Having been in the creative industry for more than three decades, I’ve seen a lot of things change- the biggest one, undoubtedly, being the birth of digital and the way it’s transformed forever how we all communicate.

With the rise of social media, branding has become increasingly important. But branding is about much more than people assume- it’s not just a logo, colours and where that logo sits in an advert. A brand is about the connection between an audience and you, your story, what you stand for and why- it’s about creating a personal connection with your audience, and them feeling like they are part of something much bigger.  

Surprisingly, one of the things that hasn’t changed in the past decade is the way we approach a branding or creative exercise. Despite now thinking ‘digital-first’ when I’m looking at campaigns, I still go through the same process to come up with a creative idea (which, ironically, includes hand drawing scamps when I can)- I still consider the audiences and messaging in the same way I used to and the idea still needs to be strong. If anything, I’d say an idea now needs to be stronger than ever, because it needs to work across multiple platforms and stand out in a crowded marketplace, against an army of people ready to give you their opinion.

Over the next decade, the ways in which we communicate will continue to evolve as technology develops (I don’t know if I’ll give up my pencils altogether though!), but brands and the connections they need to make with their audience and the way they want to make people feel will only become more integral.

Click here to read more from our third instalment in Northern Insight Magazine and visit our Facebook and Twitter pages to keep up-to-date with our 10th birthday celebrations.