If you were to think about your favourite brand, I bet you could easily distinguish what it is that makes that brand different.

Whether it is the look and feel of its products (Apple), the uniqueness of its shopping experience (Amazon) or even its high level of customer service (John Lewis), you can guarantee each point has been cleverly thought out and specifically tailored to appeal to its chosen demographic.

So what exactly is brand experience?

In academic terms,
“Brand experience is conceptualised as sensations, feelings, cognitions, and behavioural responses evoked by brand-related stimuli that are part of a brand’s design and identity, packaging, communications, and environments.” (Brakus, Schmitt and Zarantonello 52-68)

Complicated right!

In our terms, it’s delivering your brand effectively through every touch point you have with your customers.

For example, if your goal is to be rustic and unique then make sure your merchandise, packaging, communication documents and work environment all mirror that same idea. The more effective you are in doing this, the better your customers will react to your brand.

So, how do I create an unforgettable brand experience?

In our previous blog how you can get started on user experience, we discussed segmenting your customers and better understanding your audience.

This is vital to creating an effective brand experience. And the reason for this is simple. The more you know about your audience, the more you can refine your brand to match their behaviours and ultimately live up to their expectations. The better you engage and empower your audience, the more chance you have of making them brand ambassadors. (A type of marketing you simply can’t buy!)

We understand that creating a great brand experience is a long-term objective, however, the benefits will generate long-term impact by securing you customers and increasing their brand loyalty.

So if you are struggling to imagine your brand succeeding, remember Apple/Amazon/Google; none of these super companies became industry leaders overnight.

A great brand experience is developed through constant refinement and improvements based on informative customer feedback.

It’s all about building relationships

It really is.

Develop a brand promise and make sure you maintain this with every interaction you have with your customer. Loyalty can vanish in a matter of seconds in a competitive market so make sure you nurture your existing relationships to the best of your ability.

Remember, keep talking to your customers and gather invaluable information so you stay ahead of the game. With this, you will be able to refine your brand experience, retain existing customers and increase your market share through customer referrals.

Source
Brakus, J. Joško, Bernd H Schmitt, and Lia Zarantonello. “Brand Experience: What Is It? How Is It Measured? Does It Affect Loyalty?”. Journal of Marketing 73.3 (2009): 52-68. Web.