Did you know that as many as 30% of the world's 100 most valuable brands were developed before 1900? As impressive as this fact is, it likely doesn't sound encouraging to smaller, younger companies: after all, how can you compete with businesses that not only have access to the best web designers and packaging designers, but also have 100 years of branding behind them? The answer is to find the best ways of branding through a variety of tactics, ranging from custom product packaging to fresh content. Need some inspiration? Follow these tips on how to brand a business in the 21st century!

If you’re selling products in retail stores, packaging design is by far the most important tool available to you in terms of convincing consumers to pick up your product, rather than the dozen similar ones beside it. You should be willing to invest at least a modest amount in working with a great design company, since you’ll get a higher return on investment in the end than if you cheap out and put a substandard product on the retail market. But throughout the design process, there are also a few common pitfalls you should guard against. Here are the top three mistakes you don’t want to make with your product packaging:

The Interactive Advertising Bureau, IAB, had recently released their internet advertising report for the first half of 2014. It has shown that internet advertising revenues have immensely increased from 2013 to 2014. 

Internet advertising revenues have hit a new milestone high of $23.1 billion for the first 6 months of 2014, and are expected to reach $49 billion by the end of the year! 

Social media platform spending has increased a whopp

Unless your name is Apple or Google, 2014 is a really tough year for anyone trying to gain some ground in the smartphone market. Even with the two big dogs having almost total control of the market, it's not hard to understand why others are trying to get a piece of the pie. As of 2012, according to a report from 'Venture Beat', smartphone users in the U.S. alone were spending upwards of $37 billion on smartphones.

A lot of small businesses are not receiving the business and attention they want from their website. We understand that time and resources are limited, but did you know that most small businesses don’t even have the basics done? Your website is your online presence and usually the first thing a customer checks for information. There are 4 main things that must be covered for your online business.

Purina is taking a big leap with personalized dog food and packaging. The popular U.S. brand is the first to come out with a way to personalize your pet’s food down and even the label. By combining technology and packaging Purina can create custom food and labels for your pet. In return allowing the company to create a better, more personal relationship with the customer and their pet.

A company's brand is everything. From product packaging design to logos to the words used, a company's brand is, to use a cliche, its promise. That's why when other company's threaten that brand, business owners are so willing to vehemently fight for it. You need only look at the ongoing battle between media giant Disney and musician Deadmau5 to see just how ugly things can get when a corporation feels its brand is being threatened.