The importance of Digital Branding for businesses in Kerala
In the last decade or so, a fundamental change has happened in the way communication is directed and received. The explosion of internet-connected devices in Kerala has brought new power to brands. They now have the means to communicate with their customers and target consumers directly and cheaply.
It took some time for businesses to understand that branding concepts have to be extended to digital media and technology. They also took the time to understand that the dynamics of digital branding has different challenges, connotation, and context. Some of them are only coming to terms with the challenges and opportunities posed through direct interaction with customers through their digital devices. However, a large segment of the brands in Kerala is yet to develop an understanding of the dynamics of digital marketing.
At Amatosoft we believe that digital channels are assets that have to be utilized to communicate a brand and its values including its positional statement very clearly. The branding concepts and assets too have to be well developed and applied to this new media. They have to learn to engage customers and prospective customers as well as the general public. In some sense, the real challenge is in communicating through digital channels keeping the role and context of the business, its strategy and the branding principles applied.
At Amatosoft, we take serious effort to study the markets and segments in which a business operates in. The essential question will be – what is the target market, its size, its growth, its potential etc. Then we learn what drives a customer, their intrinsic needs and wants. Then it leads to the final question – what makes the brand or service unique and different from the rest of the products and competition in the market? Does the brand have a competitive advantage including the capability to deliver their services across a wide geographical area?
Applying branding to digital media brings with it unique challenges that we at Amatosoft understand perfectly. Purchase is led by emotion and the emotions are based on the needs and want of the customer. A customer who seeks a gratuitous food product will have a different emotional requirement from a customer who is looking for a safe investment in real estate.
The challenge extends to building a compelling story for the brand to project that can be communicated over the years and can fall into a yearly brand plan which is actionable. There also needs to be a regular evaluation of the effectiveness of the work done. This helps in analyzing the deficiencies if any and rectifying the issues. In short, digital branding is much more than creating a logo and presenting the brand online.
Digital branding helps create loyal customers and repeated purchases. It builds a sense of ownership and affinity for the brand. The tasks involve creating special projects, programs and events that customers and prospective customers can relate to. It is a customer-centric approach, engaging them in ‘brand experiences’. Digital branding services from Amatosoft are aimed at creating brand loyalty.