This year remains the season of continuous crisis communication but more than ever, brands need to understand that having aesthetics and personality unique to themselves is important rather than the ‘cut-copy-paste’ and ‘plagiarised inspiration’ culture!
Every brand stresses on being the best. But a little heed is only paid to a significant criterion. i.e. branding. It’s a conscious decision that organisations need to undertake, rather than playing with it like a switch! Every great brand begins with an even better story – an honest, tailor-made communication to elegantly narrate a brand’s personality and vision.
The pandemic did not stop the launch of new brands and labels. Many of these newbies have a distinct message and ethical values that are garnering the interest of young consumers. But in a pool of rising new brands and the in-reign old houses, how does the consumer not label you as ‘just another brand’?
“Living between the outlooks of Millenials and GenZ, it is challenging for brands to make a loyal space in their mind and heart. Every brand idea has abundant sources to satisfy their needs, but what’s important is how you try and stand out from the rest,” tells Mridul Sawhney, Co-Founder of AM Branding Co. Established in 2017, the branding studio by husband-wife duo Mridul Sawhney and Aviral Rungta, is one of a kind and behind the visual identity of some of the leading Indian fashion brands including the likes of Arpita Mehta, Kunal Rawal, Anushree Reddy, Shehla Khan, among others.
The formidable challenge for brands is building refined visual communication and connecting to people at all times. Be it new or old, all brands need to hold onto having a personalised aesthetic and content. We discuss with Mridul about the secret mantras of branding strategies one can use to elevate the experience and attention.
Your Community Matters:
“Consumer makes and breaks a brand, gone are the days when the businesses were left in the hands of just the people, carrying out the business. With a market-oriented approach, staying up to date with viewers needs is necessary. Syncing with their lifestyle yet maintaining the essence of the brand is essential.
Social media being such a powerful source for spreading information should be used to its maximum yet efficiently. We believe every part of audience constitutes to the success of a product/brand. The young audience is important too as they play a major role in shaping the future now.”
Branding V/S Marketing:
“Branding and Marketing are two different concepts attached by a single thread. Where branding is ‘Who you are’, Marketing is ‘How you build that awareness’. Branding is the core of your marketing strategy and often not played around with once fixed. With marketing, it is all about how you motivate the customer to try this new product and them getting the value they expect. To conclude, both the concepts are equally important for a successful run.
Understanding the needs of the market and how both new/old brands can suffice it, that’s the goal! Along with creating a visual image of the same in order to let that picture never slip out of the consumer’s mind.”
Living On Social Media:
“When I started out, Instagram was flooding the markets during that phase and I could see how disorganised content was being put up, which was a turning point for me. I decided on refining it for my clients and till today, we hold onto that idea of giving a personalised custom aesthetic to each brand which becomes their DNA.
Social media plays a vital role in the development of a brand. From looking at the market preferences to spreading out a word, it has most definitely changed the spectrum of how we look at things. It has become much easier to reach people and the chain continues.
Branding, I believe, shouldn’t be just restricted to how a brand thinks but also about a new perspective that can be taken into consideration. Now whether it is for good or bad, it totally depends upon how the message is being propagated and with what outlook consumer is understanding it.”
Are We Brands Too?
“We are already living in the age where mostly everyone is aware of Elon Musk, Tony Robbins, Kardashians, other influencers online. Personal branding is all about how you market yourself and I believe, that is the next big thing brewing in the market. Although it is a skilful process because it requires an eye for individuality, having your own distinctive image and a will to generate content generously.”
Without a doubt, distinctive presentation is the key to a brand’s problems. But, of course, it is not without its own stresses. AM Branding Co. has grown on the merit of their commitment to quality to which Mridul concludes, “For us, the most important value we can deliver is originality and honesty in our work and dealings. For us, this will always be a personalised boutique studio, where our team sits together to bring out a little change in the world through our dynamic vision of aesthetics and to build iconic brands.”
Check AM Branding Co. here
Representative Banner Image has been used.
