Websites and Marketing in 2012

Now more than ever it’s important that your brand personality comes through quickly and effectively on your website. There was a trend in 2010-2011 to strip away the brand personality and let content be the driving force for the website. This is leading to sites heavy in content, but lacking in personality and more importantly, allowing industries to get away with average, dull sites.In 2012, we’re seeing the trend to move away from the norm. Tools allow designers and developers to use thousands of typefaces, graphics and even moving objects that are still active and live, allowing for an optimized site.

In addition to web, traditional advertising has seen a shift from the “safe” ads that have been out for the last two years. Advertisers, just like all industries have been playing it safe, with more time and energy focusing on the planning and not the product. This has lead to the old saying, “paralysis by analysis,” and has a lot of companies gravitating to the to lowest common denominator in both price and quality when it comes to the final creative. Those companies that have held true to their brand promise and quality in advertising and marketing efforts have already started seeing positive results, similar to what happen with Dove soap, Johnson and Johnson, and General Mills in the 1930’s. If history repeats itself (and we all know it does) look for quality to make a come back this year.