Dossier: Brands & society

Nice toaster. But why do you work with an influencer who, along with being a breakfast guru, is also openly homophobic? What customers expect from brands has changed a lot in recent years. A great product with excellent service is no longer enough: now a brand has to have a meaningful connection to core values. As a brand, don’t just position yourself in the market, but also in society. How exactly do you do that?

Today most brands have a solid commitment to a mission and vision. That’s good news. But how do you translate your brand story into concrete actions? How do you attract a target audience that supports your brand's vision and consistently picks your products or services over those of your competitors? We would love to help you find your way with social positioning.

When was the last time you felt truly touched by an advertisement? Pure, raw creativity in the streets, in a magazine, or a heartwarming commercial. In short: a (rare) moment when a brand boldly entered your comfort zone through emotion. Sounds familiar?

A rebranding is a powerful tool to (re)showcase the mission, vision, and values of your brand. We translate the strengths of your brand into a clever brand strategy, an expressive tone of voice, and a recognisable visual identity.

Technological progress can be replicated faster than ever. Because everyone is constantly testing and improving, it’s easy for brands to become the same and indistinguishable from one other in communication. Brand experiences are increasingly displaying 'sameness': automated and optimised, but lacking in real emotion. This puts pressure on maintaining brand relevance. How do you bring the emotion back into branding?

The story of your brand may well be ground-breaking: but if you tell your story in a way that puts everyone to sleep, you're not going to leave a lasting impression. That is why your brand must have an attractive and appropriate tone of voice. Because a brand is much more than a logo. It's your personality. In this blog post you will discover why a clear tone of voice is so important and how to define this for your brand.

Many companies have carefully considered design standards and guidelines. Do's-and-don'ts for design language, colour codes, logos, and positioning are clear on paper. But what about your brand voice: does your way of speaking fit your brand? All too often, this turns out to be a mismatch when it’s just as important. Do you want to know how to make a success of your brand voice? Following our seven tips will help you on your way.

A strong brand identity begins with a strong brand name. So determining your brand’s name has a major impact on your success as a company. How then do you come up with a name that conveys your brand values and feels like a household name to consumers? Discover how our research and creation can help you anchor your new name in your customers' hearts.

Brands are built with advertising, and content then adds depth to the brand, right? Not if you ask Aart Lensink. As a content expert, he helped several brands tell strong stories, and now he's sharing his knowledge on building brands with content in this e-book— packed with examples and with a concrete step-by-step plan.