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Everything You Need to Know About Digital Branding

May 3, 2023
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Mobile is the next frontier for digital branding. 

When you want to connect consumers with your brand, there’s no better way than through mobile. More consumers than ever before are using their phones to shop, get the news, and research products. It’s critical that marketers are meeting them where they are spending the most time.

Digital mobile branding should be a priority for your business this year. This article will dive deep into the importance of having a digital brand strategy for mobile and the elements it should include.

Defining Digital Branding on Mobile

HubSpot defines a digital brand by explaining that...

“Companies don't sell products or services. They sell experiences, feelings, and ideologies.”

Having a strong brand identity is important because it means taking control of the experiences, feelings, and ideologies that power the purchase of products. Your digital brand is the story, look and feel of your brand that makes it recognizable to consumers on the web. Most importantly, your unique digital brand is what makes you stand out from competitors.

Branding consists of everything from your name and logo to messaging, voice and identity that come across in your advertising and other digital assets (website, social media pages, etc). It’s both tangible in the sense that consumers can see and interact with your brand, but also intangible since you’re making your customers feel a certain way through your messaging.

But too often, companies don’t translate their brand identity online, especially on mobile. Your online presence is the premiere mode by which most potential customers will learn about and interact with your brand. It’s not enough to simply market your brand through digital channels to drive sales, it’s about creating lasting relationships with consumers. It’s why the authorities on the digital space like Google, Entrepreneur Magazine, Wordstream and more are constantly reinforcing the link between increased brand awareness and increased sales.

Digital Branding vs Digital Marketing

Many companies use branding and marketing interchangeably, and it’s understandable why. Both cover aspects of brand messaging, digital marketing channels and brand awareness to some extent. However, understanding their nuances can be the difference between having a strong digital brand and a forgettable one.

As we said before, digital branding is all about how you design and build your brand online through websites, apps, social media, videos and, of course, advertisements. It focuses on providing value to consumers and inspiring them to engage and remember your brand.

Digital marketing is a different beast. According to Investopedia, “Digital marketing involves marketing to consumers through any number of digital channels, including websites, mobile devices, and social media platforms.” In other words, it’s all about reaching a target audience to make a sale. 

So, digital marketing is about selling products while digital branding is about building relationships. And while they should be treated as separate entities, they do go hand in hand. Without a presence in digital spaces that marketing provides, you wouldn’t be able to create a strong brand identity. And building brand recognition helps make digital brand marketing more impactful. 

A digital strategy should focus on both branding and marketing to create cohesive, recognizable brand experiences that can potentially lead to sales.

The Importance of Meeting Consumers on Mobile

We also can’t forget to mention how important digital branding is in light of the digital revolution. Though the digital revolution has been ongoing for decades, recently the focus has shifted to how brands can capitalize on change. The experts at McKinsey explain that, in coming years, winning companies will prioritize digital, customer-centric innovation to build business resilience.

Having a digital branding strategy for mobile broadens your reach so you can engage with more consumers where they are consuming content

91% of Americans
91% of Americans ages
18-49 are mobile shoppers

Digital brand management can help businesses stand the test of time. And equally importantly, it puts your brand in front of more consumers. Now more than ever, individuals are using their mobile devices for more than just communicating. Pew Research Center reports that 91% of Americans ages 18 to 49  say they have bought things online using a smartphone, and countless others use their phones to catch up on news, research products and more.

Having a digital branding strategy for mobile broadens your reach so you can engage with more consumers where they are consuming content.

The Benefits of Building a Strong Digital Mobile Brand

Having a strong digital branding strategy has the potential to change your business. And we’re not just talking about sales numbers.

Digital brand management, when done correctly, can impact every part of your business from hiring and company culture to customer loyalty. Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of having a strong mobile brand. 

Brand Equity

Your brand is one of your company’s most valuable assets. Forbes acknowledges that brand equity is an overused buzzword in marketing, but is important to understand. At its core, brand equity is about the value a brand gains by building a positive reputation. It’s the perceived value consumers place on your products based on what they know about your brand. 

Why is this important? Because consumers are constantly faced with choices when it comes to purchasing a product or service. Forbes explains that there’s a risk that comes along with choosing an unfamiliar brand, while familiarity breeds trust. Brand equity can make the difference when a customer is choosing between your product and a competitor. 

Digital branding is the backbone of brand equity. By creating a positive reputation with your online presence, you begin to build equity and gain a competitive advantage.

What About Digital Brand Protection?

Of course, we can’t forget to mention how brand safety is an integral part of your digital branding. After spending countless hours and dollars building your digital brand, you don’t want your reputation to be tarnished by having an ad appear in an inappropriate location. Brand safety is all about taking protective measures to safeguard your brand’s identity when it comes to advertisements. 

Brand safety and digital branding should always be side by side. As you design and build your brand online you want to ensure it aligns with your values to strengthen your connection with consumers and build trust.

Customer Recognition & Loyalty

In digital branding, recognition is everything. At work in this truism is the deep human desire to prefer the known over the unknown. And if you think that your thrill seeking lifestyle makes you exempt from brand loyalty, you’d better pump the breaks Speed Racer. A 2022 study found that a whopping 92% of adventure sports enthusiasts admitted to some level of brand loyalty. Familiarity denotes safety in the human brain, so when any consumer spots a recognizable brand in the wild, what they really see is a safe choice.  

Wrap all that human psychology up in a digtal-age obsession with identity and a safe choice can quickly become “the choice that defines me as an individual” or “me as a member of a tribe.”  It’s no wonder that the brands with the most brand equity also feature on the list of most valueable companies in the world.  

Bottom line: building your digital brand equity now sets you up for a strong future of easy recognition to gain new customers and fierce loyalty for existing customers.

Improve Company Values

The reputation you gain among consumers can also influence your organization internally. When you want consumers to trust your brand, you need to walk the walk and talk the talk. You can’t simply tell them to trust you, you need to show them why they should!

This means taking a hard look at your company values and how you want your brand to be perceived. Then, take actions to back them up. 

Attract & Retain Top Talent

Brand equity comes into play yet again. Your digital brand presence goes beyond making sales, it can also affect how you attract talented new employees. 

The modern job hunt is completed almost entirely online (bar networking). Job-seekers are searching the web for relevant positions and reading up on brands before submitting an application or accepting an offer. Even if you’ve recruited a candidate, chances are they’ve read up on your brand online.

Individuals looking for jobs will be more likely to apply for a job at a brand they recognize over one they don’t. Strong digital branding can also help you attract new hires across the board because they can get a sense of your company’s values and mission through your online content.

Essential Components of a Digital Mobile Brand

Creating a recognized digital brand is no small feat. It takes time, dedication and a cohesive strategy to break through the noise and capture consumer attention.

Consider this your digital branding checklist:

Clearly Recognize Yourself

The first thing you have to do when creating a digital brand is take a step back to understand who / what your brand is. After all, you can’t start to create meaningful connections with consumers if you don’t know what you stand for. It’s important to recognize where you stand in your industry, your values and the experiences your products or services provide to customers.

This is the critical first step that sets the foundation for your mobile digital branding.

Celebrate What Makes You Different

No matter if you’re a luxury handbag brand or a business that sells healthy lifestyle wearables, there are competitors in your market. Digital branding should help you create experiences that set your brand apart from the rest, so when given the choice between your product and a competitor's, a consumer would choose yours.

One way to help guide your digital branding is to identify and celebrate what makes your brand different. Maybe the quality of your products is better or perhaps you have unique initiatives that your competitors don’t.

Create Mission and Vision Statements for Your Brand

Next, it’s time to create a mission and vision statement for your brand. You’ve likely heard of the former, but what about the latter? The Society for Human Resource Management breaks things down in a helpful way:

A mission statement is a concise explanation of the organization's reason for existence and describes the organization's purpose and overall intention. 

A vision statement looks forward and creates a mental image of the ideal state that the organization wishes to achieve. 

As you can see, a vision statement is more inspirational and aspirational than a mission statement. Both are an important part of your digital branding and can ensure your messaging and marketing stays consistent across different digital platforms. 

Build a Brand Story and Messaging

Then, it’s time to create your brand story and messaging. Ensure both align with your mission and vision statements to create a cohesive story. The story and messaging is what many customers will find online first, so it’s important that they’re accurate and representative of your values.

Know Your Audience

After you understand your mobile brand inside and out, it’s time to understand your audience. They can be broken down into buyer personas, but should also emphasize interactions and experiences over purchasing behavior. 

You want to get to the root of what your audiences want to experience from your brand and how they feel about your brand.

Ask Questions to Your Customers

One of the best ways to understand your audience is to ask your customers questions. You can ask them directly how much they trust your brand or ask questions about how your product or service has benefitted them. You can also use surveys to understand the types of digital channels they use the most and where they see your brand on mobile.

You can truly tailor your questions to find out the answers you need to elevate your digital branding.

Consistency Is Key

Last but not least, we can’t forget to emphasize that consistency is the key to successful digital branding. The way your brand looks is ultimately what captures a consumer’s eye and helps them remember your brand. Choose your logo and colors carefully because it’s what people will ideally be remembering for the years to come.

Incorporate Your Company's Logo Into Everything You Do

And on that note, it should come as no surprise to include your brand’s logo in everything you do. From your websites and social media pages to cutting-edge mobile ads, your logo should always be included to help build your digital brand. 

MOBKOI: Your Partner for Digital Branding

Creating a strong digital brand strategy is easier with a partner like MOBKOI by your side. With an understanding of the latest ad technology and stunning creatives, we can help you elevate your digital presence with engaging, cohesive mobile ads tailored to your brand.

Learn more about how MOBKOI can enhance your digital mobile branding today

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