It’s pretty clear that branding holds the personality of a business. 

A combination of tone, color, fonts and a strong story all creates branding to leave a lasting impression on customers and differentiate from competitors. 

Effective branding holds a lot of value in fostering a loyal customer base.

However, there is no concrete template that creates good branding, because effective branding is formed by shifts and changes in demand, design trends and the economy. 

Branding trends in 2022 will likely experience the effects of the pandemic, political movements and shifts in business-to-consumer relationships. 

Let’s go over some key branding and marketing trends to look out for during the rest of 2022!

1. Branding with Purpose

Building deeper and more authentic connections with customers will be an important focus in maneuvering 2022. 

A brand with a mission makes a bigger impact on customer’s purchasing decisions than ever before. 

Consumers are more weary of brands that are profit driven without purpose. 

Branding that showcases their missions and takes the time to explain the issues they try to combat, whether it’s social justice issues or sustainability issues, are more successful in retaining a loyal customer base, especially in 2022. 

Not only is it becoming the mainstream to commit to missions as a brand, but it’s even more important to remain authentic about it. 

Consumers are becoming much more aware of the world around them, and it’s becoming increasingly easy to sniff out the fake from the real. 

Be sure to remain genuine and transparent with your customer base, consumers appreciate brand transparency and are more trusting of brands that do so. 

2. Buy into the Memes

Memes have very quickly become a form of online communication on social media. 

A way to respond to events in a humorous and satirical way. 

This internet culture and communication form is now starting to bleed into mainstream markets, with more brands posting memes to their social accounts. 

They are an innovative way to appeal to new audiences and gain more exposure as a brand. 

Beyond just being a way to get a giggle out of your customers, memes can be incredibly effective in sharing viral content related to issues your brand may be addressing. 

Of course this also depends on the type of business you are and more industry specific branding trends. 

However, if you’re looking for your brand to go viral online, memes may be a good refresh for your 2022 branding!

3. The 60’s and Y2K

There’s no doubt that the 2000s are making a huge comeback in the fashion world and it’s now bleeding into vast amounts of other industries through branding. 

A sense of nostalgia is in the air with a lot of things seemingly going back to normal after 2 years of living in a pandemic and consumers are looking for a pre-pandemic feel. 

A super simple way to appeal to this trend is through your online branding. 

Or better yet, if you’re due for another packaging supply shipment, try adding some holographic hot foil stamping to your logo for a quick Y2K refresh!

Contact PakFactory today for tailored packaging solutions and artwork designs

4. Virtual Events

COVID-19 lockdowns forced brands to interact with their customers online through virtual events and social media. 

While it may have seemed like a drawback for many businesses, virtual events actually opened up new doors of accessibility for consumers and new global opportunities for brands. 

Virtual events alleviated concerns and issues related to transit, travel time, child care and much more! 

They have really been a game changer in showcasing products, services and brand experiences. 

While consumers are only really interacting with brands on-screen, it has provided more insight into the entire brand, rather than just the product, especially through unboxing videos.

In 2022, expect to see the virtual space grow for brands to showcase their missions, products and services in innovative and creative ways. 

5. Bold and Muted Color Schemes

Bold yet muted color schemes made a large impact on logo designs in 2021, and 2022 will be seeing more of this trend emerge. 

Many large companies bought into this new color scheme rebrand, the most notable like Facebook/Meta. 

With the right color combinations, soft colors are still eye-catching and provide consumers with a sense of calm, further playing into the ‘nostalgia’ trend mentioned previously. 

Consider upgrading your brand colors to more muted versions of your original brand colors across your packaging and online brandin this year to attract more potential customers

Trends in design and branding go hand in hand and evolve over time to meet shifting consumer demands. 

However, trends do not just happen randomly. They are affected by the global events we experience on a daily basis. 

Yet, some trends are simply here to stay for a while, like the ones mentioned above. 

It is important now more than ever for businesses to respond to shifting trends and consumer behaviors through branding. 

Consumers love transparency and honesty, so don’t be afraid to showcase imperfect marketing or to stand up for social issues that may not be directly related to your branding! 

Responding to shifting trends time efficiently will be the key to creating strong and authentic connections with your customers. 

Talk to our product specialists today and start upgrading your branding to reflect the trends of 2022!