Traditional AND Digital
Brand communication agency: From poster columns to TikTok channels
Brand communication is more than just corporate identity or public relations. In scientific terms, brand communication is the transfer of the values and information of a brand or company to its target group – in order to build a positive image and strong, lasting customer loyalty.
In a globalised digitalised world, competition is becoming increasingly fierce. This makes it essential not only to continuously acquire new customers, but also to retain existing ones in the long term. After all, the competition is always just a click away.
Brand communication plays a decisive role here. It not only influences how a brand is perceived, but also how, whether, to what extent and in what way existing and prospective customers feel emotionally connected to it.
This is why successful brand communication goes far beyond straightforward advertising in all formats and channels. It is authentic, consistent and clearly tailored to the needs of the target groups. The aim is to build trust and a deep emotional connection.
The new era we are living in offers many rewarding avenues to achieve this, such as social media marketing, influencer marketing, sustainability communication and storytelling. We at the Ruess Group are breaking new ground in all these key areas. As a brand communication agency for renowned companies – and for anyone who is ready to become one.
Your contact
Steffen Ruess
Managing Partner
Ruess Group
The tried & tested processes used by brand communication agencies:
1. Print media:
2. Television advertising:
3. Radio advertising:
4. Outdoor advertising:
5. Direct marketing:
6. Events and sponsorship:
But today, it's all about digital first!
We have listed the ‘classics’ of a brand communication agency here to highlight that we still have a firm grasp of them. And we believe that they still have a role to play. However, the basis of our work has long been digital.
1. Brand communication via social media marketing
Today's customers will only be tomorrow's customers if they feel that they are gaining something from the brand. That's why informative posts, entertaining content and useful tips perform best here. Because they help their target audience in a factual, content-related or emotionally relevant way.
Another powerful tool for promoting customer loyalty via social media marketing is user-generated content. This involves encouraging customers to share their own content in association with the brand. This creates a sense of belonging and connection.
Another positive aspect of social media marketing for retaining customers through brand communication is the possibility of using it as a service platform. This is where users get quick answers to their questions and solutions to their problems.
Companies that use their agency to handle brand communication promptly and expertly with all kinds of enquiries increase their popularity through the satisfaction and trust of their users – and therefore strengthen loyalty to the company and its services in the long term.
As you can see, good old brand communication has given way to new and better brand communication that no longer just wants to create images in people's minds, but can do more for a company than ever before through continuous interaction, relevant content and community building.
Not only has social media marketing revolutionised the way companies and their agencies advertise brand communication, but the revolution continues. It really feels like new platforms and channels are popping up every day.
A whole new world has emerged – from Instagram to LinkedIn to TikTok – offering companies and brands not only the opportunity to spread their messages, but also to directly engage with their audience.
For an agency that does brand communication, the advantages of social networks are immense. After all, almost every target group can now be reached there, whether broad or niche, B2C or B2B. And success can be monitored very accurately and in real time using various analytics tools.
What's more, social media is usually the least expensive channel. And communication becomes bidirectional, because social media now enables direct dialogue between companies and their customers. Customers are no longer fed information from one side; they can ask questions, give feedback and share their experiences with the company. In the best case scenario, this creates a sense of community or a family of friends and users that strengthens the emotional bond with the company or brand.
However, this good fortune is not reserved for all companies and their brand communication agencies. Simply posting a few stories or rewriting a press release is no longer enough in the digital world. Instead, regularity and relevance are the keys to success.
Only companies that publish their content continuously, strategically and consistently remain present in the minds of their customers. With posts whose content is not simply promotional, but also offers relevance and added value to the recipient.
2. Brand communication via influencer marketing
Influencers are individuals who have built a strong connection with their followers thanks to their authenticity and reach. It is precisely this close relationship that makes them valuable partners for companies and brands that want to build an emotionally charged connection with their customers through influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing could be described as social media marketing squared. After all, people don't necessarily trust company posts and advertising campaigns, but rather people whose mindset and manner they like, whose opinions they value and whose judgement they – as a rule – follow unquestioningly.
In this respect, influencer marketing works especially well when it comes to introducing new products or services. After all, such a campaign comes across as much more authentic and credible than a glossy, anonymous advertising campaign.
Beauty brands in particular, but also more and more B2B companies, are turning to influencers with up to several million followers (beauty) or even just a few thousand (B2B). This is because their opinions are trusted and a product recommendation isn't just a product recommendation, but a valuable tip.
This is precisely what motivates an influencer's followers to try out the recommended product. Here, it is of utmost importance to be honest and avoid the ever-popular ‘overpromising’. The influencer will already be mindful of this, if only to avoid risking their image and reputation with a bad recommendation.
But not all influencers are the same. It is important to find the right one. Someone who is a good fit for the company and its values. An inauthentic or poorly executed partnership can quickly destroy the followers' trust. That is why an influencer should never come across as an advertising ambassador.
Another important aspect of influencer marketing is the long-term nature of the collaboration. Only an ongoing partnership can help create a strong connection between the brand and its followers. Loyalty is only built when followers see that the influencer consistently stands by the brand.
3. Brand communication via storytelling
Storytelling is one of the most powerful methods for creating long-term emotionally-driven customer loyalty. Stories evoke emotions that go much deeper than simple product information. A well-told story promotes trust, identification and loyalty. But how exactly does it work?
The key to effective storytelling lies in embedding the message in an emotive narrative that reflects the needs, desires or problems of the target group. Instead of simply selling a product or service, a story is told that appeals to a deeper, more emotional level.
For example, an outdoor brand can place environmental protection and sustainability at the heart of its brand communication and tell stories of environmentalists, adventurers and explorers who live in harmony with nature and fight to protect it.
A successful story directly addresses the values of the target group. The result is that recipients feel emotionally and morally connected to the brand. It is precisely this connection that makes storytelling so effective. More so than most other forms of communication.
Another recipe for success in storytelling is authenticity. After all, today's customers are experienced in advertising and sceptical of artificial, staged narratives. Instead, they want to see real experiences, authentic backgrounds and human connections.
This doesn't have to be staged in an advertising format. In many cases, stories from real customers who report on their positive experiences with the brand or employees who talk about their daily work very well. This type of brand communication may not win any creativity awards, but it builds trust and strengthens loyalty.
Without consistency, however, storytelling is meaningless. The story a company tells has to fit its brand identity and values. Inconsistent or contradictory stories undermine the trust of the audience and ultimately cause the entire campaign to fail.
Only when a story is authentic, consistent and engaging do customers feel like they are part of a brand journey rather than just buyers. Those who manage to take their customers on this journey at every touchpoint will ultimately achieve what matters most: the sale.
4. Brand communication via sustainability communication
In this new era, no brand communication can survive without sustainability communication. After all, the majority of consumers place a high value on ethical, environmentally friendly practices, products and services. To gloss over this with greenwashing would be a huge mistake that would potentially destroy trust.
To achieve this, sustainability communication should always be based on clarity, transparency and honesty. Customers want to know exactly what steps a company is taking to ensure it is green and has a clean slate.
This is less about flashy communication and more about seriousness and transparency. For example, certification from an independent institute or government agency that makes it unmistakably clear how environmentally conscious the company is. It goes without saying that this should also be reflected in all company communications.
Another important aspect of sustainability communication is placing emphasis on collective action. Companies that invite their customers to be part of a movement towards something better create deep emotionally-based customer loyalty.
Quite simply because it gives customers the good feeling that they have not only chosen a good product, but have also done something good for the planet. It is this ‘double-positive effect’ that strengthens brand loyalty and ensures long-term customer retention.
Campaigns based on the ‘buy one, plant one’ principle work extremely well here. The mechanism is very simple: buy our product and we will plant a tree – for the environment and for you. This directly links sustainability efforts to the purchase decision.
Authentic action is more important here than colourful, striking advertising. Companies that introduce superficial, incoherent, see-through measures lose the trust of customers who want to see and support real change.
All this calls not only for brand communication focused on sustainability, but also for a clear strategic orientation of the company on the part of the brand communication agency and long-term investment.
The bottom line: Brand communication can do so much more today than in the past
Building long-term customer loyalty through targeted brand communication is undeniably important in today's competitive world and gives you a clear edge over the competition. The new age makes it way easier to get there, because you've got four key tools at your disposal:
Social media marketing, for example, enables you to build a direct and interactive relationship with your customers. Through continuous measures and the promotion of user-generated content, customers can be strongly integrated into the brand world in order to promote their loyalty.
With influencer marketing, which is no longer limited to the B2C sector. Through personal and credible communication via influencers, customers feel more closely connected to the brand. However, choosing the right influencer is decisive for this to work.
With targeted storytelling, which offers the opportunity to build trust through emotional stories and present the company in a positive, authentic light. This creates an aura that builds a strong emotional bond and leads to increased customer loyalty in the long term.
And, of course, sustainability communication, which addresses the large number of ethically conscious consumers. Positioning a company as responsible and future-oriented with the help of a brand communication agency is a more than worthwhile investment.
Ultimately, it is a combination of all these approaches that helps companies win and retain customers with authenticity, trustworthiness and a clear set of values. This is what we do at the Ruess Group. As a full-service agency offering a comprehensive range of services, we enable you to convince, inspire and retain your customers in every respect.
Your contact
What are the specific challenges you are currently facing? And what are your ambitious goals and plans? We look forward to discussing them with you.
Steffen Ruess
Managing Partner
Ruess Group