The 2024 rules for marketing and branding.

We’d hate to tell you what to do. But with over a decade of experience and hundreds of brand projects under our collective belts, here are the rules the Willow & Blake team are playing by this year. Take ‘em, leave ‘em, or tweak ‘em to your heart's content.

1. Step back and see the bigger picture.

By the time you hit round 5 of revisions, the pixels start dancing and it’s easy to find yourself focusing on the tiny details. Remember that your customers see your work for just a moment, reacting instinctively from the gut or the heart. Whether they smile, laugh, share, or press the skip button, they're not dissecting it with a fine tooth comb the way you, your colleagues, or clients do. They're simply experiencing it in the moment. If you focus too much on the minor details, your major message can get lost. 

2. Don’t let best practice make you boring.

Best practices are guidelines, not gospel. If everyone is adhering to the same so-called ‘best practices’, then they stop being the best. They become mediocre practices, expected practices, the same practices your customer has seen five times already today. Zzz. Learn to spot the difference between what’s a good idea for your work, and what standard procedure is going to hold you back. Then go break some rules (not these ones).

3. Never explain why something is funny. 

Sure, your team is in stitches, but will your audience get the joke without a briefing? Marketing humour is a delicate balance of smart but accessible, witty but relatable, and easily understood but impactful enough to be remembered. If you have to explain why something is funny, it’s not funny. Let the laughs come easy. And if they’re not, let yourself go back to the drawing board. Punchlines shouldn’t need a footnote.  

4. Don’t post and ghost.

Posting for the sake of posting, then immediately logging back out, is like throwing a party you don’t show up for. Getting involved should always be part of your strategy, using great community management as a way to support your own content. It helps build trust and loyalty with your audience and is a great way to showcase your brand personality. Dive into the comments, stir up some chat, and show that there's a human behind the screen. 

5. Forget the one-size-fits-all approach.

You can say your brand will appeal to 18 to 99 year old women all you want, but the reality is that when you’re trying to appeal to too many people, you appeal to none of them. Consumers want to feel spoken to, seen, and acknowledged as individuals. To be able to craft messaging that hits and a brand voice that resonates, you need to have a specific target. If you’re selling to everyone, you’re selling to no one. The brand magic lies in precision.

Fancy a brain-to-brain with our branding experts? Let's chat.

Want to learn how to do it yourself? Check out Of Course, the less obvious guide to brand and marketing built by the Willow & Blake founders.