (AR) is cool enough, but WAY cooler in high definition on the new iPad (not to be confused with the old iPad2).
Only a few examples out there of AR in high definition have been published so far. I found one that really shows the difference the new retina display makes: here’s an example from Total Immersion on how shopping for furniture is now changed forever. With AR, no more having to lug heavy or bulky pieces around or up & down stairs — bonus: never having to return a piece for a refund!
If you aren’t up-to-speed on some of the newer innovations in AR, take a look at over 50 Wild Innovations from TrendHunter Marketing: http://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/augmented-reality-innovations
AR is a great way to engage with prospects, and simulate a product experience. Now with high definition capabilities, the possibilities seem limitless. KRT is looking forward to its first AR client project. Stay tuned….
What’s an Entrepreneur?
An interesting definition, but captures what an Entrepreneur is in the truest sense. I guess it confirms the adage: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, invest.”
Take a look at Inc.’s article “ What’s an Entrepreneur? The Best Answer Ever.“
How do you define an Entrepreneur?
Searching For Local Business
Advertising is only for the big guys, right? Wrong.
While not many local businesses are buying ad time on the Super Bowl broadcast, local business operators may be surprised to learn just how many people are out there searching for information about their business (and perhaps finding their competition instead).
But most people (especially the young) are generally searching for information tied to eating or socializing, right? Wrong again.
Okay. Let’s leave out searches for restaurants, bars and clubs. Who else is searching for local businesses?
Top 10 Advertisers Increased Spending in Q1 2010
It appears that businesses are starting to loosen up their advertising dollars. In an article posted today via MediaBuyerPlanner, most of the top advertisers increased their spending, some significantly.
Examples from the top 3:
AT&T – up 26.7%
General Motors – up 28.5% We’ve noticed this trend with our clients and hope this trend continues with other advertisers following suit. For now, it seems that the economic picture is indeed brighter. Go here to read more: http://bit.ly/chMViH
