All Brands Need Digital
Brand behavior is what brings brand strategy to life. And today, brands that aren’t focusing on digital brand behavior can’t compete. Digitization is becoming the main pathway for consumer journeys across all industries. And the number of digital touch-points for brands is increasing by 20% annually. So digital is an integral part of the overall brand experience. And the brands with the best digital brand behavior are thriving for a reason.
Digital Brand Behavior That We Love
1. Tell a powerful digital brand story: GE
Through story telling, GE invites consumers and businesses into their world. Their photos and visual content on Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, and their website showcase their technology leveraging digital to make their brand more human.
For GE, it’s all about capturing people’s imagination and fostering innovation. Because part of GE’s brand promise is their commitment to innovation, GE tries to be a first-mover on new digital and social platforms. So they experiment to see how a new platform works for them and if it helps tell the story of why they matter.
And this commitment to digital brand behavior has increased GE brand awareness and engagement, especially among younger audiences and technology lovers.
2. Act with transparency through and through: Everlane
Today, digital is the most efficient way for consumers to find the information they are looking for. Everlane built a customer base by being radically transparent about this information – revealing their manufacturing process across digital platforms – something that many clothing companies often choose to withhold.
On the retailer’s website, consumers can easily find the itemized cost right down to the $.11 for transport to stores. Everlane has featured factories that manufacture its products and prides itself on the behavior of disclosing costs for material, labor, transportation, and even markup.
This kind of transparency within a competitive market like retail makes a brand like Everlane stand out as honest, authentic, and worthy of their consumer’s trust and loyalty – what thriving in the digital world demands.
3. Speak with a clear voice across digital touch-points: Southwest
With endless digital platforms comes the possibility of a disjointed brand voice. And when a brand’s voice isn’t clear across platforms, a brand can easily become less trusted, less recognizable, and less emotionally impactful for the people who matter to its success.
Southwest is finding digital success because it has created a personable, honest, and trustworthy brand voice that rings true across all touch-points. Not just in person or on the pretzels that flight attendants pass out on planes (that say “just because we like you”). But on the website. On social media. And even in their hashtags.
Consistency and clarity with their brand voice is essential for Southwest as a brand. It helps the airline differentiate themselves from competitors as being the most human and trusted choice – never hiding fees or deceiving consumers.
4. Behave responsively: Nike
The more responsive a brand is on their digital platforms, the more people feel connected, engaged, and loyal to that brand. Responsive brands are able to personalize their digital experience to each consumer, and adapt dynamically to how and when people engage with their content.
Take Nike. Nike’s digital responsiveness is two-fold – their digital communication with consumers is direct and fast and their digital design is highly responsive.
On Twitter, Nike’s customer service is gold standard. They reply quickly and directly – engaging with consumers, addressing concerns, celebrating positive engagements, and helping people find what they need.
In terms of responsive design, Nike is constantly innovating new ways to be more responsive. The new Nike+ app provides users with a feed of stories directly based on their inputs of interests. Digital data insights are directly produced from user’s behavior, needs, and wants. The app works to fulfill their brand promise of making athletes better – personalizing its content and bringing people closer to their goals thru smart and dynamic responsiveness.
5. Have a strategy: HipCamp
At then end of the day, the most important thing about digital behavior is having a strategy for it. It’s easy to get lost in a sea of platforms and options. Brands that are succeeding are using their brand promise and strategy to guide their digital behavior.
And HipCamp, for instance, has built its brand around adventure, exploration, and community. Because of this, Instagram is an important community-building and sharing platform. On Instagram, HipCamp focuses on sharing the places that their consumers have explored with their Instagram community. This opens up the world to their users, and brings them in.
It’s All About Trust
The way a brand behaves digitally is key to driving trust, engagement, and loyalty.
So focus on delivering a consistent brand behavior. Adapt the practices above. And build digital trust that positions your brand to thrive no matter what challenges are ahead.
Emotive Brand is a brand strategy and design agency.
