We are truly living in a branded age as an increasing number of big names compete for market share in both Australia and around the world. Coming with creative and unique ways to boost a brand has become an essential part of any company’s success and growth strategy. When companies of any size are seeking ways to promote a brand, it can feel like every idea has been done to death, but there are many interesting and affordable ways to get a brand name out there.

1. Branded Gifts

It may seem a little corny at first, but getting your brand onto commonplace items that you can use around the office, and as giveaways for visiting clients and attendees at corporate events that you are hosting. It’s easy and affordable to create a line of branded office items like mouse mats, USB drives, stationery, attractive notepads, and much more. But why not take the branding of items a little further out of the box?

For example, you can impress visiting clients and get your name into every event using the stuff of life --- water. Promote your brand with custom labelled water bottles that you can then keep in your reception, meeting areas and common spaces, and bring to every event that you host and other events that you sponsor. Your brand will literally be in everyone’s hand! Water is also the best beverage to brand since it’s a universal need that no one can say no to.

2. Video Content

This is the age of the video when it comes to engaging content. People are increasingly seeing branding and advertising messages within the smaller confines of their smartphone, tablet and laptop screens. Text-rich content is not viable in the way it once was, since people have neither the wherewithal or the time to read it. 

Video content is engaging and powerful. It fills up a person’s screen, displays your brand, conveys your key messages simply and effectively, and better yet will keep people’s attention and help them remember your brand and your values for longer. Video content can make use of powerful imagery, background music, attractive hosts or voiceovers spewing pure ear candy.

3. Give Back

The younger generation wants to connect with brands that align with their own values. They like to see leaders of companies speaking up on key issues of the day and taking a stance against what is perceived as injustice or problems that can no longer be ignored. Environmental issues are particularly important, so companies demonstrating real commitment to green policies and practices will go far with that demographic.

Giving back to charitable causes and working to help the disadvantaged with real action is another great way to the hearts of younger consumers, who will then associate your brand as being “part of the solution” and not “part of the problem.”

4. Social Media and Blogging

These are already starting to feel quite old hat to some in business, but in fact the power of social media as a brand-pushing platform is very much still there. The big social media platforms, as well as your own company blog, are still the places where you can tell your brand story, as well as share news and updates on various activities that promote company values and how you give back to society as mentioned in the previous point.

5. Online Reviews

Another key element to your online presence is the new version of word of mouth, which is online reviews on platforms like Google where people are actively searching for brands to connect with. Online reviews are an extremely visible form of a word-of-mouth approval that appears in people’s search windows right before their eyes, hopefully in the form of 5 glowing stars.