As 2013 draws to a close, we are already focusing and thinking about empowering ways to serve our client’s brands in year ahead.

How must brand marketing change in 2014 to reflect the ever-growing sophistication and desires of consumer?

For many years now, brands and their agencies have often chosen to focus on blowing their own horns in favor of their products and services, using product and service differentiation as their main weapon when trying to establish superiority in the minds of the consumer for their brands.

This intensity on making products and services the centerpiece of their marketing campaigns has slowly but surely lost its meaning and welcome with consumers.

At LINK, we believe that in 2014, truly successful brand marketing must, more than ever before, incorporate holistic thinking to succeed.

As marketers, we will need to make every effort to listen to and understand our target consumer and to create value which goes well beyond that of product promises and focus instead on their needs and creating meaning for them.

Overall, the noise level of the drums beating the product message needs to be turned down and the efforts to deliver a credible story underlining the brand’s ability to not only promise but also show that the brand is able to deliver on that promise needs to increase.

Quality brand marketing in 2014 must include visionary thinking, and if possible provide a look through the window into the future as part of the brand experience. The customers and purchasers of today need to feel a sense of security, not only now but also looking ahead.

In uncertain times, stability and sustainability are important parts of a brand, in order for it to be perceived as truly visionary.

Principally, developing a positive brand experience in 2014 can be summarized in five major points:

1. Knowing customer’s ambitions and being able to communicate clearly that their needs can be filled by the brand.

2. Customers and buyers are looking way beyond the product, and, indeed, are looking to find other advantages they might receive by buying or continuing to align themselves with a specific brand.

3. The message of the brand needs to be consistent.

4. The focus must remain on storytelling, but with additional emphasis on creating credibility and belief that brands can deliver on their promise.

5. Brand marketing needs to give customers that look through the window into a successful future.

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