In today’s fast paced hyper connected world, marketers must consider how to best respond to the growing demands of millennials. A recent study by Land or – The Agility Paradox – identified that millennials expect brands to embrace change. Therefore it’s no wonder that many brand custodians are adapting to new ways of engaging with consumers, particularly with younger demographics.

In cluttered marketplaces where products are just a button-click away, creating differentiation and resonance with consumers is key. Reaching consumers is now easier than it has ever been, but selecting the best channel to do so has never been harder. Brands that adapt to cater to younger consumers have less to fear than brands that resist change and continue clinging to their traditional customer base.

At Landor, we know that today’s strongest brands thrive because they are agile. Where others see adversity, agile brands find opportunity. With the advent of new technologies and the ubiquity of social media, agility has become especially critical at the intersection of brand and technology.

Brand Meets Tech: The Netflix ‘Ribbon N’

Late last year, Netflix attracted significant attention with the addition of a new ‘N’ logo to its visual identity suite. There’s nothing unusual about this change; companies regularly update their identities to stay relevant. The intriguing aspect about Netflix’s shift comes in the last sentence of its accompanying release statement – “The icon will start to be incorporated into our mobile apps”.

But before we jump into why this is so interesting, let’s think back on Netflix’s journey. The company successfully established itself as an on-demand DVD rental service. Unlike a number of other legacy companies, it had the foresight to evolve, demonstrating its agility, and by doing so, avoid a ‘Kodak moment’. Today, Netflix still rents DVDs, but it has also become some what of a market darling by becoming a digital streaming platform, disrupting industry players such as HBO, Verizon, AT&T,and News Corp.In many ways, Netflix is causing the same type of upheaval that cable TV networks created among ‘free to air’ stations back in the late 1980s.

In addition to offering unique content, Netflix has developed a user-friendly, programmatic system that enables a level of personalization previously unavailable.

It also has a desirable, distinctive, and engaging visual identity. What is unclear today is when and where its new ‘ribbon N’ will appear. The ‘ribbon N’ may have more universal applications, but it lacks the distinction of the logo that served Netflix so well since its inception.

Reaching consumers is now easier than it has ever been, but selecting the best channel to do so has never been harder.

The situation Netflix faces is not unusual. In a world of tablets, wearable technology, and smartphones, brands are constantly struggling to balance the demands of different platforms, consumers, and channels. This presents an interesting question about the fusion of brands and technology. Is technology really expanding the options available to brands, or is it restricting how brands can represent themselves? It seems that today, any savvy brand must consider how to convey its identity within the small parameters of an app icon, favicon, or social page.

Digital Branding Implications

In a short period of time, apps have substantially changed how we go about life. Instagram, Airbnb, Twitter, Uber, and many others have all fared well in this new dynamic. In many ways, these brands pioneered the app-enabled universe. But for brands like Coca-Cola, Hershey’s, Danone, Bridge stone, Gillette, and Microsoft, adapting to an app-based interface has seemingly proven more difficult. Why? For these companies, their word mark has always represented their brands.

As evidenced by Netflix, a long, rectangular word mark does not fare well within the bounds of a tiny square on a smartphone screen. Any brand that uses an unabbreviated word mark, or whose name has more than five letters will face similar challenges. So what should marketers do in a world that is becoming much more uniform? A one-size-fits-all approach is likely not the answer.

Squared app parameters need not be the harbinger of conformity. Brands must be agile; they must recognize when variance is needed, or when a particular channel demands a new solution. Microsoft constitutes a useful case in point. In 1987, the company evolved its identity from an uppercase word mark featuring a speed-lined ‘O’ to a more approachable, italicized, bold brand mark. In 2012, its identity evolved again, incorporating a multi color tiled icon that allowed Microsoft to better represent its brand across an array of channels and platforms. Such branding aligns with an agile multi channel approach. Whether Microsoft’s brand adorns a billboard, storefront, Surface box, or mobile app, the effect of its tile logo is the same; the four tiles clearly represent the brand on-screen as well as on-shelf.

It could be easy to look at the impact of apps on design in a pejorative context. Linear parameters, a standardized size, and overt functionality are all potentially challenging factors. But as Snapchat’s Ghostface Chillah icon demonstrates, creativity can flourish within these limits. Brands simply have to create visual identities with mobile platforms top of mind.

If you are responsible for a brand looking to balance its online and offline approaches, Netflix should be a brand to watch. Clearly, the company has come to the realization that a beautifully crafted word mark is not mutually exclusive of a distinctive and engaging app icon. In fact, if Netflix’s recent actions are to be taken seriously, we may well be shifting to an age where emphasis is placed on digital design as the precursor to the larger brand identity and experience.