One challenge every organization constantly faces is branding.  How do we send the message we want to send?  How do we bring in consumers?  How do we keep up with new technology and trends? Some businesses succeed, and their success is obvious.  Each of us can name dozens off hand (McDonalds, Apple, Nike, Google, Amazon, FedEx, ESPN, BuzzFeed, Starbucks, etc.).  For many, this process of branding, of establishing a quality reputation among the consumer marketplace, is incredibly difficult to manage.  Here are three tips for branding in 2015.

1.  Embrace Digital Intimacy:

Trends in the past have been towards automation, such as mass emailing newsletters, SMS marketing, or appointment reminders.  In 2015, this trend will shift to more personalized communication. Consumers are tired of getting frequent and impersonal blasts from businesses all over.  Their spam boxes are full.  Consumers are still people who want to interact with others.  Whether you’re a whole-in-the-wall store, a doctor’s office, or a large franchisor, become more personalized in approaching your consumers.

The most personal and popular form of communication today is text messaging.  Organizations who wish to create a sense of brand loyalty must begin communicating with their clientele via personal text messaging.  If you’re a business owner, you might not want to give out your personal number, so utilize a manageable texting platform such as Text Request.

2.  Align Corporate Culture with Mission Statement:

Too many companies exist whose mission statement is to “better the industry,” but who have miserable employees.  How can you create and maintain a positive relationship with consumers if you cannot first do that for your employees?  Those working for you day-in and day-out are your best form of advertising.  Build a relationship culture with them by engaging them in conversation, by asking how you can help them, by supporting them in their accomplishments and in their mistakes.

Consumers are very good at detecting deceit.  Aligning corporate culture and mission creates a positive and more genuine environment inside company walls that cannot help but be seen in the marketplace. Companies who want to succeed in 2015 will build a “relationship culture” within the workplace.

3.  Utilize Social Media:

Having a company Facebook page doesn’t cut it.  Companies who want to successfully brand themselves in 2015 will have to interact with their consumers via social media.  Dozens (if not hundreds) of social media platforms exists. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Blogs, Pinterest, and many more provide a way for businesses and organizations to interact with a broad consumer base instantly and often. Millennials, especially, are familiar with companies doing this best – Jack Threads, Dollar Shave Club, Elite Daily, BuzzFeed, Uber Facts, Coca-Cola, and Nutella, for examples.

In 2010, the world provided us with close to 1 billion social media users.  That number has only grown drastically, with approximately 1.8 billion people using social media in 2014, and just short of 2 billion estimated to be social media users in 2015.  Creating interactive and regular content related to your industry will greatly boost your brand in 2015.

Business who succeed in 2015 will be those who followed these three steps, who took extra efforts to be relational with their consumers.

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Kenneth D. Burke