State of Brand Report 2023: Trends, Challenges & Strategies

Introducing the 2023 (and first) edition of JUST Creative’s State of Brand Report — out now!

We surveyed 267 branding professionals, from a variety of roles, company sizes, industries and countries so you can have a deeper understanding of the branding landscape including:

sponsored message

Key trends
Challenges
Strategies

The report spans the topics of pricing, client acquisition, education, tools, AI and more.

Our insights will help you understand what matters most for branding professionals in 2023 and beyond.

Read Brand Report

Insights gathered in collaboration with ContentMarketing.io.

“Every interaction in any form, is branding.” — Seth Godin

sponsored message

State of Brand Report 2023: Overview

The State of Brand Report report covers 5 critical categories for branding professionals.

PRICING — How branding pros price their work
CLIENT ACQUISITION — How branding pros get their clients
EDUCATION — How branding pros grow & learn
TOOLS — What tools branding pros use to do their job
AI — How branding pros are using AI to become more efficient

Read Brand Report

Why The Report? — Helping Branding Professionals Grow

The world of branding is in constant flux of change. The rise of AI, post-COVID market shifts, and economic downturns are all impacting the industry like never before.

In the midst of these changes, branding professionals are striving to keep pace with the rapidly evolving landscape and advance their careers.

This makes us wonder: How are they keeping up with these changes? What’s hindering their growth? And what visions do they hold for the future?

sponsored message

All these questions are pivotal for assessing the trajectory of the industry and, in turn, help branders grow confidently. So we thought to shed a spotlight on the present state of affairs in the branding industry.

In this report, we have compiled the key insights and relevant information. You’ll learn how the industry is operating and how it is progressing with AI using key tools.

You will also discover the tactics, metrics, and resources that power today’s branding professionals, so you can use it to boost your career and confidence.

Who Took This Survey?

Our survey respondents came from a variety of locations with varying degrees of experience as outlined below.

Location

We reached far and wide with this survey to really understand what’s happening in the industry. From East to West and North to South of the Earth, we covered 25 countries.

Nearly 30% of our respondents were from the US, 9.4% from the UK, and 6% from Australia. Our sample had a strong representation from all continents on the globe (except, of course, Antarctica).

Experience

More than half of our survey respondents were self-employed professionals (55.8%), followed by founders (27.7%) and in-house branders (nearly 15%).

Of these branding professionals, more than half have 10+ years of experience, while nearly 26% have less than 5 years of experience, and the remaining stand between 5-10 years.

Industry

Part of our analysis also included getting a gauge of the sectors branders typically worked in. Our survey respondents represented a wide spectrum of industries.

Among the top sectors where they deliver their services include Health and Wellness at 13.2%, followed closely by Nonprofits and Social Impact at 12%. Tech and Software stood at 11.3%, while Consumer Goods and Retail accounted for 11% of the respondents.

Additionally, our survey revealed a notable presence in the Food and Beverage sector at 9.6%, with Financial Services and Professional Services closely following at 8.4%. Hospitality and Tourism captured 8% of the respondents, while Media and Entertainment represented 7.4%. Lastly, the Fashion and Apparel industry accounted for 6.8% of our survey participants.

Apart from these major sectors, several branding professionals also showcased their expertise in niche industries. We found representation from respondents working in Sports, Construction, Education, and various other sectors, adding further diversity to the branding landscape.

State of Branding 2023: Key Insights

Here are some key insights, with many more found in the full report.

PRICING: Around 50% of branding professionals price their projects between $500 and $5000, indicating a common range for medium-scale projects. Branders who priced projects over $20,000 often reported comprehensive, complex, or extensive projects lasting 4-6 months or more (50%), highlighting the correlation between pricing and project scale.

AI: Around 70.4% of branding professionals believe AI will make their work easier. Many are integrating AI tools like ChatGPT, Adobe Beta Software, and Midjourney into their branding processes.

FUTURE OF BRANDING: Branders believe authenticity (74.5%) and personalization (58.8%) will drive the future of branding. Sustainability, emotional branding, and ethical branding are also important considerations.

CHALLENGES: The main challenges for branding professionals include finding new clients, educating clients about branding’s value, pricing structure, increasing competition, and the influence of AI.

SUCCESS METRICS: 34% of branders do not measure the success of their branding projects. Customer satisfaction scores (39.3%) and brand awareness metrics are the most popular methods for measuring success.

sponsored message

TOOLS: Adobe Creative Suite is widely used (90%), followed by tools like Figma and Procreate. Canva is gaining popularity (38.6%) for its easy-to-edit templates.

COPYRIGHT: A significant portion (40%) of branders lack confidence in their knowledge of legal aspects such as intellectual property and copyrights, signaling a need for more education in this area.

Read Brand Report