Branding in the digital age: is your brand clicking?

As a modern business leader, you know branding is more than a logo. But with the world of opportunities digital brings, is your branding clicking into place? Or are you missing a trick? 

In our latest blog, StudioLWD Founder and Creative Director Laura shares what she’s learned about how and why ambitious businesses need top-level, holistic branding to thrive in a digital arena. 

The year is 2011, and the location is Australia. After leaving a small creative agency in Manchester and moving hemispheres, I’m about to be thrown into the deep end of holistic branding.

After relocating to Australia, I landed a job with the country’s leading branding agency. There, I found myself working directly alongside legendary designer Hans Hulsbosch on the rebrand for Virgin Airlines Australia.

Not just a pinch-me moment but the opportunity that defined how I approached branding for the rest of my career. 

The Virgin Airlines Australia rebrand encompassed everything from the brand logo to crew uniforms, sonic idents, and even the food served onboard. 

Suddenly, I understood the need for brands to continually evolve and take a top-to-toe approach in a competitive world. 

Everything down to the structural design of the coffee cups had to be on-brand: nothing was left to chance in our quest to create an immersive brand that would envelop customers and leave a lasting impression at every encounter. 

I was on a fast track to top-level branding. And it felt like a long way from banging out brand guidelines in Manchester.

The Virgin Airlines campaign didn’t just leave an indelible mark on passengers. It shaped my perspective on branding.

And after working on similar campaigns for major brands from Nike to Tesco, the top-to-toe branding process is something I still firmly believe in for firms of all shapes and sizes who want their brands to perform at the highest level.

As my early branding experience taught me, we should leave no stone unturned when it comes to creating an ambitious brand. 

The advent of the digital age has made it easier than ever for you to connect with your customers and vice versa. 

You have so many ways to reach and influence target audiences – but is this a blessing or a curse? 

In my view, it depends on your attitude to branding. The brands that continually evolve and flex are the ones that reap the rewards. 

2011 isn’t that long ago, but we lived in a relatively analogue era then.

Over the past decade, we’ve seen incredible progress in the digital world: 

• Your mobile phone has morphed into a pocket computer/camera/camcorder with high-speed internet access
• Social media has exploded – back in 2011, Zuckerberg was just launching the Facebook timeline (anyone remember the wall?), Instagram was a year old, and Charlie Sheen’s #tigerblood hashtag was trending on Twitter
• Influencers and sponsored content have transformed the way brands reach and interact with audiences
• The Internet of Things has taken connectivity to new levels. 

Gen Z is our first ever mobile-first generation. So, in an age where we swipe for drivers, dinners, and dates, your brand must adapt and stay conscious to make an impression in a crowded space. 

You may be wondering: what does this look like in practice?

Here are three things to consider when developing your brand for the digital age.

Digital means brands are not just about words, shapes, and colours anymore. We live in a 3D world, so your brand needs to reflect all the ways your audience wants to engage with it.

Consider how you want your brand to move, sound, and feel, broadening your outlook beyond the 2D aesthetics you may have established in the past.

With so many more touchpoints than ever, consistency is paramount if you want your brand to be noticed and remembered.

And when I say consistency, I’m not just talking about posting on LinkedIn at the same time every Thursday morning. 

Brand consistency is about creating a brand that’s so sure of itself that consumers instantly recognise it, whether they drive past a digital billboard or swipe through it on TikTok.

Without a clearly defined branding and marketing strategy, you risk spreading yourself too thinly, trying everything, and succeeding at nothing.

Carving out an informed strategy:

• Establishes your goals, so you have a streamlined approach and work productively
• Recognises your audience’s needs to ensure your messages land
• Identifies the right places for your brand to be seen (because not every digital platform is appropriate or necessary for you to have an impact) 
• Creates the foundation for you to show your authority and give your customers ultimate confidence in your business. 

With all of that in mind, is your brand clicking in the digital age? Or is there room for improvement?

For a no obligation audit of your current brand, email hello@studiolwd.co.uk, call 01253 892031 or visit www.studiolwd.co.uk.