Branding without marketing software? Missed opportunity!
A while ago already, I read an article in Adformatie about the branding trends for 2021. An interesting article. Yet, I was missing a piece about the added value of marketing software. Let me take you through my thinking.
Dislocation
Let me begin by saying that I find this a very interesting article that I agree with broadly. It starts with four related trends that are causing disruption in the marketplace and in management. Briefly, these four trends boil down to more connectivity, more automation, lower transaction costs and fundamental social and cultural changes. These four trends can then be traced back to three main questions that brands must answer, namely:
1 Who are you? Strengthen your identity!
It is important for brands to trigger a sense of meaning, of belonging somewhere. They should not only bring something functionally, but also be emotionally relevant and distinctive.
2 How do you operate? Prioritize speed!
Organizations must create ways of working that are agile and promote simplicity to create value quickly.
3 How do you grow? Build for scale!
Brands must increasingly build a vibrant ecosystem of partners beyond the traditional boundaries of the company, build data-rich technology platforms that support growth and innovation, and accelerate learning to fuel the necessary "talent engine.
The road to the future
From these trends and the key questions connected to them, the author distills nine valuable pieces of advice for the future. But what I miss about some of this advice is content. This is all about data. For example, point 8 says "Build data-rich technology platforms," followed by the statement that future-proof brands take their data seriously. I'd like to take that a little further, because what I don't read back is that high-performing companies are serious about their content: their media, assets and other files. And in case you think: yes, but Sebastiaan, this article zooms in not on a campaign level but on a strategic level', that's absolutely right. But you also need to think about your content at the strategic level.
Fitter and flatter and unlock value faster
At point 4. Flatten the structure radically, it says: "Forward-thinking brands [...] structure themselves in a way that makes them fitter, flatter, faster and much better at unlocking unique value. File flows are so complex today, your assets are everywhere and nowhere. Maybe your (branded) files, images and media are in the cloud, and you can access them from anywhere at any time. But with the move to the cloud, you don't yet have a structure that everyone in the organization is comfortable with. By also thinking in terms of media management in flat structures, which you create by means of smart tags (labels) and metadata, you have an overview of the whole. This makes you much more flexible - even in the future - to allow your structure to move with changes in your organization. Whatever the future brings, your organization is ready for it.
Marketing software no matter how your organization operates
Marketing software doesn't care if your organization becomes flatter or less flat, more complex or less complex, if you need to make decisions quickly or less quickly, if your talent becomes scarcer or not, if you have a purpose and a value agenda or what the culture of your organization is. Invest in a good system that, no matter which way you go, can support you forever. Marketing software is not dependent on a strategy or a particular choice you make within your organization. It is there to make your life easier, always.
Curious?
Want to talk further about how our complete Digital Brand & Asset Management solutions support your organization in efficiently managing, communicating and sharing all your brand elements, logos, fonts, colors and guidelines? Feel free to contact us or request a free demo right away. We like to think along with you. Now and in the future.