Why is branding the new advertising?

There’s something few in the advertising world want to talk openly about: the demise of traditional advertising. The “hard sell” approach of previous decades, with abrasive – often underhanded – tactics being deployed to secure the deal and get money into the bank. Modern consumers cringe at these archaic sales tactics and demand that advertisers engage them in more meaningful ways. This requires a strong, trustworthy brand, which is the best form of advertising any brand can have moving into 2021 and beyond. Here’s why old-school ads are going bust, how branding is taking the place of traditional advertising, and three ways to create truly memorable experiences for your customers:

The death of traditional ads

Don’t you just want to cringe when you’re browsing a store’s shelves, just minding your own business, when you spot a salesperson spotting you, as they stop what they’re doing and make a beeline towards your location? You know what’s coming, and it immediately puts you off. The same is true for hard-sell tactics online. People don’t trust brands that participate in “spammy” advertising campaigns anymore and prefer to spend their hard-earned money with brands that place less emphasis on sales and more on building a mutually-beneficial relationship.

Strong branding is the future

As more and more people scroll past those PROMOTED social media posts, ignore those pay-per-click AD listings that appear on Google, and steer clear of spammy-looking emails – branding is fast becoming the brand currency of the future. Modern and future consumers will want to partner with brands that share their same ideals and values. This means having strong branding that gives your brand depth of personality. The more ways consumers can relate to you, the greater their brand loyalty will be.

Three ways to strengthen your branding

1. Find your hero
   

   Put a face to your brand – whether it’s a fictional character, a stock model, or the founder of the company. Who represents your brand, and what do they care about? This should come across in your branding, ensuring that all who experience it know what you stand for.

    

2. Find a pain point
   

   What issues are you hoping to solve in the world? Many consumers don’t know about life-improving brands because they didn’t know they had a problem that the brand can solve. Make sure your branding, on some level, brings attention to the issue your business can solve for your customers.

    

3. Find context
   

   Finally, give your brand context in which you expand on your message and where consumers can understand it better. For example, Simba chips have a lion as their mascot. Whenever Simba sponsors or hosts an event, the Simba lion makes an in-person appearance, bringing the brand’s iconic lion character to life.

A brand manager has hard choices to make throughout their tenure with a company. The marketing and advertising channels you invest in are either going to lead to success or failure, so choose wisely.

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Learn how to master the art of branding and to facilitate successful brand interactions with customers, with the Brand Management course from DSM!