The longevity of a brand is determined by how well people recognize it when it is brought to the public's attention. However, it's becoming increasingly difficult to build the perception and established brand from the ground up and expose it to the public for all to see, explore and experience. Thus, making brand activation an increasingly vital part of brand establishment.
Although the market evolves in expression and philosophy through technological and cultural advances, the core focus of brand activation is to bring the brand to people's attention and enhance their engagement through experience or stimulus. How can a new player set itself apart in a crowded field so they can an impression that stick? Branding activation serves that purpose. But in light of ever-changing market patterns. These are the fundamental tenants to shape a perception that can help brands when they go about brand activation.
ATTENTION AND SELECTION
Although our brains take in an infinite number of stimuli, we don't pay attention to everything. It means that the information that we perceive, meets our own needs or interests tends to catch our attention. When we don't think that certain things don't meet our needs, the same stimuli that might have caught our attention simply gets lost and fades in the background. No matter if it's a smell, a feeling, a sound, or something totally different.
That's why brands use targeted messaging to attract customers that might be looking for the solution they are providing and, AI and VR going to refine it even further. And through this, brands craft their campaigns and fuel the buzz that further translates into customers sharing their feedback. If the campaigns are generating buzz, then they are heading in the right direction. Few things boost brand engagement than personal recommendations from a happy customer.
And riding the digital wave with hashtags used in all social media platforms, brands can measure their campaigns' success and build their marketing strategies around them to boost customer retention and old and new customers hooked. Introducing something that piques the audience's interest is one way to keep them engaged. That’s where the hook comes in, be it weird but relatable and everything from online popups to billboard ads becomes points of engagement.
ORGANISE SIMILAR PATTERNS AND INTERPRETATION
When something catches our attention, we prefer to organize and classify it into easily understandable groups. That is why design elements at a store or on a website are purposefully combined to not only attract the customer's attention but also to ensure that the customer understands the arrangement and the overall design without difficulty.
As the information that catches our attention is organized according to proximity, similarity, and difference. When a space doesn’t follow these senses, we tend to get overwhelmed. Overly bright colours tend to get our attention but also overthrow our senses.
When a brand demonstrates its personality, who they are, and how they value their consumers through, let’s say brand activations. They choose the colours and other elements that are in sync with their character and are relatable to their audience. Ultimately, it's the combination of expertise and care, that makes them stand out from the competition and present those qualities in a neat quick package.
FUNCTION AND AESTHETICS
Imagine a retail store attracting its customers because of its aesthetic but as they enter the store they encounter colours that are so hard on their senses that they avoid the place entirely.
Despite consumers choosing brands based on their functionality, it's the aesthetics that draw them in and continue to captivate them. Because a space without aesthetics would be lost to time, whereas one without functionality, that incorporates classification of many elements that makes the space come together, would be worthless.
A solid brand identity is a blend of aesthetics and functionality. After all, a brand without its audience realizing its presence is a losing battle. And thus, engaging and holding the customer's interest is as valuable as the final product or service, that gets the brand from known to established.
With all said, brand activation is not just about start-ups but also for when a well-known brand begins another extension. That’s why when we interpret these structures that all brands try to create in the minds. It further provides shapes to the perceptions. And when they merge with stereotypes it causes an effect into our minds that stimulates change.
Then the brand and brand activation agency work in conjunction to get the desired result through that very change. Making sure that the new subset of the brand cements itself in the market both as an individual and with a partner to the parent brand.
Brand activation is as much an art as it is a science. Requiring both creative finesses and an understanding of trends and people in the market. Thus, requiring proper strategies and procedures to meet precise goals. Every brand has the ultimate goal to reach far and wide, improving lives but as far as brand activation is concerned. The precise measurable goals would begin the brand on the path of consistent growth.
