Have you ever wondered why you see numerous billboards of the same brand on a single road? Do you know why most ambassadors of the brands you use are celebrities? If yes, do you know how much goes into each of these brands’ marketing strategies? Do not be surprised if you are perplexed; most of us are!

Because there isn’t a single branding strategy that works for everyone, the most effective ones are strategized by market leaders in the respective fields. With great importance given to addressing customers’ needs, brands also work on how to touch their customers in the best way possible. As to how the message is delivered, there are about a million ways. From reaching customers through newspapers to reaching them through mobile advertisements, communication has come a long way because of digital and social media. Despite the medium, it is vital that the message carries a load of creativity and coherence and reaches the target audience most effectively.

What of the stance of marketing?

Global marketing is no longer an option restricted to market leaders. It is now a course of action for smaller brands as well. With the right branding strategies chosen by keeping the company’s size and structure in mind, brands have begun to create strategies to reach the unreachable.

But what’s better than learning from brands that have mastered branding with the market’s best tricks and techniques? Experience always tells a unique story, which is why it makes the learning process so valuable. Many brands have succeeded in their paths to glory, and one such notable brand is Coca-Cola. Did you know that this international beverage leader is most customers’ favorite? This is what we mean when we say successful brands – increasing sales and lasting impact on customers.

Delivering emotions

Coca-Cola as a brand is visible to most parts of the world. Most people would recognize the brand just from its red and white logo. But how has it been able to sustain its customers’ TOMA (top-of-the-mind awareness)? Coca-Cola has ensured that it has been consistent in its logo and motto for over 130 years. Maintaining the brand identity for years is a hard row to hoe, and lack of consistency is one error that most businesses make frequently. And when they do, they eventually lose their customers to their rivals. One can quickly identify from the picture below that this is a campaign for Coca-Cola.

But are advertisements and promotions enough to sustain the competition? Definitely not! The thing that sets the Coca-Cola brand apart, aside from its consistency, is its active small-scale campaigns made exclusively for charity. In India, it started an initiative, along with NDTV, called Support My School to enhance the facilities at local schools. Through this, it strove to improve schools’ fundamental amenities, such as restrooms, playgrounds, and general cleanliness. Its main goal was to realize the concept of healthy learning environments for children.

Through all of its efforts, the company continues to market happiness, an emotion that cannot be mistranslated. One cannot go wrong with this, can they? This basic emotion has brought together thousands of people adoring the brand for what it is today. The things that make a brand special are not just done for profits but also as a step towards making life better for its customers and other people worldwide. If you want to win big as a brand, you must start mapping out processes that catch your customers’ attention creatively and in a novel way.

Delivering creativity

Talking about creative strategies, another brand that caught the eyes of many tycoons and the general public is McDonald’s. Most people would know McDonald’s as a mere food joint. But what it is, is that it is one of the largest brands in the retail food industry, with best-of-its-kind branding strategies. Global marketing and branding are known practices by most companies. But what McDonald’s does is not just this, but a ‘glocal’ marketing strategy.

The company is a leader in embracing change and focusing on customer needs. Its menus vary depending on where you are in the world. The menu is always customized to the demand and customer’s needs to encourage frequent customer visits. It simply means that the brand has incorporated its core business values into local and regional menus, thereby withholding the brand essence and the new customer segments. For example, it has added macaroons to its French menu, spaghetti to its Philippines menu, and a McAloo Tikki to its Indian menu.

This large fast-food chain has always ensured its customers are adored and valued. When the brand said it wanted to cherish its customers, it meant it. For the 2015 Super Bowl, McDonald’s marketing campaign – Pay with Lovin – encouraged customers to pay with a smile rather than cash. This did not just increase sales but also made an everlasting impression that it cares for its customers.

Now, many customers around the world have an unbreakable bond with McDonald’s. They identify themselves in a premier way by simply being the brand’s customers. This is a hard feat to achieve. But once you do, you will realize that you created a loyal customer base devoted to your products and services. Isn’t this what most brands dream of?

Delivering visions

Speak of loyal customers, and Apple stands as the undisputed leader in having a devoted consumer base. The ideal example of an emotional brand is Apple. Its customers not only value their ties with the company and the goods it sells, but they also adore it. Apple forges robust and enduring customer relationships that foster loyalty and satisfying experiences. The main reason the brand exists today is its relationship with its customers. The brand displays a humanistic corporate culture, solid corporate ethics, community involvement, and support for deserving causes.

The basic principle of Apple was to give the people power over technology by creating movements and not just selling products. Each of their products is looked at as life-changing and visionary. This is what the brand represents, allowing customers to follow along.

‘Romeo and Juliet’ was one of the most beautiful advertisements by Apple, showcasing the iPhone 7 Plus’s video capabilities. Following its initial airing in 2016, it set the bar for sentimental technology advertisements in the years that followed. It was the first in a succession of more meaningful and emotional efforts from Apple that were released over the holiday season.

There are a million strategies that have made brands successful. But successful brands are the ones that did not use these strategies, instead the ones they created to suit their goals.

What does this entail for your brand?

Being a large brand is not just about the sales but also the lasting impact it leaves on its customers. From what we’ve seen, it is important to crown your customers and make them feel cherished. It can be done by choosing practices that allow your customers to make choices, creating a loyal customer base, building a stronger brand identity, and focusing on the experience, not just the product. Remember, for your brand to be visible amidst the heavy competition, you must stand out through your products, practices, and vision.