Some thoughts on Brand
Today, Brands are experienced in an increasingly abstract way – Clients often have minimal interaction with members of a sales team, and instead locate and research products completely independent of controlled brick & mortar environments such as big-box retail locations and stores. When building a Brand in this modern age of “Digital Experience Marketing”, one must consider the experiential nature of the Brand as a whole. Every time a Client scrolls through your website, receives an email communication, sees a branded social media post, reads product documentation, browses your online store, uses your app, or even simply holds your business card, they are experiencing the Brand in an abstract way - without the presence of a real person.
Over the past decade, many industries have transitioned into a self-service world where digital interactions are not only embraced – they’re encouraged. Carvana’s model, which embraces a fully online vehicle purchasing journey for their Clients is a great example of the type of digital experiences that have become increasingly commonplace. The need for a Brand to remove friction and instill a compelling sense of familiarity and comfort at every interaction and touch-point is now greater than ever. Maintaining consistent tone and design throughout every digital touch-point is vital in the Digital Experience Marketing age.
Carvana - essentially a giant car vending machine for millennials.
Client journeys are often happening from beginning to end in an entirely abstract way; thus, a holistic approach to Branding & design is key to building familiarity, which is a foundational aspect of cultivating Client trust in your Brand.
Some questions to ask yourself and your team when building your Brand. Your answers to these questions should be dynamic and change over time as you and you learn and adapt. Working with your team to think about these questions and answer them has the added benefit of personal empowerment. A team that feels like they are truly contributing to growing a Brand will be more passionate about ensuring its success.
There is nothing more inspirational than the feeling of being in control of your own destiny.
Client Personas
Who are our favorite Clients?
You can’t always control who exactly your product resonates with, but determining a primary Persona helps focus and guides a lot of your decisions regarding marketing, Branding, and design.
What motivates them?
What type of experiences do they find most inspirational?
How can you improve on past experiences they’ve had with other Brands?
Client Journeys
How can you better empathize with your Clients as they navigate the dark and endless pit of consumerism in our late-stage modern capitalist society?
What is the ideal Client journey, or ‘happy path’ for your Brand?
How can we best predict specific Client roadblocks along their journey?
Holistic Approach
What words best describe your Brand?
What emotions do you want your Brand to evoke?
What steps can you take to ensure your Brand is memorable, approachable, and consistent across every digital touch-point (email marketing, social ads, web, eCommerce, etc.)?
What steps can we take to ensure that physical touch-points (printed brochures, handouts, business cards, banners, product packaging, etc.) are just as consistent and compelling as their digital counterparts?
Memorable Experiences
What are a few great Brand experiences you’ve had (a cool product unboxing, clever social ad you saw, etc.)?
Think about a poor Brand experience you’ve had (negative customer service interaction, difficult to understand app or purchasing process, nail through your finger while building IKEA furniture, etc.). How can you learn from those other Brands’ mistakes and avoid creating these types of negative experiences for your Clients?
What ways do other Brands in your industry (and elsewhere) build loyalty and where could you apply similar methods to cultivate your own loyal fan base?
One More Thing…
Consider your personal vision for the future of your Brand and write it down, no matter how lofty. Let your vision for your Brand be your personal North Star, influencing every decision you make on your Brand’s journey towards success.
