Rimowa and Under Armour joined Vogue Business and Bolt in New York City for an evening of discussions on how to build a smarter brand online and beyond.
Winning over customers online and beyond — whether you’re a luxury brand or a sportswear company — requires smart loyalty strategies and investment in technologies that drive next-level customer experiences.
This was the topic of discussion at the recent Vogue Business event at Legacy Records in New York City, in partnership with Bolt. On the heels of the NRF Big Show, we invited Jim Dausch, Under Armour’s chief consumer officer, and Jerry Wang, Americas director of e-commerce at Rimowa, to share their approaches to building their respective brands, while Bolt CEO Maju Kuruvilla, addressed the crowd on how e-commerce is evolving in the year ahead. They were joined by executive Americas editor Hilary Milnes.
Photo: Paolo Verzani
For Dausch, who joined Under Armour last year after spending over two decades at Marriott, cracking customer loyalty is the key to success for the sports brand’s e-commerce strategy. At the centre of his plan to increase loyalty is the mobile app, which Dausch says will be the main touchpoint for the brand’s most-engaged customers. “It’s the most-direct relationship you can create with a customer. Even if you’re doing well [on the web], often that traffic is still coming in through an intermediary, like Google or somebody else,” Dausch says. “And so once you can take them out of the picture and build that direct relationship with the customer, on the same device where they’ve got their friends and their family and everything else, you’ve made it.”
Customers are then rewarded for their loyalty via product previews or tickets to the Super Bowl. Technology also plays a role: AI has promising use cases in the way Under Armour sets up its e-commerce pages, by using what the brand knows about the customer to deliver the most-relevant products to them first as they scroll the site.
Photo: Paolo Verzani
Wang, who joined Rimowa in February 2020, says that over the course of the pandemic the customer began to skew younger. The brand found that this new audience wanted to see pieces in person before buying them, so they hop from online touchpoints, to stores, back to online — meaning the brand has to be agile and consistent in how it shows up across these channels, as well as flexible in how it tracks conversions. The main selling point for online customers, Wang says, is the convenience. To get new customers in the door, the brand is experimenting with live chat and live streaming.
All of it amounts to a better customer experience, no matter how long you’ve been buying from the brand. “This is the year of ‘clientcare’,” says Wang, who notes that the brand doesn’t discount but offers 100-year warranties and high levels of customer service — all things she believes will be a competitive advantage this year.
We were delighted to have Chris Johns and Jim Power join us on Tuesday 27th of February for our Toolkit webinar.
76 states will have elections of one kind or another during 2024. Some analysts think that will be the largest number in history. A lot of those elections could be very consequential.
We start the year with Taiwanese elections – the outcome could well provoke China, widely thought to be preparing for a possible war by the end of the decade. We end with the possible return of Trump. How bad could that be? Unimaginably bad.
5G provides quick response and loading times through low latency, transforming mobile shopping into a seamless experience.
Humans have incredible capabilities to advance the technologies around us. We’ve created transformational technologies that save lives, like MRI machines and stoplights, to revolutionary handheld technologies like the iPhone and wireless headphones.
But there’s a broader network of technology that keeps all of our pieces of tech fast, fresh, and valuable, and without it, we’d be stuck with slow loading periods and laggy connections. 5G is the latest generation of mobile networks, and it’s designed to create a new kind of network to keep us connected and efficient.
5G is the new global wireless standard, following in the footsteps of 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G wireless technology should provide ultra-low latency, increased availability, higher network capacity, and more reliability.
It will change the speed of everything we do with our tech, from online gaming to making phone calls. But 5G also promises to transform how we use our mobile devices to shop online. Here’s how.
In 2022, e-commerce was responsible for more than $800 billion of revenue in the US and is projected to grow to $1 trillion next year. 5G promises to aid in that growth by meeting consumers’ computing demands, such as quick response times, fast loading, and virtual try-on.
Ultra-low latency for seamless shopping
Low latency is a characteristic of a computer network that can process high volumes of data with minimal delays. Low latency will allow us almost real-time access to digital showrooms and customer service agents.
When a page takes too long to load, consumers quickly lose interest as their willingness to wait significantly decreases. So, when e-commerce companies take advantage of low latency, they’re helping their business maintain high sales, as customers are less likely to click away from their site.
James Blake, retail consulting practice leader at Vertex, explains that low latency will help e-commerce brands meet consumer demands. He also says that companies that can meet consumer demand the fastest and the most intuitively will be the winners in the e-commerce industry.
“The goal should be an online shopping experience so fast and snappy that customers become fully engaged and immersed in the product or service as opposed to being frustrated or distracted with sluggish websites,” he says.
Justin Day, CEO at Cloud Gateway, shares the same sentiment as Blake, agreeing that companies don’t necessarily need to be the best, but they do need to be the fastest.
“Shoppers now demand instant access, and as latency improves, we lose our tolerance for any kind of perceived delay,” Day says.
And lower latency doesn’t only promise to meet customers’ demands, as 5G’s low latency will help the enterprise remain competitive and up-to-date on business metrics. Parm Sandhu, VP of enterprise and 5G products and services at NTT LTD, explains how companies can use low latency to improve customer satisfaction and enhance brand loyalty.
“5G and edge computing enable real-time logistics, such as location tracking of inventory, faster shipping, real-time product information access, and updates, all of which translate to improved customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, which translates to revenue,” Sandhu says.
The more we live online, the more stress we put on current networks. Each signal you send from your devices must be processed via broadband: cables, fibers, routers, and wireless transmission.
In each information processing step, minor delays add up and affect your wait times on a specific website or application. Thus, 5G hopes to decrease these delays’ instances and duration to provide a seamless user experience.
5G and extended reality enhance visuals before buying
Extended reality, or XR, is an umbrella term including augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. Essentially, XR is an extension of reality that uses technology to modify your reality by adding virtual elements to your physical environment.
A great example of XR is Apple’s Vision Pro headset, as the device doesn’t fully immerse you into a digital environment like Meta’s Quest headset but adds virtual components to augment the space around you.
But XR is not limited to headsets. XR can be used with a smartphone — chances are you’ve used it already. Amazon already offers mobile shopping experiences that incorporate XR technology. When shopping for furniture on Amazon, users can use the “Room Decorator” feature to place digital furniture in their homes before buying it.
A yellow couch digitally places in a living room with Amazon Room Decorator. Screenshot by Jada Jones/ZDNET
Birkenstock offers a digital try-on feature allowing users to point their phone’s camera to their feet to see which colour and shoe style looks the best before they make a purchase.
Birkenstock Boston Clogs places on feet with Birkenstock’s virtual try-on feature. Screenshot by Jada Jones/ZDNET
Low latency promises almost real-time feedback for consumers to make XR the best mobile shopping resource for retailers and consumers. 5G’s low latency means minimal disruptions and sharper imagery can make the virtual try-on experience more enjoyable and accurate for consumers.
Blake says that XR working with 5G’s low latency will aid in retailers offering users a more personalized shopping experience, similar to how generative AI chatbots and virtual assistants have made customer experience faster and more immersive.
“5G could result in empowering retailers to deliver richer, more interactive mobile apps with higher quality videos, images, and animations not historically possible without sacrificing performance,” he says.
Stuart Greenslade, Kyndryl UKI network and edge practice leader, says that XR will eliminate the annoying parts of clothes shopping, like waiting in line for a dressing room. But he says that retailers will also have an advantage with XR try-ons, but XR may reduce the need for physical stores.
“For retailers, it means they won’t have to stock huge amounts of inventory on-site because consumers will be able to virtually try on the clothes before ordering, reducing theft, having AI suggest alternatives, matching accessories pushing baskets up and increasing accessibility of new ranges,” he says.
Consumer access to 5G
5G promises a long list of innovative speeds and benefits for consumers and retailers. But implementing 5G worldwide has challenged telecommunications companies, especially in the US.
Companies like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T have boasted about 5G for years but have experienced many roadblocks to achieving 5G speeds.
First, many Americans lack 5G compatible devices, although the gap is closing. As more smartphone manufacturers debut phones with 5G connectivity, the chances of an American owning a 5G phone are getting higher, but not 100%.
Millions of Americans still do not have access to 5G networks due to unforgiving terrain and infrastructure, and it will remain a challenge for telecommunications carriers to reach those parts of the country.
Still, more and more people are connecting 5G as the years go on, but without total adoption, its promises could remain unfulfilled.
Feature Image Credit: Francesco Carta/Getty Images
These are among the brands known as “loyalty juggernauts.”
Levi Strauss, Nike, T.J. Maxx, Walmart, Dollar Tree, TikTok, Costco, Sephora, Zappos and Amazon led in their respective categories in an index measuring loyalty and customer engagement.
According to the 27th annual Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, those are some of the brands that are “‘loyalty juggernauts” — brands of such overwhelming economic force that their ability to meet expectations makes them far more powerful than universal awareness alone,” said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, the New York-based brand engagement and customer loyalty research consultancy. The index examined customers’ relationships with 1,200 brands in 114 categories. Some 95,607 consumers, ages 16 to 65, were surveyed.
For example, Levi’s won in the apparel category (91 percent); Nike won in athletic shoes (89 percent); T.J. Maxx was in the top position in department stores (79 percent); Walmart won in discount (82 percent); Zappos won in online shoes (90 percent); Costco won in price clubs (89 percent), and Amazon came in first place online (96 percent). The percentages indicate their ability to meet expectations consumers hold for the ideal (100 percent) in their category.
“This loyalty paradigm has changed dramatically since the ‘Cola Wars’ of the ’70s,” said Passikoff. “Today, loyalty — and consumer choice — don’t come down to one-or-the-other option. Today’s loyalty bottom line comes down to consumers’ deepest expectations, and how they feel which brand measures up best. Customer behavior and brand loyalty are now almost entirely governed by emotional values related to expectations and expectations grow constantly.”
Passikoff noted a few economic facts that substantiate the cost-and-effort effectiveness of brand loyalty strategies. For example, it costs 16 times more to recruit a new customer than keep an existing one. A 5 percent increase in loyalty lifts lifetime profits per customer by as much as 78 percent, and a 5 percent loyalty increase is equal to a 12 to 21 percent across-the-board cost-reduction program.
He noted that being a loyalty juggernaut moves brands beyond primacy of product, distribution, ad budgets, even pricing. Being a loyalty juggernaut essentially commands category leadership. “The ability to meeting those very high consumer expectations better than the competition acts like the ‘super glue’ of loyalty,” he said. “Brands create a virtually unbreakable bond with customers.”
Feature Image Credit: SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES
How quality, personalised printed materials can allow brands to reconnect with customers.
In a digitally saturated world, engaging customers in a meaningful way is harder than ever before. Digital communications are appealing for many businesses as they can be easily measured, are relatively cheap and are able to reach consumers wherever they are. However, to truly put customer engagement back at the heart of campaigns, businesses need to diversify.
Customers are becoming increasingly aware of how they are being targeted online, leading to growing digital fatigue. The sheer volume of digital communications is causing many to switch off and opt out – and actively seek ways to reduce their intake of online content. In fact, according to Hootsuite’s Digital Trends Report, 42.7% of internet users globally are now using ad blockers, demonstrating that digital only campaigns are no longer enough to influence people effectively.
In response, businesses are reassessing their communication methods and re-exploring avenues to reach both customers and prospects outside of the digital world. This is where integrating high-quality, uniquely personalised, printed materials into the communications mix can offer an opportunity to re-connect with customers and build brand loyalty.
Achieving a competitive edge through print
(Image credit: AzmanL via Getty Images)
Print can bring the cut through that brands are looking for in a predominantly digital environment. With the flood of emails in customer inboxes, the unique message each is trying to convey is getting lost and subsequently lacks impact. Content that flashes on and off the screen can be quickly forgotten by consumers as they are served the next ad moments later.
Print offers a promising alternative and an addition to the communication mix which needs to be considered due to its tangibility, which leads to improved brand recall and a higher level of information retention. The fact that it’s different and tactile to the other content customers are served means it is more likely to linger in their minds for longer. Individuals also have more control over when they choose to engage with a printed asset which leads to a better focus on the material, unlike digital communications that are designed to be served wherever customers are online.
Seizing the ‘in-house’ opportunity
To capitalise on the benefits printed content can provide, many organisations are turning to third parties and specialist print shops for their printing needs. In Europe, the majority of businesses outsource their colour print material, but with operating costs rising as a result of the current economic backdrop, many will likely be looking for ways to minimise extra spend where possible.
While there are many reasons outsourcing can work and offer advantages, in-house printing offers both the benefits of increasing internal productivity, with the opportunity to boost customer engagement through the flexibility it provides.
Enhancing customer engagement
First of all, in-house printing removes all the additional time intensive administration associated with outsourcing, such as choosing a provider, signing contracts, and processing payments. More importantly, cutting lead times offers the opportunity to increase customer engagement as it helps businesses to bolster content relevancy. They can be more flexible with their communications and adapt campaigns at short notice to align to the latest trends – or capture immediate competitive opportunities as they arise.
Personalisation is also a critical way to have a longer lasting impact on individual engagement, as individuals are more likely to turn to brands that offer them a relevant and personalised experience. With in-house print capabilities, this is easier to achieve, as businesses can change and customise documents for each individual or group at no extra cost.
Customers also value quality, and with in-house capabilities this grants businesses more control over the end-product. By having a say in the devices that they choose, organisations can achieve a high-quality output consistently and can check quality regularly. With people more naturally inclined to remember poor brand experiences over good ones, this highlights the importance of getting the quality of your printed materials perfect every single time.
Bolstering internal productivity
Outsourcing print may be a short-term cost saving, however, bringing print capabilities in-house also helps to reduce operating costs well into the future. While investing in hardware requires upfront investment, it is more cost-effective long term as it removes the need to pay for external support each time a new printed asset needs to be produced. With the right technology, internal operating costs can also be streamlined through full usage visibility that helps to optimise the internal print environment.
Security is another factor that in-house printing can help to resolve. Whether preparing for a product launch or handling sensitive internal communications, investing in internal printing capabilities improves data security by keeping sensitive material within the company infrastructure. This avoids the need for external parties to have access, whilst also removing additional contract administration related to disclosure.
Striking a balance
(Image credit: Tom Werner via Getty Images)
Digital communication will always have a place in engaging customers, however, as attitudes towards online platforms are changing, digital only campaigns no longer serve all purposes. Thankfully, this does not mean businesses must choose between investing in digital and print technologies, but instead they should be seen as complimentary systems.
Print is an opportunity for businesses to increase engagement and reconnect with customers in a meaningful way. Bringing print capabilities in-house can offer internal benefits, greater control over the process from start to finish and increased flexibility.
But it’s true value lies in the ability it has in elevating communication to the next level, in a format that can provide a more creative and memorable experience that can be personalised to demonstrate the true value of the customer relationship.
Carlotta is Production portfolio Marketing Manager at Canon UK and Ireland, overlooking the Product Marketing side of all the Production portfolio, spanning digital to inkjet, cutsheets to roll to roll to suit every customer need across all markets. She’s passionate about production and commercial print and has launched several new products and accessories, engaging with stakeholders and developing new product propositions. Her approach is 360 degrees, believing in the integration of hardware and software to provide customers with a complete solution for creating outstanding output. Carlotta has a proven background of over 10 years in Product Management and Brand Marketing in global B2C and B2B organisations.
Richard Stewart
Richard Stewart is a B2B Marketing Manager at Canon UK & Ireland and is responsible for their workspace portfolio, which includes print and scan devices, output management software and their document and information management solutions. Richard has always had a passion for technology and has over 19 years’ experience in both B2B and B2C marketing functions, using this passion to help people and businesses to achieve their goals by linking customer pain points with technology led solutions.
Ever felt invisible? We share the world with 8 billion other people, and it’s easy to feel like you’re fading into the background in the hubbub of the city. Likewise, every business shares its industry with a huge number of competitors in a crowded market.
Sure, you might be more affordable, reliable, or innovative than your competitors, but your customers don’t know that for sure until they’ve tried you. Before that happens, you have to stand out from the crowd.
The way to do that is with clear brand identity design. A tight brand identity communicates your difference to your customers, sets you apart from your competitors, and makes you memorable to anyone who has used your products or services already.
Brand identity design is the sum of every visual and tonal branding choice your business makes. When it’s done well, it creates a coherent identity that gives you a relationship with customers that transcends the transactional.
The truth is, if you want to build a business in the 2020s, you need to build a brand. So let’s dive into brand identity design.
What is brand identity?
When you shop with the businesses and brands you love, you feel something.
IKEA doesn’t just make furniture, it furnishes homes with thriving families crafting their individual lives inside. Louis Vuitton doesn’t just sell bags, they sell luxury, and anyone buying a Louis Vuitton bag gets to feel, for a moment, a sense of that luxury in their lives.
This is brand identity: it’s how your customers, and potential customers, view your brand. It encompasses your mission, your values, and your brand tone.
Brand identity is built through various channels and strengthened in every interaction with your customers, but it is communicated in the first instance through the very first things your customers notice about your brand: your name, your logo, your tagline, and the wider visual elements of your brand.
Get the elements of brand identity design right, and you’re off to a strong start.
Why is brand identity important?
According to research published by the Economist, ‘brand’ creates around 30% of the value of companies in the S&P 500. A strong brand identity has a big impact on your bottom line.
Every successful brand has carefully crafted an identity so that its customers know exactly what the brand stands for. A brand identity connects your products or services with the lifestyle of your audience, and customers can have a meaningful experience when they shop with you.
In competitive markets, a strong brand identity ensures you stand out from your competitors and plays an important role in both reaching new customers and ensuring the loyalty of existing ones.
It takes work to create and maintain a brand identity, and that’s where brand identity design comes in. Brand identity design is the process of crafting your brand identity through your brand’s style choices, marketing and communication, and customer service.
A quick case study in brand identity design: The Netflix brand
Examine any one of the products and services you regularly use and you’ll see the elements of brand identity.
Take Netflix, used every day by millions of people around the world, and a quick analysis reveals:
A great, memorable name with a modern, disruptive feel and a clear link to the product.
An iconic logo, with arcing text reminiscent of the cinema experience.
A distinctive black and red colour.
Minimalist typography choices that emphasize ease of use.
A quirky brand tone on social media.
Image Source
Did Netflix grow into an online streaming giant by accident? No, they used clever brand identity design to do it.
Everything is considered, creating a consistent brand experience every time you open the Netflix app. In fact, they even use sound as part of their brand identity. You think of Netflix as soon as you hear that “badum”, right? Even the souped-up movie theatre version.
The bare bones of brand identity design are everywhere, once you open your eyes to them. Let’s take a closer look.
How to start developing your brand identity
To design a brand identity that fits your business and will resonate with your target audience, you first need to ask (and answer) a few questions.
1. What is my brand’s purpose?
Everyone launching a business has a big idea, and every idea has a story behind it. Identify the unique value proposition that your business offers its audience: what has driven you to start your business and what do you have that your competitors lack?
Your purpose is the foundation of your brand identity, and as you develop your brand identity design you’ll be able to communicate your mission to your audience at every step.
2. Who is my audience and what do they want?
Brand identity design isn’t just about you: it’s about building a relationship with your customers. Building a strong brand identity is a dialogue, so you have to understand who you’re talking to.
Conduct market research to discover exactly who your customers are, what they dream about, and what they want to hear from you.
At the same time, perform some industry analysis to understand your competitors’ brand-building projects. Ask yourself what they’re getting right and what they’re missing. Spotting key trends in your industry can give you some shortcuts in communicating your purpose with your audience.
3. What core tone will work for my brand?
Your brand tone is like the personality of your brand. It should communicate your purpose and values to your audience, in a way they’ll be receptive to based on your research.
Luxury brands communicate exclusivity and prestige through their brand tone, while disruptive brands might be cheeky and creative.
Here are some brand tone examples:
Cutting-edge and innovative
Quirky and playful
Warm and homely
Your purpose, your audience, and your brand tone will come together to define your brand. Now it’s time to communicate your brand identity to your audience: let’s take a look at brand identity design.
What are the elements of brand identity design?
Once you understand your brand identity, you can begin brand identity design. Careful curation of the imagery and style choices associated with your branding will enhance your brand identity, reinforce your values, and fix your brand in the hearts and minds of your customers.
1. Craft your logo
Your logo is the launching point for brand identity design. It will be the most consistent image accompanying your products and can provide a foundation for further style choices, like colour and font choice.
A good logo must always be simple and memorable, but that doesn’t mean it’s simple to design one. Your logo needs to evoke your brand’s purpose and values and be versatile enough to use across video and still image marketing marketing material.
Prioritize simple, block colours and clean lines to create an uncluttered logo that consumers can grasp at a glance. Nike’s iconic swoosh symbolizes movement and sports, while Google’s utilitarian logo is paired with a splash of colour. Both create timeless imagery to accompany the brand’s further design choices.
You should have a consistent colour palette to accompany your brand’s communications. As well as being functional (a predominantly black logo will fail to stand out against a dark colour palette) your choice of colours will also stir your customers’ emotions, so choose the right ones.
Read up on the psychology of colour to understand how your colour palette will influence your customers and relate to your brand tone. If you want to create an impression of security and trust, lean on blue tones while orange is connected with creativity and confidence.
Mailchimp has opted for a ubiquitous cavendish yellow for its brand identity design, a colour that’s memorable and energetic. And we can see how to colour choices of the fashion house and perfume brand Christian Dior emphasize luxury
The next ingredient in brand identity design is your typography, and the fonts you use can say a lot about you.
Burberry’s new serif font has a classy and timeless feel, while simple fonts like those across Google’s branding are friendly and appealing. You could even design a new font based on sketches or handwriting if creativity and personality are at the heart of your brand identity.
Your typography choices should align with your logo and color palette, and they should always facilitate understanding rather than confusion in your customers. Mixing typography can create visually appealing contrasts, but avoid overly elaborate typography that’s hard for customers to interpret.
We’re visual creatures, devoting almost half our brain processing power to what we see around us. That means a visual language, one integrating icons and graphics, is a powerful addition to your brand
Throughout your branding, ask yourself if you could say it with a picture and if so, what kind of imagery would appeal to your customers and remain consistent with your brand tone.
Google’s strict guidelines for imagery and icons create an intuitive visual language for customers. For your own, you might prefer artistic sketches that appeal to your customers’ creative side or something photo-realistic over computer-drawn graphics.
5. Keep it consistent
While there are many important choices within brand identity design, the choices you make should be fixed. It’s fundamental to the functioning of your brand that your design choices are consistent across your website, product design, social media, email newsletters and anywhere else you have the opportunity to use them.
Consistency is professional and it will reinforce trust in your brand. But more importantly, it helps get the message across and builds a coherent identity that customers begin to understand implicitly. Eventually, it might take nothing more than a splash of your iconic colour to remind your customers of the values that your brand is founded on.
Building a brand style guide alongside your brand identity design can help keep your brand consistent. Your style guide can document your chosen colour palette, typography, and visual language, it can quickly onboard new hires who are learning about your brand tone and it can streamline the process when you hire creatives for new campaigns.
A brand style guide can even outline the tone your employees take when talking to customers, the arrangement of shop floor displays, and the rules for sonic branding. Brand identity design begins with your name, logo, and the immediate visual components of your brand, but the strongest brands curate every instance of user experience to align with these fundamental elements.
Brand identity design examples
Think about any of the brands you love, and you’ll realize that they have a coherent strategy around brand identity design. The most successful examples of brand identity design aren’t obvious: these brands have created a brand identity that feels organic, and customers connect with these brands naturally.
However, it doesn’t happen by accident. Every brand, from Christian Dior to Mailchimp, has made key decisions about every aspect of their brand design. Here are some brand identity design examples to draw inspiration from.
IKEA
IKEA’s powerful branding gives them a strong top-of-mind awareness. The iconic colour scheme of their logo was inspired by their Swedish origins, but as well as being a patriotic nod to their homeland, it also effectively emphasizes the clean design and practical functionality they’re known for.
Even the name ‘IKEA’, in block capitals, combines pre-eminent practicality with a stylish and exotic twist.
Across IKEA’s branding, they use clean, uncluttered imagery, real photography over graphics, and prioritize neutral colour palettes.
This combination creates space for IKEA’s customers to project their desires onto their products, to the extent that the whole process of shopping at IKEA is one of self-actualization.
Oat milk brand Oatly follows well-established naming trends, with the -ly suffix immediately hinting that this is a disruptive brand outside the establishment.
They have created a quirky brand identity through their design choices, using subtly unaligned custom fonts to create an invitingly unprofessional feeling, and have perfected a warm, casual brand tone packed with offbeat humour.
Importantly, this humour is consistent across their social media, website, and product packaging to create a cohesive identity.
Oatly is a friendly brand integrating itself into the lifestyle of its users. These design choices might appeal to vegetarians and vegans already looking for alternative milk products, but by creating a wholly unpolitical brand identity, they effectively target young consumers from all walks of life.
Oh, and does anybody else see a cow in the black-and-white ‘Oatly Who?’ design above? Talk about subliminal.
Final thoughts
In a competitive business environment, the strength of your idea alone doesn’t guarantee success. You also need to communicate that idea to your customers, in a way that meaningfully connects your business with their lifestyle and aspirations.
That’s why building a brand identity is essential, and understanding brand identity design lets you optimize every detail of your brand to send the right message.
From a timeless logo, creative typography and a colour palette that leverages your customers’ psychology, brand identity design gives you the tools to build a powerful brand. Ready to get started? Check out our Brand Identity Design service at Squadhelp.
By Lotte Reford
Guest Author:Lotte Reford is Communications Lead for Squadhelp.com, an innovative naming & branding platform with more than 40,000 customers globally, from the smallest startups to corporations like Nestle, Philips, Hilton, and Pepsi.
These days, online shopping is more prevalent than ever. Since so many purchases are made online, it’s essential to be prudent when shopping. Luckily, saving significant money when shopping online is straightforward, thanks to the handful of tips and hacks you’re about to digest. Your bank account will be thanking you in no time!
1. Shop at the Right Time
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
A great rule of thumb is always to be aware of seasonal sales and base your shopping around particular dates. Whether taking advantage of Black Friday or holiday sales or buying your Christmas decorations in January at a massive discount, you can save tons of money by being mindful of when you open your wallet.
2. Be Vigilant With Comparison Shopping
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I can’t stress this enough: Never stop researching deals and never settle for the first “good price” you find! Even if you’re loyal to specific online retailers, most allow price-matching, which means that if you prefer buying items from Amazon and see a lower price at Best Buy, Amazon will honor the lower price (assuming the lower price is legitimate). Comparison shopping is critical to saving money in 2024.
3. Always Stock Up
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Take advantage of fantastic sales and discounts by stocking up on everyday household items. If you stumble upon the deal of the century on things like toilet paper, toothpaste, laundry detergent, or other household items, jump on the opportunity to fill your pantry and cabinets with the essentials! Buying in bulk now equates to significant savings and ensures you won’t have to re-purchase products at a later date.
4. Use Google Shopping
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One of the most underrated tools at your disposal is Google Shopping. Accessibly via any Google search, Google Shopping will scour the internet for the best prices for any product you choose. Sometimes, small mom-and-pop retailers offer items at massive discounts, and Google Shopping is the ideal way to identify those places so you can take advantage of them!
5. Stop Being Loyal To Specific Brands
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In the never ending quest to save money, you should throw brand loyalty out the window. Stop being obsessed with specific products when similar items will get the job done just fine. In 2024, prioritize value and savings over individual brands and watch how much cash you have in your bank account! We’re creatures of habit, but brand loyalty is one of the most straightforward bad habits to break.
6. Search for Coupon Codes
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Coupon codes (also known as promo codes) are one of the savviest ways to save money while online shopping. Once you find an item you like from a trusted retailer, simply Google your retailer’s name and the phrase “coupon codes.” You’ll often find codes you can apply during checkout to earn free shipping, cash back, or a discounted rate you wouldn’t usually come across!
7. Pay With Cash-Back Cards
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Cash-back and rewards credit cards are excellent tools for online shopping. These cards reward you with cold, hard cash every time you use them, putting you in a unique situation: You’re ostensibly getting paid to shop! Whether you hit spending milestones that earn rewards down the road or earn a small percentage of cash-back with every purchase, these valuable credit cards are must-haves for a modern shopper.
8. Buy Used Items
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If you can stomach the risk of purchasing an item that’s already been used by someone else, you can save significant money. While used items may be dirty or worn, in many cases, they still operate as the manufacturer intended. I’ve bought a few used pieces of electronics that saved me over 50% of the retail price, making me a delighted online shopper.
9. Install Browser Extensions
Image Credit: RetailMeNot.
In 2024, web browser extensions open up a new world of saving money; if you’re not taking advantage of these, you’re leaving money on the table! Extensions like the RetailMeNot Deal Finder automatically find and apply coupon codes for an item that goes into your shopping cart, regardless of retailer! How convenient is that? It takes all the legwork out of searching for codes and makes the money-saving experience seamless.
10. Sign Up for Email Alerts
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Nobody likes receiving endless spam and promotional emails. Still, sometimes you have to play that game if saving money is a priority in your life. You should always sign up for email alerts with any online retailer you do business with because you never know what kind of members-only discount will enter your inbox on any given day! Thankfully, if no discount comes, it’s easy to unsubscribe from future emails.
11. Play the Shopping Cart Game
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In 2024, online retailers are just as innovative as shoppers are. They will do whatever it takes to make a sale, especially if they think you’re on the fence! Many smaller, independent retailers will send a pop-up or email if you permanently remove a product from your cart. I’ve gotten into the habit of intentionally emptying my cart, hoping to get a “We hope you change your mind!” discount code; in most cases, it works like a charm!
12. Utilize Amazon’s Subscribe & Save
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I have a confession. I completely abuse Amazon’s Subscribe & Save option! When buying supplements, I often click “Subscribe & Save,” which guarantees me a certain percentage off (usually 20-30%) my first purchase of an item. However, the massive savings don’t apply to future deliveries, so I always cancel my subscription after getting my heavily discounted first product, only to re-subscribe at the same great discount a month later. I haven’t gotten in trouble yet, so I assume it’s a legit money-saving strategy.
13. Purchase Gift Cards
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Gift cards aren’t just the perfect gift for someone you don’t care for; they’re also a fantastic way to save money! Take advantage of the opportunity to buy discounted gift cards from your favourite online retailers. Purchasing a $100 gift card for $90 represents an incredible 10% savings that will add up in the long run! If you use the gift cards at some point, your purchase will always be financially-savvy.
14. Check Your Linked Credit Card Offers
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Most credit cards (regardless of whether they’re high-end rewards cards) feature linked offers that enable you to save money at thousands of online merchants in exchange for using a particular card. For example, if you carry a Chase credit card, you can use the Chase app or website to check for offers, usually in the form of cash-back. I’m constantly surprised by how much cash is offered in exchange for using a particular card at specific merchants!
15. Buy Refurbished Items
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There is no more excellent value in online shopping than buying refurbished items. While technically used, these products are cleaned and tweaked to be indistinguishable from their “new” counterparts. In addition, these items still carry their original manufacturer’s warranty, giving you peace of mind and much-needed relief in your wallet! I prioritize buying refurbished products ahead of brand-new ones, and it has yet to burn me.
16. Abandon Your Cart
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Some online retailers may offer discounts or incentives if you abandon your shopping cart. Leave items in your cart for a day or two, and you might receive a reminder with a special offer.
17. Consider Generic Brands
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Explore generic or store brands as alternatives to name brands. Often, these products are of similar quality but come at a lower price.
18. Leave Items on Your Wishlist
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Place desired items in your online store’s wishlist and keep an eye on them. Retailers may notify you of price drops for items on your wishlist.
19. Follow Brands on Social Media
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Stay updated on special promotions and exclusive discounts by following your favourite brands on social media platforms.
20. Take Advantage of Student and Military Discounts
If you’re a student or part of the military, check for special discounts. Many online retailers offer reduced prices for these groups.
21. Set a Budget and Stick To It
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Before you start shopping, set a budget. This helps you avoid impulsive purchases and ensures you only buy what you need.
22. Clear Your Browser Cookies
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Some online retailers may adjust prices based on your browsing history. Clear your browser cookies or use incognito mode to avoid potential price hikes.
23. Opt for Free Shipping
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Look for online retailers that offer free shipping. Some sites provide free shipping if you spend a certain amount, so consolidate your purchases to meet the requirements.
24. Check Return Policies
Before making a purchase, review the return policies of the online store. Knowing the return process can save you money in case you need to return or exchange an item.
Chris Phelan Title: Writer. Expertise: Sports, Finance, Lifestyle, Travel
Chris Phelan is an American culture writer, frequently dabbling in the travel, finance, and entertainment fields. He currently resides in Asheville, North Carolina where he is constantly amazed at the number of black bears wandering down his street on any given day.
His work can be seen on Wealth of Geeks, NBC, Bravo, USA Network, Yahoo, and countless other online publications.
Have you considered giving your branding a refresh for 2024?
Visual trends are always evolving, and while that logo and color palette that you came up with may have been cool in 2012, its now 2024, and it could be worth re-considering your approach, in order to maximize your visual appeal.
Which is crucially important. Attention spans are shorter than ever, and if you want to gain traction in busy social feeds, you need to grab people as they scroll by.
This listing could help. The team from Piktochart have highlighted 8 key trends that they expect to see gain traction over the next year.
Some interesting considerations, which could boost your visual branding.
You can read Piktochart’s full report (including one more key trend) here.
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The tech giant is entering the image generator scene in full swing with two new releases.
Google was quick to join the AI race, rushing to get its own AI chatbot, Google Bard, on the market. However, the company took an entirely different approach in the AI image generator space, declining to launch its capable Imagen model to the public — until now.
On Thursday, Google announced a series of AI updates. The biggest highlights were in the image-generating space, including a brand new image generator, as well as the ability to generate images in Bard.
ImageFX is a new image-generation tool that users can use to generate images from text the same way they would with any other AI model, such as DALL-E 3.
However, Google’s spin on the AI image generator features a prompt interface that includes “expressive chips,” which furthers user creativity by allowing them to experiment with “adjacent dimensions of your creation and ideas,” according to Google.
Users can access the tool in Google Labs, the company’s experimental platform in which users can test out the company’s early ideas for features and products, such as the Search Generative Experience (SGE).
The tool is powered by Imagen 2, Google’s most advanced text-to-image model, developed by Google DeepMind and released last month. Google claims it can generate its highest quality images, even rendering challenging tasks such as human faces and hands realistically.
Imagen 2 will also be found in Google Bard, giving the chatbot the ability to generate images for the first time. All you need to do is ask Bard to generate a photo using a conversational prompt, and Bard will be able to generate a high-quality image. The feature is available starting today in most countries in English.
Google is also infusing Imagen 2 across its offerings, including Ads, Duet AI in Workspace, SGE, and Google Cloud’s Vertex AI.
To address concerns regarding the misuse of AI image generators, Google reassured users that it has implemented the necessary guardrails to prevent generating violent, offensive, and sexually explicit content.
Additionally, all images generated with Imagen 2 will be watermarked with SynthID, a tool developed by Google DeepMind that watermarks photos in a way that is imperceptible to the human eye but can be used for identification.
When you look at the “About this image” insights in Search and Chrome, it will show whether the photo was generated using Google’s AI tools.
