Brand activation: challenges and opportunities

We always say that a brand is a continuous construction, and its activation is no exception. While it encompasses marketing and communication, activation is much more than that. It’s the art of bringing a brand to life in every interaction, a constant and essential effort for brands seeking to connect with their audiences and endure. These connections—rational and emotional—are now intertwined with technological advances that redefine the rules of the game in a world shaken daily by social, climate, and economic crises.

A few months ago, we talked about the importance of authenticity for brands in turbulent times. In an era when attention is more fragmented than ever, brands face the challenge of connecting authentically and purposefully. This requires a strategic outlook, innovative approaches, and a healthy dose of agility. Today, we explore the current challenges and opportunities in brand activation to achieve deeper connections with people. Let’s dive in.

Personalization is no longer a competitive advantage; it’s now a basic expectation for consumers. In the era of big data, every interaction must be a unique reflection of the consumer, not just a transaction but a meaningful experience. The opportunities to achieve this have multiplied, placing brands that can transform data into emotions in a privileged position to build customer loyalty.

However, with the power of data comes the responsibility to manage it with integrity. Digital trust is now an invaluable asset: if people don’t feel secure, they won’t engage. Building digital channels that inspire not just confidence but also transparency and security is key to ensuring consumption decisions are free of doubts or fears.

Brands have the opportunity to move beyond transactions and use their data and channels to create communities built on shared values. Take Patagonia as an example. This ability to deliver authentic experiences—where every touchpoint reinforces the brand promise—is the new measure of success in activation.

In a world overflowing with information, we seek more than knowledge —we want content that resonates with who we are and our experiences. Before making a booking or a major purchase, we like to know what other users think, and if we don’t find the information directly, we’ll research it on social media. Few purchases escape this online investigation phase, even when we ultimately buy in a physical store—a behavior known as ROPO (Research Online, Purchase Offline). For brands, the key to addressing this need lies in combining information with a more human form and substance, tailored to the right medium. It’s not enough to have the right message; brands must also find the perfect channel to communicate it.

To meet this challenge, UX Writing has become a fundamental tool, turning functional interactions into memorable moments. A clear example is Duolingo, which transforms routine notifications into experiences that reinforce its brand personality and create closeness. Another powerful tool available to brands is user-generated content (UGC), a way to foster community participation on social media while conveying authenticity and trust.

In addition to offering relevant, people-centered content, brands must also generate it with agility, always with a strategic perspective and without falling into FOMO. Achieving that delicate balance between functionality, agility, and authenticity is what distinguishes brands that merely communicate from those that truly connect.

Sustainability is no longer a trend; it’s an imperative, a reality. Audiences demand that brands take clear stands and act with consistency. However, it’s not enough to use labels like "eco" or "sustainable." Brands must back these claims with concrete actions that demonstrate their commitment to change. Companies like IKEA go further, producing furniture in more sustainable ways and educating customers on how to lead more sustainable lives. Through these actions, the Swedish company strengthens its brand narrative and inspires trust, preference, and loyalty.

In this context, authenticity remains essential. Brands must embrace activism by ensuring their actions are genuine and transparent, avoiding greenwashing. When consumers detect inconsistencies, the trust that has taken so much effort to build is quickly eroded.

Social media platforms have evolved from entertainment hubs to fully functional marketplaces where discovery and transaction coexist. Social selling enables brands to offer seamless experiences, where just one click can take a user from interest to purchase. This new model demands more than a smooth and direct experience: brand stories must act as a guiding thread to humanize every step of the process. Showing how a product is made, who is behind its creation, or its positive impact allows brands to transform a transaction into a meaningful connection.

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have led this transformation, offering tools that combine visual power with immediacy. Today, this integration of storytelling and sales is a path for brands to expand their reach and interact directly with users, with many already leveraging it successfully.

According to the "Accenture Life Trends 2025" report, after years of living digital-first lifestyles, 42% of respondents identified their most enjoyable experience of the previous week as a physical activity. Only 15% mentioned a digital experience. Social rewilding is a growing trend where people seek to reconnect with real-world experiences, prioritizing physical activities and authentic human connections over digital interactions. For brands, this movement represents a significant shift in the landscape.

With decreasing online activity, especially on social media, activation strategies must adapt to find innovative ways to connect with consumers. Creating real-life experiences that resonate with the brand’s authenticity can generate preference among audiences now seeking a balance between technology’s advantages and meaningful physical experiences.

Activating a brand is not an isolated event; it’s a continuous, dynamic, and deeply strategic process. In an environment where the possibilities for content, channels, tools, and technologies seem endless, and trends emerge and fade at a dizzying pace, brands cannot afford inaction. Activation is the heartbeat that keeps brands relevant and meaningful in people’s lives.

Against FOMO or paralysis by analysis, authenticity is the compass guiding every move and connection. Connecting from the essence—from what truly defines the brand—will always ensure coherence and scalability while fostering genuine bonds with those who truly matter.