Successful brands of the future will be those that understand the importance of designing, communications and creating experiences that have the ability to single out an individual within the crowd. For the modern consumer, it is these personalised brand experiences that feel the most authentic and that are giving life to the idea of niche being the ‘new mass’. 

Let’s examine the five key trends that are driving or contributing to this shift from mass to niche marketing.

Distinctively Different

Brands, as with people, are constantly looking for ways of being different. However, it’s important to remember that differentiation and distinctiveness, although similar, are not the same concept. The former is more outer-directed while the latter is primarily inner-directed. What is interesting is the manner in which certain brands often make the effort to look and sound different from their competitors, but end up looking and sounding the same within their respective product or service categories.

We are, however, increasingly seeing brands not ‘showing and telling’ but actually being real and being genuine, thus making them distinct. A good example of this is how The Social Market PTA has been able to create a brand through appealing to a sense of individuality, ironically forming a ‘collective of misfits’ who are distinctive in their differences. The question then becomes: How distinctively different is your brand? 

Market Uprising 

Markets have come a long way since the flea market days. They have now added a sense of novelty to everyday shopping: a place for people to relax and enjoy shopping, not as an errand but as an opportunity for a differentiated experience on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

The reality is that established brands aren’t always openly welcome in these markets. In many ways, they simply don’t fit within this context. So is it even worth investing in as an established player? The answer is taking the opportunity for sellers at these markets to form partnerships with the SnapScans of this world.

Boutique Experience

For years, the appeal of boutique stores has been their uniqueness in style for a particular individual who knows the right corners. Recently, established brands are finding ways of servicing specialised clientele, not only with their offerings, but also through brand extensions. It is about being niche on a larger scale.

We see this with the rolling out of the Mr Price pop-up shops, where a different treatment is used to create the boutique experience of an otherwise ‘mass’ brand. The key here is flexibility that allows big brands to be nimble enough to ‘denounce the corporate identity CI’ while still staying true to the brand’s essence. 

Fast Casual

Where fast food is synonymous with affordability and reduced quality, what restaurants such as Rocomamas have been able to create is the option of affordable convenience with a trendy dining experience. Fast food dining speaks to where convenience and quality meet.

The appeal of being able to customise according to an individual’s desire is what makes this a unique offering, which is why we are likely to see brands expanding their offerings to present the convenience and/or the luxury of choice to dine or eat-on-the-go.

The Creative Stop Shop

In the creative and advertising space, we are seeing agencies being formed for the sole purpose of pursuing and preserving creativity at its best. What makes ‘creative quick stop’ agencies unique is that they are purely creative and art-led, they fully immerse themselves within the market and they are collaborative by nature. 

Whether it’s emerging or established brands, the trends unpacked in this article effectively highlight the importance of building and extending by staying authentic to the brand essence, while remaining relevant to the changing times. The brands of the future will be those who figure out, in time, how to be their own niche within the masses.

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