Brand intelligence, now more than ever
17 March 2020
We live in unprecedented times – for all of us as global citizens – and especially for those of us in marketing. With an accelerating pandemic, volatile financial markets, empty calendars from cancelled events, and employees around the world working from home – we face an uncertain, but certainly uphill battle to keep our brands relevant and our messages engaging.
What does this mean for businesses and their brands?
Without human interaction – a core component of any firm’s brand – the visual and verbal components will need to go into overdrive to make up for this shortfall.
Take for example a law firm, where often Partners themselves constitute a core part of the brand. What happens when they can’t meet with current or prospective clients or network on a daily basis? Where do clients go then for this interaction?
It’s the same for all professional services firms who rely on in-person consultancy to drive their practice. In the case of financial services firms, even with asset management divisions producing endless volumes of research and commentary, personal interaction with the legion of financial advisors is critical – especially amongst the current volatility.
Telephone calls and video conferencing will help you address the tactical needs of your client relationship, but what about your brand building efforts? Being clear about who you are, what you do and why it matters to your target audiences is of paramount importance. Now more than ever.
Websites and social media channels can’t be under-utilised as only a set of online credentials, serving as a holding pattern for what comes next. These digital expressions of your brand are ‘the’ platforms to communicate to your audiences. With clarity. With purpose. With a reason for them to care.
Brands and people must come to the fore on these platforms, delivering authentic and personable experience. And yes, B2B clients are people too!
Where do you begin? Content. At Living, we’ve been analysing brand and digital intelligence of the leaders in our focus sectors for more than 10 years. We have tracked the best practices for how content is written, displayed and promoted. The companies who do it right always have their clients and their clients’ best interests at the core of every message.
Next, you want to activate smart, targeted social media and digital advertising campaigns to support and highlight your messages, and most importantly, drive your audience to your website, for their immersive brand experience. Against the current volatile financial backdrop and the omnipresent disruption of the coronavirus pandemic, you are compelled to share your voice – there is an audience eager to hear from you – provided you have the right relevant message.
Do this correctly and the result will be the opportunity for you to effectively manage your online reputation through the digital expression of your brand – because you’ll be focused on who you are, what you do and why you matter to your audience.
Adversity often provides opportunity. Seize this time to strengthen your brand messaging, your visual identity, and especially your website and its content, as well as the campaigns and social channels that empowers your brand engagement with target audiences remotely.
Backed by the research of our Living Ratings, the industry experience of our senior team, and client relationships we’ve built over the past 16 years, Living stands ready to help you identify the best opportunities for you to create difference. Right now.
Duncan Shaw – Co-founder and Executive Creative Director, Living Group
To find out how we can help your brand rise to these challenges and develop an actionable strategy, please contact Duncan Shaw in New York, Greg Hobden in London or Gigi Yung in Hong Kong.