Branding trends often reflect on current times. In 2023, due to the economy, fuel prices and poverty I think we will see brands becoming more simple, authentic and honest. Customers will spend their money wisely, so the brands that focus on connecting with their ideal customer and offer meaningful brand experiences will be the ones that will succeed. In this article we will look at some of the branding trends we expect to see in 2023.

 

 

1. Bold Brand Identity

This trend involves using your brand fonts, colours, icons and illustrations in a confident way to create a visual impact. This works extremely well if you want your brand to stand out and your competitors are taking a more ‘timid’ approach.

Using this style of branding often leaves customers with a feeling of happiness, positivity and energy which can create some relief to the realistic world around them.

 If you like white space – this style is not for you.

I would not be surprised to see more brand taking this approach over the coming year.

 

2. Less is More Branding

The complete opposite of bold brand identity. Some brands are looking to create a bigger impact with fewer more focused elements. This trend is not focused on using natural colours and white space, instead it is about bringing maximum attention to the brands personality, values or culture.

This style is generally used by confident and established brands who understand the power of clearly communicating the message, tone or personality of the brand. We may see a lot of ECO brands heading in this direction.

This trend shows that by focusing on using only one or two colours with large clear fonts, we can get by with much less in our marketing and packaging than we think – yet still make a huge brand impact.

 

3. Character Branding

When a logo consists of just words, incorporating a character, icon or illustration can be a fun way to inject some personality and style into your branding. Characters bring extra personality, warmth and relatability for audiences to connect to.

This quirky style of branding makes a unique reference to your company and gives strong brand presence. In a world where our attention spans are getting shorter, the quicker a brand can grab attention the better. Using a brand icon or character is a great way to create that instant connection.

This trend is ideal for brands that would benefit from having a mascot or attracting attention through marketing, gifting or direct mail.

 

4. Powerful Mission Branding

Mission branding is about including your mission, values and brand story in the brand identity and creating meaningful action around it.

Don’t just say your business cares about the environment if it can’t commit to it. People have had enough of businesses not doing what they say or jumping on trending issues. There is now an expectation for businesses to prove and deliver on its values.

Many brands took this approach in 2022, and I can see successful brands embracing their mission as a part of their brand in 2023.

 

5. Brand Nostalgia

Brand nostalgia is about creating a brand that takes someone back to a different time in history. It could be as recent as pre-Covid or as distant as pre-world war.

When the world around us becomes too chaotic and overwhelming, customers seek the simplicity and familiarity of a time gone by. Creating a brand vision centred around another time can be an ideal escape for people. It offers an opportunity to relive glory days or see another time with rose-tinted glasses. An ideal example of this would be Nintendo using Mario Bros original graphics in a marketing campaign.

Brand nostalgia builds an immediate connection with your customers by influencing a feeling or memory they had from the past that they like or understand. To create this connection you could look at using specific fonts or colours from that specific era.

This is ideal for established brands with a branding history.

 

Conclusion

What ever route you take your brand on this year, consider how your ideal customer wants to feel. Putting a feeling or an emotion behind your brand will reap rewards for your business. Book a discovery call with us and lets create a memorable brand for your business.