LEVERAGING DESIGN ACTIVISM FOR BRAND BUILDING

In the present competitive era where new-age strategies tends to be crucial for shaping businesses into brands, rigorous deliberation on reinvention and market positioning is fundamental to growth and success and is nothing short of a decisive move for establishing a distinct brand identity. Amidst challenges posed by the changing consumer patterns and preferences, the concept of Cause Commerce or Cause-Based Retail could help businesses earn the badge of purpose-driven brands. 

Given the rise of the new league of belief-driven consumers, redefining brand identity and catering effectively by not just meeting but exceeding expectations is of prime importance to a majority of brands. Reflecting on the significant change in consumer behaviour, a global survey jointly conducted by a credible risk management services company and a brand intelligence research firm suggests, 64% of modern-age consumers from different generations value meaning over money.  

With shoppers turning selective, retailers must embrace the idea of having a brand purpose complementing projection amongst the other rival brands. Besides the formulation of tactical marketing approaches, a greater emphasis on mission-based brand presentation is imperative to engage with consumers in an authentic way. With such dynamics causing brands to gear-up marketing protocols, the brands engaged in activism and taking a stand over critical issues would certainly witness heightened retention and loyalty. 

As consumer trust and reputation perceptions around brands change affecting the entire retail and design industry at large, businesses incorporating advanced practices and strengthening communication frameworks with coherent messaging and target engagement initiatives stands to gain the most. While the industry dynamics guides the formulation of striking brand strategies, the practice of Design Activism by specialized brand design agencies could elevate brand positioning and complement projection. 

Alongside, the affirmations on stance over major issues, the brands establishing hyper-connected ecosystem comprising target communities would help encourage interactions and fuel communication amongst like-minded shoppers thereby resulting in increased brand credibility and value. 

In view of the changing consumer sentiments and increased consciousness towards responsible buying, brands with robust values and a principle stance on major social and political issues are perceived as the forces driving change. 

Aligning brand strategies with consumer orientations 

The mere formulation and implementation of effective brand strategies wouldn’t be the only solution but embracing the odds and combating with the right frameworks, the right way. Having become central to the image building of a brand, design in the present time refers to not just the appeal, aesthetics, and outlook but solutions to major social, economic and environmental issues. As values supersede cost for Gen Z, brands with sustainable offerings incorporating ethical values stands to gain the most in the present times.

With the rise of the new league of conscious consumers, creating new opportunities for retailers and brands, a focused and impactful brand projection complemented by meaningful values, beliefs and purpose is highly imperative for the successful establishment of a brand. With over 50% of consumers worldwide driven by beliefs based on their perceptions, as per a report published by a globally renowned public relations consultancy firm, design activism could empower businesses to earn the trust of consumers and facilitate transformation into a brand. 

In view of consumers turning increasingly conscious devising a set of strategies that transforms business into not just a brand but a disruptor would create strong perceptions amongst the target communities and consumers. As the new consumers are more informed and influenced, and are engaged in rationale decision-making, brands could turn emerging challenges into opportunities. 

Targeting right consumers through right channels 

For Gen Z, making purchases isn't just about the right choices but contributing towards the welfare of the community or society. To transform a business into a brand and gain massive visibility, trust and loyalty of consumers, devising protocols for consistent and objective marketing communications helps brands establish a direct connection with the target customers. The emergence of informed consumers compelled by their conscience to be particular about their affiliations with brands has led to massive disruptions across the business, design and other allied sectors. While the fragmented content landscape poses a challenge to brands to gain and retain a larger consumer base, impactful storytelling across multiple formats has become a norm.

To achieve success and gain the trust of the modern-age consumers, marketers are required to target markets and identify the right customers and channels to build an authentic repute. As the new-age marketing practices continues to advance, heightened and aggressive penetration across channels is the key to effective relationship-building. As the creation of narratives is an effective way to build and extend brand awareness, reaching-out to the right customers via various touchpoints is crucial to generate interconnected experiences. 

To strike the right chord and make a mark in gaining progressive consumer traction, cutting through the clutter through advanced omnichannel storytelling strategy provides an exceptional advantage to brands to explore new dimensions beyond boundaries. With media hitting the inflection point, rigorous implementation of Transmedia storytelling strategies and making a multi-platform splash is perceived to be a game-changing approach. Some brands may achieve resounding success through ATL but seamless execution of specifically defined below-the-line marketing strategies may boost traction and fetch larger consumer base to brands. 

As the modern marketing landscape is an amalgamation of traditional and digital techniques, through-the-line advertising has become uncompromisingly en-vogue amongst the emerging brands as it entails smart approaches to achieve a higher ROI. This is achieved by deploying digital media techniques such as social media posts, blog writing, online banners, buttons, etc. in combination with a series of above-the-line promotional activities. 

As TTL campaigns offer a comprehensive 360-degree approach aimed at building brand repute, the practice includes the integration of target messaging across multiple touch-points. Furthermore, the techniques enable the development of highly personalized consumer-specific communication, Besides the generation of higher return-on-investment, the sophisticated TTL advertising challenges the ATL & BTL approaches by enabling an all-inclusive powerful communications strategy that influences customers and helps build brand credibility.