Level Up Your Brand Image Online

The migration to online marketing has been fast-paced and unrelenting, with many companies struggling to keep their target market engaged, resulting in unstable sales growth. Companies need to capture their audience’s attention within the first 3 seconds of an image or video, competing with an array of content creators— from blue-chip companies with their hefty production budget, to a home-made cat video garnering millions of views, shares and likes without spending a dime.  The digital space is cluttered, yet it offers so much promise to whoever cracks the right formula to get noticed.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect recipe for online success, but we asked Ms. Millie Morales, our resource person on digital marketing, to share with us some best practices on how to level-up your brand image online.

Have a consistent voice

It all boils down to the company’s message or “big idea.” There can be many products that a company will sell, but having a timeless message or voice, is key for brand recall and loyalty. Take Nike for example, most of us grew up associating the catch phrase “Just Do It” with Nike and its motivational tone in all its campaigns. Years have passed, endorsers have come and gone, advertising mediums embodied in its slogan, has become the foundation of the company’s advertising materials throughout the years. They know who they are, and what they stand for — it’s just a matter of translating their vision on social media.

Be flexible, and find your angle

Consistency doesn’t mean there is no room for flexibility. A brand’s core idea will provide the foundation for all its campaigns, but other themes and messages can branch out from the same thought-flow. Any company with a more “serious” brand image such as pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, or transportation can create engaging content by trying to find an angle which can be relatable to its target audience. Angkas, for example, is a motorcycle transportation app that has done a great job creating fun and entertaining online ads to a niche “masa” market amidst controversial transportation issues in the Philippines. This has resulted in several viral videos, and thousands of additional followers.

Revisit your customers’ purchasing behaviour

Older companies may assume that they have already established the behaviour of their target market — they know who goes in and out of their stores and buys their products. But its online customers may have a different purchasing experience. Buying make-up for example, can have different paths to purchase: some people browse online reviews, then go to the store to try and purchase make-up. Others would enter the physical stores, try the make-up products on their hands or faces, then check for online reviews on the spot. The key is to be able to touch each customer and cater to them depending on what they need or where they are on the consumer buying journey.

Test and explore

Invest in testing different paid ad creatives, different brand ambassadors and different online platforms such as Instagram, WeChat, Snapchat etc. Invest in research and other possible executions of your brand’s core idea. KFC, for example, created a campaign about the search for the first Filipino Colonel, using comedy to introduce new KFC products. Big brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton have been using influencers ranging from Instagram celebrities to KPop icons such as BTS, which have made these 2 seasoned brands appealing to the younger generation, retaining relevancy in this digital age.

Morales will be facilitating a workshop titled “Create an Impactful Online Brand Image: Ensure a Connection with your Target Audience” on November 29, 2019 to be held in Cebu City.

The Inquirer Academy is located at 4168 Don Chino Roces Ave. corner Ponte St., Makati City. For more information about the workshop or if you would like to add your input on the article, you may email [email protected], call (0945) 2158935 and look for Jerald Miguel.

The author is the Executive Director of Inquirer Academy.

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