Branding, Marketing, and Web Design Trends

With the holidays fast approaching (such as Thanksgivukkah in just two weeks!) we thought we'd share some of our branding, marketing and web design predictions for 2014. 

Branding: Clean-Slate Brands
According to Trendwatching, new is good, less is more, and sometimes true is better than tried. Consumers are seeking greater control, choices de-simplified, and upstarts on a mission. 2014 could be the year of the entrepreneur with a great product and an inspirational mission.

Web Trends: Start with Small
Begin your design phase of every project with an eye on how it will look on a mobile device. Then branch out to tablets and PC's. It will help you frame your content by what's important and build an architecture based on best-practice.Less is more. Just as we saw above, the trend is moving to simplification: large images, parallax effects, and one-page websites organized into blocks of content inspired by Pinterest. The only thing that will get more complex is the choice of web-friendly fonts you can use.

Video is surging in popularity. A June 2013 survey conducted by AOL showed that almost three quarters of marketing professionals plan to increase their spending on branded video content or video ads in 2014. Same rules apply: keep it short and simple, and make it good. 

Social Media Marketing: Diversify Your Strategy 
As we saw from investors' show of support for Twitter's IPO, social is only getting bigger and more relevant. As choices expand and audiences fragment, it gives marketing professionals the opportunity to create meaningful content that creates affinity for your brand's voice. Once you build out a brand framework and architecture, drill down your value proposition for each audience and demo you're looking to reach.

• Google+ will continue to grow in size and influence and should no longer be thought of as a second-tier site. Delete that joke on the famous "Donut List."
• Image is everything and make it fast. Think Vine, Instagram, Pinterest. The popularity of these sites shows us that appetite for bite-sized chunks of content is growing. Say it in 6 seconds - and go! 

As always, it's best to have a strategy and never too late to download our free Social Media Marketing Strategy Guide. 

What are your marketing predictions for 2014?  We'd love to hear them. As an agency that specializes in branding, marketing and web design, we love staying ahead of the curve.