A new year is here – and with it comes new branding trends to look out for.
As a business owner, you know how important of a role your brand plays in getting customers and clients.
Branding trends evolve every year, as such our brand must reflect the ever-changing needs and tastes of your target leads to attract them.
2023 has only just begun, so if you are looking to make some changes to your brand – whether big or small, then continue reading to know what branding trends to look out for this year.
Let us begin.
Branding Trends #1. Travel Back In Time
The first of these branding trends to look out for shouldn’t be a surprise as these kinds of designs are very familiar: retro and nostalgia.
Retro and nostalgic designs are being revived with a modern edge, resulting in a trend we’ve coined ‘daring nostalgia‘.
It’s no wonder why this branding trend has made a comeback – it allows brands to express themselves in an engaging, vibrant way while tugging on the heartstrings of their customers.
“Whether psychedelic patterns, layered 3D typography, or retro color palettes, we’ll see design and branding go back in time, contrasting with the minimalist trend we’ve seen over the past few years,” explains brand designer and founder of Pink Pony Creative, Kristy Campbell. “Daring nostalgia is a way to express a brand or business in an engaging, daring, and vibrant way. The trick is ensuring a brand remains timeless over the years.”
It may be more recent than the 1950s, but the 90s and Y2K aesthetic remains popular following a resurgence over the last few years. Unapologetically kitsch and quirky, the naughty noughties were all about bubblegum tones, chunky fonts, and brash bling.
Branding Trends #2. A Splash Of Color
The past few years have been about minimalism and dual color tones, but this 2023, we’ll see a resurgence of color-heavy branding. From logos to posters to billboards, it seems like the rainbow is making its way back to the mainstream!
Designers will use clashing and contrasting tones to make an impact, like this for Seoul’s Doosan Art Center, which depicts three colors colliding through a mishmash of geometric shapes.
“I think that more impactful combinations of color will be used across branding and graphic design to enhance visibility, especially in digital advertising,” explains Kristy. “We’re all glued to our devices, so brands need ways to create scroll-stopping graphics – and color will always be one of them!”
One another thing: brands will be looking to align their visual identity with specific colors to boost brand recognition. Color can be branding all on its own, just think about the McDonald’s red-and-yellow or the iconic Tiffany blue that has been an element of the brand’s identity since 1845.
Branding Trends #3. Eco-Friendly Branding
In terms of eco-friendly branding, it appears that we will be moving away from earth tones and soft treatments, and move towards more minimal, aspirational, and future-focused designs.
Bronte of Dash Milk agrees. “We’re seeing plenty of more simplified color palettes, and brands are looking for ways to add a futuristic twist to the classic neutral approach.”
Consumers’ decisions today are heavily influenced by the environmental or social causes that they follow, so it’s important to keep in mind that your brand should be one that commits itself to the preservation and care of our planet.
Mother nature continues to lend herself perfectly to graphic design, so read up on the organic design trends which have recently ruled the world.
Branding Trends #4. Make A Statement Using Fonts
Another of these branding trends to look out for is giving more weight to your words. The fascination with minimal sans-serif typography is making way for statement typography, with plenty of designers embracing wild and wacky fonts to help their work stand out from the crowd.
“With so many brands recently opting for minimal swiss san-serif typography, designers are now leaning into more typographic flourishes to set brands apart,” Keiron explains.
Some playful approaches to typography include stretching the text, or making them fall off the edges of the paragraph to bring more emphasis to them. Other ways are to enlarge certain words and give them different colors to make them stand out.
Branding Trends #5. Include More Animation
“The shift to video-based content has changed the power of traditional branding, and I’m confident we’ll see more animated logos in 2023,” says Ruby, founder of The Brand Kit.
“Animation is a unique way for brands to tell their story and stand out from the crowd while allowing marketers to package a brand’s message into a concise, intriguing, and entertaining narrative that will stick in consumers’ minds like a static image cannot.”
There’s meaning behind Google’s moving logo, too. Morphing between a microphone, a four-color G, a line of ‘listening’ dots, and the recognizable Google name, the GIF represents the search engine’s services speedily and stylishly.
Branding Trends #6. Bring Out Your “Human” Side More
Consumers today crave for authentic, human experiences, and so – if you want your brand to gain more recognition, you need to show your brand’s “human” side more.
From handwritten text to quaint illustrations, humanizing your brand allows you to build that connection with your leads, making your brand more personal, relatable and approachable.
According to a staff member from a famous marketing firm: “In 2022, I’ve seen more companies decide to base their brand identities on more handcrafted, human elements. A humanized brand often suggests a friendly, unpretentious company whose products are crafted by human hands and motivated by genuine passion.”
Another of these branding trends to look out for, that makes brands more human, is brand activism. Making a stand on social and environmental causes helps connect to more members of society, given that many consumers today feel strongly about social and environmental causes.
Today’s branding efforts don’t shy away from real life – whether in the form of sparkling, honest conversations or customer experiences. Peer-to-peer recommendations are a great way to build trust.
Branding Trends #7. Pop Culture Influenced Branding
Today’s pop culture has had a significant influence when it comes to personal and business branding.
This is because in this day and age, brands are essentially content creators. So, if something’s trending on social media, one has to get in on the action.
From TikTok challenges to the latest binge-able Netflix series, brands and influencers unite in their shared desire to celebrate pop culture.
“With the power and influence of TikTok, Netflix, and other platforms, we’ll see a continuous rise in branding and design that reflects what people are consuming,” according to a study done by Envato.
Looking To Make Use Of Any Of These Branding Trends For Your Business?
That does it for the branding trends to look out for in 2023!
If you’re ready to give your branding a brand new look, then check out HoopJumper’s Personal and Business Branding services to help you get that flawless branding – from logos and posters to signs and postcards.
We help independent professionals and business owners create, refresh and expand their brand so they look professional and make more money.
Contact us today and start using any of these branding trends to revamp your brand.