As we enter a new year it’s a good idea to take a quick look at promotional branding trends and predictions. Google defines the word trend as “a general direction in which something is developing or changing.” These trends can influence the way we choose to brand our businesses in 2015.
Share a Coke: Australia www.coca-colacompany.com
Personalized Promotions are In
Personalized promotions are the way to go. Today’s consumer is looking for personal attention and customized experiences. Making that connection with your customers is a definite way to build brand recognition. The Coca-Cola Share a Coke campaign is a great example. They took 250 popular names and words such as family, mom and dad then printed them on Coke cans and bottles so that people could search for their name or their friend’s name in the cooler. Asics created miniature 3-D replica models of marathon runners.
Brands are Real People Too
Just like how customers want a personal connection with your brand they want you to talk like a human. They are looking for a one-on-one conversation. This can be achieved through honesty, great customer service and interactive marketing. People want to feel like your brand has emotion. A great example is the Fisher-Price 2015’s First Babies ad. It gives you a real feeling about new life and new beginnings which we can all relate to.
Brands are having Fun Again
Making personal connections on a more human level is also showing brands that clients want to have fun. In the promotional products industry our fun stuff has always been popular. It is a way to connect with customers in a more light hearted way. A great example of a fun brand is Zipcar where they speak to you like they are your best friend and have a catchy name that makes renting a car fun. They also make it really easy to rent a car in highly populated areas such as New York City.
Image from Zipcar.com
Branding With Empathy
Southwest Airlines proudly introduced a modern new look to our iconic brand by unveiling a new airport experience, logo, and aircraft livery, named Heart.
“Our Company’s collective heartbeat is stronger and healthier than ever, and that’s because of the warmth, the compassion, and the smiles of our People,” said Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly. “The Heart emblazoned on our aircraft, and within our new look, symbolizes our commitment that we’ll remain true to our core values as we set our sights on the future.”
Heart Sets Us Apart
Ultimately, in 2015 it looks like one of the biggest trends in marketing is personalization and personal connections. There are definitely other trends to watch in mobile marketing, sustainability and video marketing, however, all of these trends can be correlated with making personal connections in your advertising as well. The ultimate goal is to create a love affair between your brand and it’s customers.
How will you create a personal connections with your clients in 2015? What other trends do you see in promotional branding for 2015? What can you do to create more emotion in your marketing?
I really quite like the coca cola share a coke campaign, I think it is a fun idea. It will be interesting to see exactly how it affects sales for Coke.
Susan- There is nothing like making ads more personal. We all like to feel a part of something
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
I think personalization and personal connections is very important when it comes to marketing. People want to feel special and like you are only talking to them.
Krystle Cook recently posted…Upcycling Glass Jars with Chalkboard Labels + Paper and Twine Liquid Chalkers Review
Krystle- We all like to think we are important. Ads that make you feel warm and fuzzy have a better chance of getting their message across.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
Loved that video Arleen. And it is true, more and more promotions are so personal aren’t they. So refreshing when you see something like being humorous or heart warming. Thanks.
Patricia Weber recently posted…After New Years Eve: Celebrate January 2 as Introvert Day
Pat- My favorite promotions is the super bowl ad from Budweiser. They make you feel good.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
Arleen — I agree completely about increased personalization. We live in such a technological world now. I hope that major companies with large customer service centers will take note and eliminate “menu hell” and let you ask to speak to a real human being. Pushing “0” doesn’t usually work anymore.You just get returned to the menu.
Also we are seeing an increasing trend towards “self-service” at checkout counters. Today I bought my ticket to a movie online so that I could bypass the long line at the ticket counter. Instead I ended up waiting in line at a kiosk — actually 3 different lines because the first two kiosks malfunctioned. It was chaos.
Jeannette Paladino recently posted…Did You Miss These Changes in Your LinkedIn Profile?
Jeannette-I are losing that personal touch with the technological age and I think it will come back to bite us. No one likes to feel like a number and they are unimportant. I know everything is geared toward the younger generation and the older citizens are forgotten and if you do not have computer skills, you are left out. When someone asks my husband for his cell phone or email number, he says he doesn’t have one. He makes whoever it is do it the old fashion way.
I was flying back from Florida last year when I was told I could not go to the ticket counter until I had gone to kiosk first. Went through all the prompts twice, and get to the counter and hand the receipt from the kiosk and was told that they had no record of it and I had to go back again. I said that is not happening. They got a manager over and he took care of it. The chaos is happening everywhere.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
Coca Cola’s personalized cans and bottles are a really clever idea. I appreciate the tips in your post and will keep emotional appeal in the forefront of my thinking this year, when creating social media posts and when reaching out to prospective clients.
Michele- I noticed that some of the ads on TV are getting personalized. When are talking about a hospital, people are saying their names and that they are not a number. That is something that we should remember in advertising. We are all special.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
I certainly have noticed this trend…it’s hard to miss! I like the whole idea and have found myself wondering if this trend is yet another result of so much social media connecting? Just a thought….it does seem like people are trying to reach out and connect more.
Jacqueline Gum recently posted…Opinion… Where’s The Justice?
Jacqui- Hopefully the trend is because of wanting to connect instead of the disconnecting that is going on today.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
I am currently in love with the Nutella name advertisement, it means people are buying Nutella’s just as a decoration because the label has their choice of word or name printed, so I think what you/re saying about the name campaign being the new in-thing is very true, and coca cola demonstrated this very well especially when they had the glass coca cola bottles which you could print your name on. Its exciting to see how these trends change. I loved the video, thank you for sharing.
Love, Husnaa xxx
Husnaa recently posted…Wedding Outfit Inspo
Husnaa- Allowing your name to appear on a well known brand is smart advertising. It works for all levels involved to get your name out with that personal touch.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
Agree with you about branding becoming more and more personal.
Another aspect of it is that companies adapt their branding to different cultures in the world to get even more impact. Great video but I’m not sure it was used in the Middle East. It does after all show naked skin on women.
Like Southwest Airline’s new branding with the heart. Makes me think of how some Asian and Middle Eastern airlines brand themselvs as caring that have been successful.
Catarina recently posted…Do you enjoy feeling scared?
Catarina- One needs to know their marketplace and demographics in order to sell their brand. Getting more personal it not a new idea but going back to ideas that worked in the past before technology became the name of the game.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
Personalising adverts draw people in. People need to feel they can relate their life to some part of an advert.
Phoenicia recently posted…There is a time for work and a time for leisure
Phoenicia- Advertising has a big effect on us so be able to connect to a product or brand is worth the time spent on creating the perfect ad.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
I’m a big fan of brands that listen. Is your product badly in need of an overhaul? Listen to your customers needs and change it. Pizza Hut is a great example of this. People wanted more variety and they responded.
Andrew Smith recently posted…3 Reasons Why You Need a High-Quality Paring Knife
Andrew- Sales of kinds are based on listening and when the company listens they enjoy a win win situation for all.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
What a nice group of examples of promotional branding. I love the Coke one and the baby one. I need to give this some thought. I do always stress that each person I work with is unique and needs a unique path to success.
Beth Niebuhr recently posted…Kicking the Multitasking Habit
Beth- We are all unique and want to feel that whatever someone is selling they are thinking of our needs. More and more advertisers are starting to see the importance.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
I’m thinking about my reaction to the video, I was all set to comment, “I love when advertisers incorporate the universality of the human condition”. But I have to be honest, when I saw Fisher-Price I felt the ad was pandering to new parents. Now I’m wondering if branding can be so personal it comes across as insincere; kind of like, “Eddie Haskell” on “Leave It to Beaver”. OK, now I just realized how old I really am!
Pamela Chollet recently posted…The A-Z Of Light Therapy For SAD
Pamela- I have to tell you I had the same reaction to the video and then thought it was my age. My designer who is younger than me saw it differently and thought it was warm and fuzzy. Today ads are directed at a younger demographic.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
Arleen, love your statement that brands are real people too.
Kire Sdyor recently posted…Mark Your Path with Breadcrumbs
Kire- Interesting how one thought can leave an impression.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
Great review. I follow Trendsetter and they’ve been talking about personalization for months so this is a trend that is definitely building momentum and honestly I can’t see it changing any time soon. Thanks for the inspiration!
Marquita Herald recently posted…Do You Believe You Can Change?
Marquita- I am happy to hear that it is the new trend to be more personal. We are not numbers. We are all advertising something so it is important to keep it honest.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
Absolutely, brands are doing everything they can to push our buttons. It’s all about empathy, compassion, trust, going beyond the transaction. I see it as pushing back against all the technology that increasingly dominates our lives and our culture. Hopefully, it’s more than just a trend, and we really start connecting with each other as people, not just clients and corporations …
Krystyna Lagowski recently posted…And the 2015 Honda Fit is the cat’s meow!
Krystyna- With the digital age of technology it is important to remember that we are people and not machines and do have feelings. Marketing to the human feeling will have more of lasting impact.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
Howdy Arleen ,
this is a great article
i think now, Coca – Cola is a most famous brand!
Thanks for sharing this post and good luck!
Nick Carter recently posted…Helping You and Your Child Lose Weight
Nick- Coco Cola has done a great job staying on top of their. When think of coke, you immediately think of Coco Cola.
Arleen recently posted…Promotional Branding Trends of 2015
Arleen, the company I work for has been trying to come up with some new promotional products. It is good to know what some of the trends of this year are. Personalized promotions seem like a good idea. We will have to think about that a little more.
I definitely think that it is a great idea to have more personalized branding. Who doesn’t love to feel like they had something made just for them. That is definitely a great way to build your business. It is also a great idea to incorporate fun into your branding. That is definitely a great way to help people remember you.
Lilly- Most large corporations have a logo. They spend thousands of dollars of advertising. We don’t have to spend that kind of money because they have done it so if you follow their lead it will work for us.
Arleen recently posted…New Google Logo and How an Updated Logo Reflects Your Business
I like how brands are becoming more and more personable. It’s true what you say about wanting a personal connection with the brand you interact with. I want to know the company has an interest in me. I want to feel like they are the perfect company for me.
The main theme throughout the current promotional trends is being personable and acting more human. Like you said, certain companies are making an effort to make personalized connections with people by being more fun or interacting more with their customers. Advertising like there’s an individual person that cares about each customer is a great promotional strategy. Thanks for the article.
You make good points about personalized promotions, branding with empathy, and adding some fun into the mix. Using emotion to connect on a personal level is a nice tip as well.
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