Catching the attention of potential customers, or staying connected with past customers, is a challenge for any brand, and it gets more difficult with each new digital platform or fresh competitor. The marketplace is crowded and there is intense competition for visual interest. Getting your brand noticed – and remembered in a positive light – is one of the most powerful things you can do to further your marketing goals.
Stand Out with Memorable Illustrations
Illustrations are a compelling and creative way to make a strong impression on the viewer. We used this striking visual approach in our digital marketing for Meyer & Depew Company to help talk about heating and cooling solutions in a more approachable way for homeowners.
Meyer & Depew has been a trusted and reliable NJ HVAC company for over 70 years, priding itself on giving people the information they need to make the best decisions for their homes. To best reflect this commitment, we created a custom illustration representing one of their technicians. This new character is relatable, fun and helpful, answering homeowners’ questions about their heating and cooling systems. Just two weeks after incorporating this character, we started to see positive returns on our digital marketing campaigns.
Why Illustrations Increase Brand Relatability
The old adage is true: a picture is worth a thousand words. Illustrations tell a story instantly — and their storytelling can connect with the viewer, evoking delight, curiosity, humor, or warmth, all of which increase the feeling of trust a person has in your brand. The more comfortable a person is with your brand, the more likely they are to interact with it.
A custom illustration will be designed to specifically express the values and personality traits of your brand, be it integrity, flexibility, accessibility, friendliness, expertise, or status. It will convey that message in an authentic, unspoken way that is digested in a few seconds and leaves a visceral impression. Illustrations are more than just a “fun” element, they provide targeted, deliberate communication that reinforces your brand messaging.
How to Use Illustrations to Reach More Customers
Let the illustrations support your marketing goals. Decide what you want your customers to know and feel about your brand and then use the illustrations to express that in an inventive way.
Humanize intimidating topics like HVAC systems or automotive repair
Personify values like reliability, honesty, devotion to customer service
Create rapport with an illustrated character that faces the same struggle as your customer
Simplify a complicated topic/idea like investing or insurance
These illustrations can create a distinctive visual identity. So while you are building trust and likability, you will also be distinguishing yourself from competitors who are using photography.
Where to Use Illustrations to Increase Brand Relatability
Use your illustrations in any place you want to make a meaningful connection with your audience.
- Hero image on your website
- As part of infographics
- Digital advertising
- In-store: Walls, signage, windows, point of sale systems
- Social media posts
- Emails and newsletters
- Product packaging
- Vehicles, posters, brochures and more
Use your illustrations often to reinforce your messaging and build awareness. An important tip for digital marketing: you can improve visibility in digital ads if you create some variations in the ad mediums. Animate your illustrations and utilize motion graphics to create a stronger impression — seeing the illustrations, characters in particular, come to life in motion can be a powerful way of creating a sense of relatability and humanizing the brand, as well as creating visual intrigue.
Create Authentic Connections to Your Brand
We live in an increasingly technical world. Appealing to customers in this highly technical age can be a matter of presenting as more approachable, more playful and more personal. Your illustrations can resonate with your customers’ experience and increase the loyalty they feel for your brand.
Trillion Helps Increase Brand Relatability
If you or your company is interested in adding a custom illustration to your brand or campaign, Trillion’s talented team would love to help! Call us at 908 219 4703 or contact us to learn how you can increase brand relatability with illustrations.
