Blog: Innovation and Strategy

Branding

The Value of Brand Innovation and Strategy for Success

 09 February 2023

Creating a brand that people will love is hard. Trust us, we’ve been in the brand design industry long enough to know. Creating a brand that people will remain loyal to is even harder. Being a successful brand seems to be more of an art than a science in the brave new world of e-commerce and social media, and it relies on knowing your customers really, really, really well. The past few years have shifted power overwhelmingly to the consumer in the retail equation, meaning that ensuring people continue to choose your brand over your competitors is more important than ever before. Zendesk’s 2022 CX survey found that more than 60% of customers have higher customer service standards post-pandemic, and that 61% would defect to a competitor after just one bad experience. The truth is that with so much choice available, consumers need a better reason to stick around than just a quality product. As the food, beverage, and retail industries are flooded with new entrants every year, how can your brand cut through the crowd while creating customer loyalty? The answer lies in innovation.

What is brand innovation? 

Generally, brand innovation refers to expanding on or adding value to your current offerings, whether that be through a new product line, creation of brand assets, refinement of brand strategy and position, or a complete rebrand of your entire visual design and identity.  The largest, most successful brands in the world are always innovating, focused on making their products distinct and disruptive while still remaining identifiable and relevant. Think of brands like Coca-Cola, McDonalds or Arnotts – each company is a household name in Australia with a unique brand identity, but continuously works to improve their offerings, reputation, and relationship with their customers.

 

 

In 2021 Red Rooster undertook their first menu innovation in years by adding fried chicken to the menu. This was the perfect time for a drastic transformation to the brand as well.

Aligning creativity with brand identity consistency 

Although creating a unique and strong brand identity which will best serve your business is essential, what is often overlooked in the brand creation and innovation process is the importance of consistency. As consumers, we crave familiarity and an emotional connection with our favourite brands. Something as simple as a packaging or logo change can accidentally alienate your customer base, or worse, render your brand unrecognisable.  So, although creativity is an integral part of brand longevity and success, be mindful – each change you make should be purposeful and aimed at ultimately improving the customer experience.

Why is having a brand innovation strategy so important? 

A 2021 survey by Havas Group concluded that we are entering an age of cynicism when it comes to the relationship between businesses and consumers. 71% of survey respondents had little faith that brands would deliver on their promises, and only 47% of brands were considered trustworthy. This means that brands need to concentrate on presenting an authentic and consistent brand identity to their customers, or risk losing their trust in the long run.  That is why having a cohesive brand innovation strategy is crucial – presenting conflicting information about your business or failing to deliver on your promises could spell disaster.

The crucial role of the customer in successful innovation 

Now that the power of the consumer has exponentially increased, brands need to look to the needs of customers to inspire innovation. Having a strong social media presence is essential for modern brands, as this is where customers go to ask questions, leave reviews, and engage with businesses on a personal level. Brand equity is created just as much online as through in-person customer experiences these days, if not more so. Being able to directly connect with your customer base and solicit their opinion on recent or upcoming changes to your brand will help alleviate some of the risk that accompanies innovation, while also helping to form a stronger brand-consumer relationship.

How to achieve innovation through brand evolution 

So now the question becomes: how can we achieve innovation? It’s normal to feel daunted by the idea of evolving your brand, but keep in mind that innovation is often the culmination of many small, easily achievable changes over time. Here are our five top tips for brand innovation:

#1: Be inspired by your unique story 

When we create or reinvigorate brands for our clients, we always go to your brand story first for inspiration. Not only does your unique story help to differentiate your brand from your competitors, but storytelling itself is the most effective way to forge an emotional connection with your customer base. We believe that behind every good brand is a good story, so make sure that you share it. Not sure how your story can help to evolve your brand identity? Sometimes it’s just a matter of digging deep and asking the right questions.

#2: Refresh your existing brand assets  

The visual elements of a brand can come to represent your entire brand identity at a glance. Refreshing your brand through a packaging redesign can be useful for overcoming a slump in sales or attracting a new customer demographic. The trick is to achieve this without losing the accumulated brand equity and recognition you have built up until that point. Our advice is to do your research! What do your customers want? What are your competitors doing? How is the market evolving? How can you integrate your brand story? We eat (and drink) with our eyes first, so make sure you give them a feast.

 

Yenda Brewing Co. Pale Ale Beer Packaging Label Design

 

Due to a massive influx of players into the craft beer space, Yenda had lost market share against its competitors. 

We were engaged to refresh the Yenda brand identity and drive more of a mainstream craft beer positioning, without alienating existing grassroots customers.

#3: Consider the customer experience 

Brands are judged on the way they treat their customers, so you need to ensure that every consumer has a positive experience when they engage with your products or service.  A customer’s experience of your brand could begin on your website, or through an interaction with a staff member, or by ordering takeaway through a food delivery app. Whatever form this first interaction takes, everything from your store design to your product packaging needs to reflect your brand identity and create a cohesive (and enjoyable) customer experience.

#4: Solidify your brand position 

Having to constantly compete with other brands for consumer attention can be demoralising, especially when you can’t tell what makes a customer choose another product over your own. Some brands make the mistake of trying to appeal to every customer demographic, but we’ll let you in on a secret: the more specific your audience, the more likely you will receive ongoing customer loyalty.  People like to feel as though they are being personally advertised to; it’s one of the ways that we feel connected to a specific product or brand. You might just find that when you begin to target your ideal customer, your brand will actually resonate with a broader range of consumers.

#5: Disrupt the status quo  

The last thing any brand wants to do is get lost in the crowd. Although seeing how your competitors are branding themselves is valuable, don’t be tempted to copy what others have done before. You want to look for gaps in the market that haven’t been filled, or customer needs that haven’t been met – essentially, you want to zig where the market zags. Disrupting the status quo with intelligent, disruptive design is what gets brands noticed, so don’t be afraid to experiment! A refresh, partial rebrand or even a full rebrand could be all that is needed to take your business to the next level.

 

Guzman Y Gomez QSR Packaging Design Australia

 

When we were engaged by Guzman Y Gomez to create their Mexican QSR brand, no one was doing Mexican in Australia well. See how we built a disruptive brand that has survived the test of time and supported them as they have become one of Australia’s fastest growing QSRs today.

Build Your Brand’s Success with The Creative Method 

Innovation is essential for brand longevity and success. Let’s talk about your brand innovation strategy – whether you are an established business or an entrepreneur with the beginnings of a dream, our team can help. Contact us today so that we can create the best brand innovation strategy for your business.

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