Jessica N. Abraham | Designer. Writer. Publicist.

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ON EXAMINER

On Friday, February 13, 2015, theaters everywhere released the “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie, a motion picture derived from a novel with a taboo storyline. In the Marketing World, WebDAM, the leading Digital Asset Management software continues powering a new era for enterprise as they released their own “Fifty Shades” project… “Fifty Shades of Branding.”

In “letting your brand go” wild, “Fifty Shades of Branding” gives insight into Branding secrets, new and old, while explaining how and why a brand needs to allure their audiences by showing off its sexy! They have released “the best practices and inspirational statistics to unleash your brand in today’s modern world,” as introduced in a SlideShare presentation, provided to Examiner by WebDAM upon the release of this project.

WebDAM wants you to realize that no matter who you are and what you do, someone will talk negatively about your brand. As a matter of fact, “There are 2.1 million negative social mentions about brands in the United States alone, every single day.” While it is true that one negative comment is twice as damaging to a brand than no comments at all, you must learn to let go of control and set your brand free.

Set your brand free and use your creativity to attract new potential consumers. They suggest doing so through alluring visuals meant to intrigue your audiences. If you think about this point, it is very valid. After all, this isn’t that every time we are on social media, it is the memes and videos that get re-shared over and over again?

You have probably seen the same visuals re-shared over time and began to realize that these visuals are often coming from the same source. These clips and memes have become viral. Awareness has been found. And, the brand attached has become known for this media piece.

There are times, however, that these media pieces are being re-shared by someone not affiliated with the piece whatsoever. That’s where branding comes into play. That’s why branding becomes so important. In this same token, “the use of video content for brand marketing increased from 8% to 58%, and 74% of Online consumers expect a brand’s web content to be personalized to their interests.”

According to WebDAM, you need to “Set rules for your brand’s look and feel.” It is a well-known fact that in keeping with Brand Integrity, one should only use tones, styles and colors that have found an association with the brand. WebDAM goes a step forward and suggests only using those approved by a Creative Director from within the company. As a matter of fact, color alone “increases brand recognition by up to 80%.” They also suggest “keeping a leash on your font.”

All deliverables from a brand and organization should easily identify with one another. Allow your audiences to associate these deliverables with your company’s branding through visual presentation of font and color. This is what you call “establishing your brand’s voice.” This is how a brand builds trust. It’s how it builds consistency.

When you see a brand with familiar colors, shapes and fonts, you have identified it with product and service lines that you are used to. Many companies include the psychology of colors to alert you of a brand’s attributes, give an authoritative presence and to set an archetype with that brand. Is your brand a hero, a villain or a creator? These are things to consider when creating your brand and evolving your brand’s presence, especially on the net. This is how you build trust. But, guess what… “54% of people do not trust brands.”

That’s when it’s time to “Unleash your brand assets.” According to an IBM Marketing Survey and as relayed by WebDAM, “82% of marketers create and deliver brand assets at every point of customer interaction.” This is highly suggested, because even releasing press and including brand imagery, Online views increase on an average of 77%. This is why many people decide to click links on Social Networks.

Facebook has caught on to this and now allows you to upload your own photo with a shared link in increasing traffic to the destination. For those that come to your content, you want to be sure to have it branded just the right way! This is one way that you will dominate the market!

With every plan of World Domination, there is a set vision. And with most visions, you will realize that strategic planning and analysis will make a World of a difference. A documented content strategy will bring a team together in total sync. It is also one way to be sure that branding is always complete. It is one way to be sure that a concept is summarized. It is one way that the brand will always differentiate itself from other similar brands in the marketplace. “Your brand won’t get away from you. “

Build that trust with your markets. Get personal. As WebDAM puts it, “Make your customers always come back to your brand.” This is Brand Trust and Loyalty at its finest. It cost six times less to keep your old customers happy and will also lead to new potential consumers hearing about your brand through Word of Mouth, one of the hardest Marketing Techniques to achieve. These existing fan bases will become Brand Advocates. Allow them to adopt your vision. Allow them to get to know your brand inside and out. You see, “92% of new consumers trust brand advocates” more than they trust a brand directly. As much as 75% have cited brand awareness as being the major influence in their buying decision.

Do you want to bring a higher return on investment for 2015? Start creating interesting content. Interesting content is one of the top reasons customers follow brands on social media. “Set your brand free.” Visit WebDAM’s SlideShare channel and check out their brand new “Fifty Shade of Branding” presentation. You may even download it for future reference. Check out their site to find out about WebDAM’s line of Digital Asset Management and Brand Management tools — for web and for mobile.