The global marketplace is getting more diverse, and inclusive marketing is reaching out to a wider range of people. Gender, age, ethnicity, income, sexuality, language, region, and religion (among other factors) are all used in inclusive marketing to emphasise universal pain points and perspectives. It vastly improves customer or user experience and in turn generates sales.
Inclusive marketing confronts preconceived notions about who a brand’s purchasers are and how their product is used in order to target a wider audience — one that may include segments that hadn’t been initially considered. When Twitter rebranded in January 2021, it aimed to do just that with a new visual identity. Interestingly, they did not change the logo or the iconic tech blue colour but rather the context in which they were being presented.
Twitter brought new ways to communicate a company’s voice that are more fluid and artistic, adding intrigue and strength to the marketing strategy. Leslie Berland, Twitter’s CMO, announced the redesign, saying, “Every year our marketing team takes a step back from our brand, creative work, public expression and activations. We look in the mirror and ask ourselves if what we see creatively, reflects what Twitter is”. They approached and executed the rebranding in the following way:
- Art First Approach to Brand Identity
They sought a brand identity that was based on art first approach and included sentiment and expressiveness. Rather than developing this system from the ground up or around a certain piece, they aimed to design a creative design system that was purposefully flawed.
They worked with Atelier IRRADIÉ, a multidisciplinary studio in Paris to capture the attitude, vibe, and energy of Twitter. Their approach provided for a wide spectrum of expression and emotion based on the topic, mood or location. They could adjust the brand’s expressiveness depending on the circumstance or dialogue.
- The Cleaner New Typeface
Chirp is a fresh Grotesque typeface launched by Twitter. This typeface has clean, straightforward lines that don’t wander too far from Twitter’s existing font, San Francisco (that was created by Apple). Grilli Type Foundry, a Swiss design house noted for its sleek, contemporary fonts, produced this font.
Chirp has a “human character” with “international sensibilities,” according to Twitter’s design director, Derrett Derwin. It was considered as a harmony between American and European Gothic fonts that is reminiscent of the early woodcut specimens, according to a thread published by the designer.
Initially the font was not in use but in August 2021, Twitter rolled out the font for its app and feed. The brand is in the process of extending Chirp to languages beyond the Latin alphabet. “Chirp strikes the balance between messy and sharp to amplify the fun and irreverence of a Tweet, but can also carry the weight of seriousness when needed”, Twitter said in their blog post.
- Visual Style and Imagery
The visuals on display are inclusive from a variety of perspectives: social, economic, cultural, gender, and so on. Individuals being just themselves, irrespective of race, gender, or beliefs, can be seen in urban landscapes disrupted by “Twitter posts,” cat memes, messages in various languages. The print-inspired collages, faux-print techniques, and distress marks are the most visually stunning components. It’s a departure from the safe, minimalist aesthetic that has ruled the design world for over a decade.
There are layers of billboards pulled apart, revealing text beneath, macroscopic views of people, and an air of effortless cool that pervades. “Layers and textures represent the constant stream of overlapping and intersecting conversation”, the blog post read.
The aesthetic is artsy, with a lot of grunge and cracked surfaces, typographic construction, and motion design. In a halftone design approach with buzz and cool people, pop art is depicted by meme culture. The graphics are appealing, contemporary, artistic, and intriguing. They unmistakably say “social media,” which is critical for brand recognition following a rebranding.
- New Colours Expected Soon
Twitter also announced that they have adapted their colours to be high contrast and a lot less blue to bring attention to photos and videos shared by users across the platform. The brand has promised to release new hues in the near future, although it’s unknown what that entails.
Subscribers to the paid Twitter Blue subscription service could already modify the colour of the app’s symbol and tweak the app’s colours. Use of such colour conveys a sense of whimsy, passion, and sincerity. Twitter Blue features different icons for its iOS app in addition to the colour theme, which is modelled on a feature introduced with iOS 10.3. Pink, purple, green, orange, black, the conventional blue, and one with blue and purple stripes are among the icons available.
A social media organisation with such popularity among users can foster a positive sense of belonging among its users, enhancing their view of the brand. As a result, if the user experience is smoother, more inclusive, and visually arresting, brand engagement will be stronger.
On any one day, people are bombarded with up to 10,000 distinct commercials during their awake hours. Consumers, particularly the younger generations, are looking for more than simply information on the next seasonal deal from these advertisements. Rather, consumers want to know if a company supports diversity and inclusion both in front of and behind the camera, and this is a topic that is becoming highly relevant for brands.
