The 6 ‘I’s of Brand Communication: Creating Stickiness in the Digital Age

In today’s digital age, audiences are bombarded with messages from organizations / brands all day long. The advertising world is full of clutter. It can be difficult for organizations / brands to stand out and create a lasting impression and become top of the mind recall for their target audience. However, by following the 6 ‘I’s of brand communication, brands can create messages that are sticky and memorable. These principles can be used in addressing both your internal and external audiences.

Information: Your communications should provide the audience / consumers with the information they need to make a decision about your brand. This information should be clear, concise, and easy to understand.

Involvement: Your communications should engage the audience / consumers and get them involved. This could involve asking questions, inviting them to participate in a contest, or giving them a chance to share their thoughts and opinions. Keeping some campaigns that involve direct interaction with the brands have proven to be very successful in the past. 

Interesting: Your communications should be interesting and engaging. This will help to keep the audience / consumers’ attention and make them more likely to remember your message. You may try to use this in the form of using interesting copy or eye catching visuals. Some brands rely on the shock value of their content, whilst some brands take the route of being classy in their approach towards communications. 

Inspiration: Your communications should inspire the audience / consumers. This could involve sharing success stories, sharing a personal connection, creating inspirational anecdotes or offering a solution to a problem. Many brands either bank on established celebrities to endorse their brands or they create ambassadors from their employees / consumers. Depending on the overall communication plan an inspiring story always works as a good hook for the audience. 

Innovation: Your communications should be innovative and creative. In today’s tech dependent world we have a plethora of mediums and channels to integrate in the communications plan. Whether it is to create a differential experience or stand out from the competition to make your brand / organization more memorable.

Integration: Your communications should be integrated across all channels. This means that your message should be consistent across your website, social media, advertising, and other touchpoints. Whether your message is for the internal audience or for your consumers, it should be aligned with each other. Even if the language and tonality is adjusted based on the channels that the message is being relayed on, brands must understand that the central messaging should be adhered to, and should not stray too far away from what the brand personality is. Lest to confuse the audience / consumer. 

By following the 6 ‘I’s of brand communication, brands can create messages that are sticky and memorable. This will help to build brand awareness, loyalty and advocacy. 

These are three brands that I find personally inspiring in the way they have handled their brand communication – 

Apple: Apple’s communications are always informative and engaging. They tell stories that inspire consumers and make them feel like they are part of something special. For example, Apple’s “Think Different” campaign was one of the most successful marketing campaigns of all time.

Nike: Nike’s communications are always innovative and creative. They use humor, music, and celebrity endorsements to get attention and make their message stick. For example, Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign is one of the most recognizable slogans in the world.

Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola’s communications are always integrated across all channels. They use a consistent message and tone to create a cohesive brand experience. For example, Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign was a global success that involved people sharing personalized Coke bottles with each other.

Do share some of your favorite campaigns that you find memorable or have inspired you in any way.