Marketing & Communication

1. Lack of human emotion and creativity

While AI is capable of analyzing large amounts of data and performing predictive analytics, the technology lacks real human emotion and creativity. Marketing is often about building an emotional connection with customers, and AI can hardly mimic empathy, authenticity and intuition. While AI tools can generate excellent text, they sometimes lack the depth and nuance that human writers can add.

2. Cost and implementation

The initial investment to integrate AI tools into a marketing strategy can be high, especially for smaller companies with limited budgets. Costs include not only the software itself, but also employee training and modifying existing processes. Moreover, it can take some time for companies to realize the full value of their investment in AI tools. For companies that lack the knowledge and resources to make the most of AI, implementing AI tools will remain a cost and produce little to no savings.

3. Complexity and dependence on data

AI tools rely heavily on data. If the data fed to the AI is of low quality, so will the results and recommendations generated by the AI. This means companies must have a strong data culture and invest in data quality and data management. Moreover, using AI tools can be complicated for marketers without a technical background. The complexity of some AI solutions can be a barrier to effective adoption.

4. Privacy and ethical concerns

The use of AI tools also raises privacy and ethical issues. AI algorithms collect and analyze vast amounts of consumers’ personal data, which can lead to concerns about data misuse and privacy breaches. Stricter laws and regulations, such as the GDPR in Europe, mean that companies must be careful about how they collect and use customer data. This can complicate the use of AI, especially if companies do not comply with data management and privacy protection requirements.

AI tools offer tremendous benefits to marketers, including efficiency, personalization and data-driven decision-making. At the same time, there are drawbacks, including high cost, complexity and ethical considerations. While AI can be a powerful addition to any marketing strategy, it is essential that marketers strike a balance between using technology and maintaining human creativity and emotional connection with customers. By combining the strengths of both worlds, companies can develop future-proof marketing approaches. But only if the knowledge and resources for implementation and monitoring are in place.

Core message

Create a clear, compelling message that conveys your EVP.

Campaign corporate identity

Develop a clear Employer branding campaign house style with its own tone of voice. This is clearly a different tone of voice than the communication style you use to customers or stakeholders.

Content Strategy

Plan a mix of content types (videos, blog posts, testimonials, updates on social media) that highlight different aspects of your EVP.

Storytelling: employee stories

Use authentic stories and testimonials from current employees to illustrate your company culture and values.

Work at page

Optimize your careers page with engaging content, clear job descriptions and an easy application process. Pack this clearly into the employer branding house style based on the above elements.

Social media

Use platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X to share content and connect with potential candidates.

Vacancy and assessment sites

Establish a presence on job boards and respond to reviews to manage your reputation. Fill your company pages with the expressions you’ve had developed within your employer branding campaign.

Events

Participate in or organize career fairs, webinars and industry events to increase your visibility. Don’t forget to use expressions of your employer branding corporate identity there as well.

Internal communication

Keep employees informed and involved through newsletters, meetings and intranet updates. Keeping the employee base up to date with talented colleagues is in everyone’s best interest.

Ambassador programs

Encourage employees to become ambassadors. Provide them with the tools and training to share their experiences on social media and at events. You can also consider a referral program where employees receive financial rewards when they bring in a new colleague.

An effective employer branding campaign requires a thoughtful strategy and consistent effort. By defining clear objectives, understanding your target audience, developing a strong Employer Value Proposition (EVP), and using the right channels and content, you can build an attractive and authentic employer brand. Involve your employees as ambassadors, monitor progress closely and continue to optimize your approach based on feedback and data. With these steps, you can not only attract top talent, but also foster a positive and engaged work culture and retain valuable staff.

1. Increased engagement

Videos naturally capture attention. Motion, sound and visuals work together to create a rich and immersive experience. Research shows that people tend to linger longer watching a video than reading a text, making them more likely to fully absorb your message.

2. Higher conversion rates.

Videos can contribute significantly to higher conversion rates. Whether it is product videos, testimonials or demonstrations, videos provide clear and visual explanations that build trust and convince customers to take action. A well-made video can eliminate doubts and prompt the viewer to make a purchase, subscription or other desired actions.

3. Better SEO

Videos can improve your search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google prefer websites with rich content, including videos. A video on your landing page or blog post can extend the time visitors spend on your site and lower the bounce rate, which contributes positively to your SEO rankings.

4. Easy to share

Videos are highly shareable on social media. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok promote this by encouraging users to quickly and easily share videos with their networks. This increases your reach and can even lead to viral marketing effects.

1. Know your target audience

Before you start creating videos, it is important to understand your target audience well. What are their interests, issues and preferences? By using these insights, you can (commission) videos that resonate with your audience and actually appeal to them.

2. Quality over quantity

While consistency is important, quality is even more important. Make sure your videos are of high quality, both in terms of content and production. Poorly produced videos can hurt your brand and put viewers off.

3. Storytelling ✍️

People love stories. A well-told story can evoke emotions and create a deeper connection with your audience. Use storytelling in your videos to convey your message in an engaging and memorable way.

4. Short & sweet

Viewers’ attention span is short, especially online. Try to keep your videos short and to the point. Focus on the main message and avoid unnecessary digressions. In general, the shorter the video, the more likely it is to be viewed in full.

5. Optimize for different channels

Different platforms have different requirements and best practices for video content. Optimize your videos for each platform on which you operate. Consider the right dimensions, subtitles and how people consume videos on that platform.

Video marketing offers a unique and powerful way to promote your brand and engage your audience. By creating high-quality videos, using storytelling and aligning your strategy with the needs and preferences of your target audience, you can reap the many benefits of video marketing. Whether you are a small business just starting out or an established brand looking to strengthen its marketing strategy, video marketing can have a significant impact on your success. By consistently experimenting and optimizing, you can ensure that your video marketing continues to resonate with your audience and help achieve your goals.

Defining your brand identity requires time eé insight. By following these steps, you ensure that your brand creates what appeals to the people you want to reach.

Step 1. Define your mission and vision 💭

A brand identity begins with a clear understanding of what your company stands for and where it wants to go. Therefore, first define your mission (why does your company exist?) and your vision (where do you want to go?).

Step 2. Know your target audience 🙋

Understand who your customers are, what motivates them and what their needs are. This helps you align your brand identity with the expectations and values of your target audience.

Step 3. Analyze your competition and choose your position 🎯

Now that you know what you stand for and the needs of your target audience, it’s time to start looking at the competition. Because how are you going to stand out? And why should someone go for your brand? Look at how your competitors are positioning themselves and what their strengths and weaknesses are. This helps you identify unique aspects of your own brand.

Step 4. Identify the USPs 🏅

What makes your products or services truly unique? Identify the Unique Selling Points (USPs) that differentiate your brand from the competition. These can be specific benefits, features or qualities that make your products or services more attractive to your target audience.

Step 5. Define your core values 💙

Define your company’s core values, which should appeal to both your internal team and your customers. These values guide how your company functions and communicates. They may include ethical principles, customer focus, innovation, sustainability or other important aspects. Some companies choose to keep these core values internal and translate them outward as “brand values,” which are then visible in all brand expressions and actions.

Step 6. Develop your brand personality 😄

Give your brand a personality that fits your target audience and your brand values. Think about what your brand would be like if it were a person: is it playful, serious, innovative, traditional, adventurous or reliable? To do this, use the brand archetypes, such as the Hero, the Explorer, the Wise or the Magician, to create a consistent and recognizable brand personality. This personality must resonate with your target audience and contribute to your brand’s unique positioning.

Step 7. Write the brand story and brand promise from ✍️

Your brand story and brand promise are essential for creating an emotional connection with your customers. The brand story includes the origin and mission of your brand, as well as the values and vision you promote. This story should be authentic and inspiring, making it clear what your brand stands for and what makes it unique. The brand story gives customers insight into your company’s background and helps them understand why your brand is special.

It is also important to formulate a clear brand promise. This brand promise should make clear what your brand promises to its customers, for example, in terms of quality, service or sustainability. By communicating and delivering on a brand promise, you build trust with your customers and strengthen loyalty to your brand.

Step 8. Make up a brand name and tagline 💬

Based on your brand story and brand promise, you can start coming up with an appropriate name and tagline. Your brand name and tagline are often the first things potential customers see and hear about you. So they must be powerful and memorable. Choose a brand name that is easy to remember, easy to pronounce and preferably unique in your industry.

Your tagline should succinctly summarize the essence of your brand and what you offer. Think of something that clearly communicates your brand’s core values and promises, while making an emotional connection with your target audience.

Step 9. Create the visual identity 🖼️

Develop a visual identity that is consistent with your brand values and personality. Think about your logo, color scheme, typography, style elements and photography. Your visual identity is summarized in a corporate identity manual.

Read more about what elements are common in a corporate identity manual here >

Step 10. Define tone-of-voice 🗣️

Everything you communicate to the outside world as a brand should have a similar “tone-of-voice” so that your communication is consistent and becomes recognizable. Define the tone and style of your communication. Do you want to apply a personal and friendly way of communicating or rather formal and businesslike? Do you guys like a joke or is it pretty serious? Do you want to be accessible to everyone or exude exclusivity?

Step 11. Test your brand identity 👩‍🔬

To make sure that what you want to convey comes across, it is important to test your brand identity, and preferably with your target audience. Therefore, ask people around you who fit your target audience what their first associations are when they first see your new brand.

Step 12. Start communicating! 📣

Ready-set-go! The new brand identity is in place, the corporate identity manual is ready. You can now begin to adjust your already current communications and plan for future content, campaigns and other expressions.

A brand style guide is crucial for consistently applying the visual identity of your company, both internally and externally. This strengthens your brand and makes it easier for customers and other stakeholders to recognize your company. Furthermore, it provides clarity and guidance for everyone working with the brand style, preventing errors and deviations. It ensures that your organization continues to present itself professionally to the outside world, because all well-intentioned creations from colleagues cannot be shared externally without first being checked against the brand style guide.

We’ve listed the essential elements that are indispensable in a brand style guide for you

#1 Background information 🔍

Somebody who is going to use your brand style guide may not be familiar with the organization at all, for example, an external agency that you’re working with for the first time. Therefore it’s a good idea to briefly outline the history, mission, and vision of your company. This provides context and ensures that everyone understands where the brand style is based.

#2 Brand personality 👤

For extra context, you can also give your brand story or brand personality a place in your brand style guide. This helps the reader understand which position you want to take in the market and in creating an emotional connection with the target audience.

#3 Pay-off 🏆

State the slogan or tagline of your company and provide guidelines for its use in various communication channels.

#5 Logo symbol 🖼️

Explain how the logo symbol (if it’s separate from the logo) can be used. This can be, for example, an icon or symbol that represents your brand.

#8 Photography 📸

Describe what type of photos fit your brand. Also provide examples and guidelines for the use of these images.

#10 Tone-of-voice 🗣️

Describe the tone and style of language that should be used in communication, in other words, the tone of voice. This helps to convey a uniform message and strengthen the brand personality.

#11 Communication tools 📡

Provide guidelines for the application of the corporate identity on various communication channels, such as business cards, letterhead, website, and social media. Show a few examples of these expressions, so that the reader can get a good idea.

To ensure that a brand style guide is used, it’s important that the brand style guide is accessible on a central digital location where everyone within the organization can find it. This can, for example, be done via an intranet, shared folder, or a special section on the company website. Besides the digital version, a printed version can be useful, especially for presentations and training sessions. This ensures that everyone always has access to the guidelines, even without an internet connection.

It’s important to regularly update the brand style guide. Brands evolve and change over time, and your brand style guide must reflect these changes. New logos, adjusted colors, changed slogans, and new communication channels must all be updated in the guidebook. This prevents outdated information and ensures that your brand’s visual identity always remains current.

Do you want to roll out a full rebrand? Then, of course, your brand style guide must be completely rewritten. Read here the 8 steps for a successful rebranding >

These are three common mistakes when it comes to brand style guides, which can lead to the brand style not being applied correctly. Make sure to avoid these, so you won’t have to optimize content afterwards.

Too many details

Try not to include too many details, as it can make the guide unnecessarily complex. Keep it concise and clear. Focus on the essential elements that are truly important for the consistency of your brand.

Inconsistent updates

Create a plan for regular reviews and updates of the brand style guide, so that the guide remains current.

Lack of accessibility

Ensure that everyone who needs the guide can easily access it. A non-accessible brand style guide can lead to inconsistent brand expressions.

The time it takes to create a new Web site depends on several factors, including: the complexity of the design, the functionality needed, and the availability of content and resources. In general, the process can take several months. It usually begins with an exploratory meeting to determine the requirements and goals of the project, followed by website design and development. As the website begins to take shape, there will be feedback rounds to make any adjustments before the final version is launched. It is important to have realistic expectations and maintain open communication with the web design firm throughout the process to ensure that deadlines are met and that the end result meets all expectations.

Choose an agency that suits you. Start by researching different agencies and looking at their portfolios to get an idea of their style and skills. It is also important to look at the types of services they offer and whether they fit your needs. Make sure the agency has experience working on projects of similar size and complexity to yours. Finally, it is essential to communicate with potential agencies and have a good feeling about their approach and commitment to your project. An agency that listens carefully to your needs and ideas and proactively makes suggestions to improve the project can be a valuable partner in making your new Web site a reality.

Creating an animation video is a structured process that involves several steps, from concept development to post-production. Here is an overview of the main stages in the process:

1. Draft

In this phase, the idea for the animation video is developed, defining the objectives, target audience and message.

2. Script

Writing a clear and engaging script is essential to the success of the animation video. The script lays the foundation for the video’s storyline, dialogue and visual elements.

3. Storyboard ️

A storyboard is a visual blueprint of the animation video, in which each scene is plotted and visualized. This helps plan composition, timing and transitions between scenes.

4. Animation ️

During the animation phase, visual elements are created and animated based on the storyboard and script. This includes designing elements, characters, and creating movement and action.

5. Post-production

In the final stage, the various animations are merged with sound effects, voice-overs, music and the animation is fine-tuned.

Cost of an animation can vary greatly depending on several factors such as the complexity of the animation, the length of the video and the animation style chosen. In general, 2D animation is more cost-effective than other styles, such as 3D animation or stop-motion (which requires more time and resources because of the craft). It is important to set a clear budget in advance and work with an agency or studio that is transparent about pricing and capabilities. While cost is an important factor, it is also essential to invest in quality, as a well-produced animation video can be a valuable investment in reaching your target audience and strengthening your brand.

1. Set clear objectives ✍️

Define what you want to achieve with the rebranding. Is it about restoring reputation? Do you want to expand into a new market? Or are you just not attracting the right audience right now? Formulate goals that align with your business strategy.

2. Grounding research and analysis

Analyze the current state of your brand. Identify strengths and weaknesses in your brand identity and understand the needs and expectations of your target audience. Also research the market and competition to understand current trends and new opportunities.

3. Discover the meaning of your brand

What does your organization really stand for? What is your right to exist? And what makes your company different from others? In other words: the distinctive power. There are several ways to find out. It is a good idea to appoint a rebranding team and put your heads together. Through brainstorming under the guidance of an expert, together you can get to the real core.

4. Formulate a vision and mission

Now that you know what you stand for as a brand, you can start formulating it into a vision and/or mission statement. A vision is an inspiring direction for the future and states what impact you want to have in the world as a company. A company’s mission is a statement that states what the company does, for whom it does it and how it does it.

5. Choose a new positioning

How do you want people to see your brand? To do this, you choose a particular position in the marketplace. Brand positioning is about how your brand is unique and why people should choose it, compared to the alternatives or competitors. It helps to use the brand archetypes for this purpose. These are 12 types of personalities of people that are recognizable to everyone. So you have very playful brands, wise brands that share a lot of knowledge, or super rebellious brands. An archetype gives you a clear direction on which to start adjusting your brand elements, such as logo and home style. In repositioning, then, you change from one position to another. How big this change is depends on what you want to achieve with your rebrand.

6. Design new brand elements.

Work with designers to develop new visual elements, such as logo, color palette, typography and imagery. Make sure the new brand elements fit your brand identity and align with your target audience’s desired perception.

7. Implement the new brand ✨

Through consistent branding, you build a powerful and recognizable brand image. When rebranding, it is therefore a good idea to switch to your new brand at once, so that the new and old styles are not used at the same time. Especially for large organizations, this is a big job. The new brand elements must be applied across all communication channels and touchpoints, including: website, social media, packaging, marketing materials and physical locations. In addition, it is good to educate your employees and stakeholders about the new brand identity and how to communicate it.

8. Monitor and measure results

After the launch, monitor how your target audience responds to the new brand. Track customer and market reactions to the rebrand. Measure the impact of the rebranding on key indicators such as brand recognition, customer satisfaction and revenue.

With these steps, you have a solid foundation to get started with your rebranding. Remember, successful rebranding is not just about changing your logo, but about creating a strong and consistent brand identity that resonates with your target audience.

Now that you have created a business account and optimized your profile, it is crucial to determine your strategy for Instagram. After all, a well-thought-out strategy is the foundation for success on this platform.

Formulate your goals

Set clear goals for your organization. What do you want to achieve with your presence on Instagram? Is it about increasing brand awareness? Do you want to offer a look behind the scenes and show what it’s like to work at your organization? What message do you want to convey to your followers? Do you need help with this? Then get in touch with us.

Choose your niche ✅

A niche is simply a group of people with similar interests that you can target with your content. Choosing a clearly defined niche and sticking to it makes it easier for people to follow you because they quickly figure out what kind of content you are sharing. For example: a food blogger targets people interested in healthy eating. A marketing agency may target entrepreneurs who need marketing help and want to gain knowledge in that area. So it’s all about the combination of what you do and what your target audience is looking for.

Know your target audience ♂️

To determine your niche, you need to know exactly who your target audience is (or what part of your audience is on Instagram). Who are they, what do they like, what information are they looking for and how does this target audience want to be addressed? Take the time to develop your strategy before you start posting so you can be focused and create the right content that matches your goals and your target audience. Read more tips on how to create a successful social media strategy.

Come up with posts that are interesting or your target audience or that answer their questions. It is best to work with different “headings” and fill them out monthly. Examples of categories are: inspiration posts, completed projects, customer testimonials, behind-the-scenes videos, frequently asked questions about a product or service or funny memes. Make sure these headings fit your niche and the message you want to convey. Try to plan and schedule your posts in advance in a content calendar for efficient scheduling.

With hashtags, you tell the platform what your post is about, allowing the algorithm to show your post faster to people who may be interested in certain topics or who follow or search for those hashtags. You can use up to 30 hashtags per post, but it is better to use only relevant hashtags. It often works better to use 5-10 relevant hashtags than 30 less relevant hashtags.

The time you post also affects its success. It is best to post when your target audience is active on Instagram. If you have a business account, you can get insight into the statistics. Here you can see exactly what time of day and day of the week your followers are most active. Capitalize on this and experiment with different times and days. Find out when you get a lot of views and interaction. That’s probably a good time to post! You can also use benchmarks to determine the best posting times.

Personality and authenticity are essential to making your content authentic, and this works! Therefore, showcase yourself, your company and any employees on Instagram. Make introductions, share company events and show some “behind the scenes” footage. This helps build trust and good relationships with (potential) customers.