In a year in which the most searched for in Google has been “Why?”, we would like to end December with a bit of uncertainty for 2021 (at least in terms of branding).
For this reason, we would like to share with you some of the trends that most of the main branding consultancies and blogs agree on, and we would like to thank them for always keeping an eye on what the future holds for our sector.
Purpose will continue to be the beacon for brands
Beyond the what, the why a brand exists will remain at the heart of the strategy. A brand purpose nuanced by the how. We are at a time when consumers have become aware of the impact of their consumption choices on society, and are increasingly concerned about processes, origins, routes and so on. This year more than ever, brands have to combine profit with social impact.
There will be greater environmental awareness
Like people, brands are increasingly aware of the damage done to the environment by our consumerist excesses of the past. That’s why this year we will continue to see a surge in brands linked to the ‘Climate Movement’ and aiming to help consumers move towards a more ethical and respectful lifestyle.
Brands’ processes and backstage will be more open.
Closely related to the previous two points is the trend for brands towards transparency, honesty and participation. Eliminating the distance between what we say and what we do has a lot to do with using more transparent communication codes, but also with involving our audiences more in our own brand strategy.
Experiential will be the priority
In a year marked by social distancing, the physical and human component has increased exponentially in value. As far as possible, we will return to physical points of sale, where brands will seek to recover the more sensorial and tangible side of their product. At the same time, virtual events will emerge that increasingly mimic the face-to-face experience.
Empathy as a core value
Over the last few months we have seen how, despite everything, technology has not been enough to compensate for in-person interactions. However, brands that have listened and empathised with our problems, doing what they could to help us, have come out stronger. In the coming years, brands will become even more humanised and move away from the rigid brand manuals we know.