Speaking strictly for myself, I simply do not know how I would have gotten through the last two years of lockdown without tech. It kept me safe, it connected me to my family and friends all over the world, it enabled me to buy my essentials, and it kept me entertained and up to date. It even led me to a new role as a Creative Brand Growth Designer at Made By Giants!

The lockdown also made me realise just how quickly tech brands have adapted to the new normal. They cleverly anticipate my needs, and they are there for me 24/7. However, on reflection, I feel they could be just that bit more helpful, and dare I say it, a lot more fun in how they interact with me. As a result of my experiences, I have spotted a real opportunity for tech brands; continue being focused on my needs by being user-centric, but to go the extra mile and become more outwardly friendly.

For me a good example of a brand smashing this is Monzo; with their friendly brand identity and their ‘human brand language’. I know money is a serious business, but I want my saving and spending experiences to be on my terms – be super easy to manage and not overly serious. I mean, who doesn’t like their expenditure reports and notifications sprinkled with emojis?

With this on my mind, I recently attended this year’s Digital Transformation EXPO Europe. I specifically went to find which tech brands are doing the most to help us with hybrid working and
connectivity – something I know we are all doing a lot more of, and to discover which tech brands are nailing it by being less techy, more friendly and way more fun.

Whilst there were a lot of exhibitors, there were two brands that really caught my eye with what they were doing, and how their branding particularly brought this to life in a way I instantly connected with:

The first is Catchbox – the world’s first throwable wireless meeting mic. The CatchBoxPlus comes in brightly coloured plushy cubes that I guarantee will make your next event, meeting or conference look a lot like a fun game of catch. This quirky, catchy (pun fully intended) product, comes with a super cool brand experience – bright primary colours, videos of people throwing the Catchbox to each other at events, a strong brand mark and a memorable name – all of which shout “this is fun, buy me”. Their clever line: “get people talking” is brought to life by showing people literally doing a lot of talking whilst having a lot of fun in meetings – something I loved. I wanted one for Made By Giants right there and then!

The second is Enreach – a company that provides unified communications (essentially contact technology and integrated telecom services). Their brand talks about creating “meaningful human contact” and “making life magical”. Their branding incorporates an array of fun and characterful animations – the brand mark being one of them; as well as including impossible-looking scenarios as 3D-generated graphics. The brand uses a cool purple colour (who doesn’t like purple?) and a cheeky gestural brand mark that actually waves at you!. Collectively, these create a fun and memorable brand interaction, and for me it was intriguing because it made telco tech human, more approachable and full of personality. In this tech crowded event, I instantly connected with Enreach’s brand because it really was very different and fun.

So, what have I learnt from living and interacting with tech brands and their branding? Well, let me summarise with three key take-outs:

• By putting real people, real users and positive outcomes at the heart of your tech brand, your brand experience will be a lot more meaningful and relevant. If you make it fun, I will definitely want to find out more.
• Tech products are here to make our lives easier, and by the same token, tech branding should also enrich our senses and create rewarding experiences by being more friendly and inclusive. This is never more critical now that we work in this ‘new normal’.
• The most rewarding brand experiences are the most memorable brand experiences. Getting it right will make me (and your audiences) stick to your brand like glue.

In today’s world your tech brand has to make an impact, and it has to do this instantly. According to Forbes, your brand has just seven seconds to make an impression. Personally, I realised I gave no more than half of that time to each brand at the Digital Transformation EXPO Europe.

So to sum up; your tech branding has to catch my eye in a nanosecond, it has to have an immediate impact, it has to be less techy (overly technical with complex explanations), be more friendly and way more fun if it’s going catch my attention – and have any hope of survival amongst literally hundreds of competitors.

Ana Vieira, Creative Brand Growth Designer at Made by Giants.