How do you set yourself apart from your competition when all businesses are fighting for consumer attention? Brands approach this issue from all kinds of angles, but one method truly stands out: brand experience design.
Brand experience design isn’t just a buzzword. It’s what links your consumers to your business and creates a connection on a much deeper emotional level.
When you get brand experience right, customers don't just see you as another choice. They could see you as one they trust. It changes how they look at your business and interact with it.
What is Brand Experience?
Brand experience is the stimuli people feel when interacting with your brand. It includes their thoughts and emotions when they visit your website, see your social media, shop in your store, or talk to your customer service. It relates to the emotions and responses that your business evokes before, during, and after a customer decides to purchase your product or service.
The emotions people feel about your brand can decide if they will buy from you again or tell others about your brand.
Examples of Branding Experiences
Some brands always have high customer loyalty and thrive in their market. They’re embedded in pop culture and deep within our minds. Think brands like McDonalds, Nike, Apple, and Coca Cola on a global scale. But brands can also do this on a local level, such as Nando’s in Britain or Dick’s Burgers in Seattle (If you know you know!).
These leaders have managed to create some of the most effective brand experiences to ever exist.
Let's take a deeper look at two more examples:
Starbucks
- Ambiance: Starbucks has a cozy feel, making customers comfortable and relaxed.
- Personalization: They have customizable options and write people's names on the cups. This adds a personal touch and makes people feel special.
- Consistent Brand Experiences: No matter where you see Starbucks, it’s consistent in its branding. It looks and feels the same everywhere.
- Innovation: They use loyalty programs and apps to make ordering easy.
IKEA
- Unconventional Showrooms: The stores showcase products in a unique, real-life setting. It makes it easy to decide before buying.The showrooms also lead customers through a buying journey, ending with a cafe which some buyers are die-hard fans for.
- Affordable Luxury: They offer stylish products at affordable prices. This makes the customer feel they are getting good value for money.
- Family-Oriented Atmosphere: They have gone the extra mile to include playrooms for children. This creates a welcoming atmosphere.
- Branding Efforts: IKEA’s branding is clear, both online and offline. They have created something unique and recognizable
Both of these brands provide great examples of branded experiences having a big impact on business. These two companies have been incredible at creating experiences that people enjoy and positively react to.
Key Elements of Brand Experience Design
As you can see from the above examples, crafting a memorable brand involves combining various elements that will shape customers' perceptions and interactions with your brand.
The key elements that contribute to cohesive and impactful brand experience design are:
- Brand Identity Elements: These are the visual representations of a brand. These elements, which can be enhanced through creative design services, include your brand logo, color palette, imagery, mascots, slogans, and brand characters.
- Marketing Messages and Channels: This includes the tone of voice you use and the different ways you reach out, like social media, emails, and ads. Clear and consistent communication helps build a strong connection with your audience.
- Environment: Physical spaces such as stores, pop-ups, and events can all help create memorable branded experiences. These spaces should make people feel good about your brand.
- Customer Service: This includes answering questions, solving problems, and making sure customers feel valued. Good customer service can improve the overall brand experience.
- Personalization: Creating personalized experiences for individuals can make customers feel more understood, creating a strong emotional connection with your brand.
- Consistency: Stay consistent in your branding online and offline. This builds trust and loyalty since customers know what to expect from your brand.
- Convenience: This is about making things easy for customers. Streamlined websites and apps make interactions with your brand effortless and enjoyable.
- Innovation and Adaptability: Keeping up with new ideas and adapting to changes can help your brand stay relevant and meet customer needs.
When these key elements come together, creating a solid and memorable brand experience will be achievable. But the real question is, how do you effectively combine all of these elements?
This is where the role of a brand experience designer comes in.
What Does a Brand Experience Designer Do and How Can They Help You?
Brand experience designers are professionals who specialize in creating and managing a brand experience strategy. They focus on the visuals and customer experience aspects of your brand.
Their role is crucial in ensuring that your brand's identity is compelling, consistent, and aligned with your brand's values and goals.
Here are some of the key responsibilities of a brand experience designer:
Visual Identity Development
Brand experience designers can create and manage all the visual elements of your brand. These graphic design services include creating logos, color palettes, typography, and brand guidelines. These elements help tell your brand story and create emotions.
UX/UI Design
A brand experience designer ensures that your customers have smooth and enjoyable digital experiences with your brand.
They use UX design principles to create attractive websites and mobile apps. This makes it easier for customers to navigate and aligns with your brand's personality.
Environmental Design
Businesses that have physical locations can collaborate with brand experience designers. They create branded and unique environments that stir up good feelings in your consumers.
Marketing and Advertising Design
A strong brand marketing experience is important for capturing attention and standing out.
A brand experience designer develops visuals for your marketing and advertising campaigns that are consistent across all channels.
Brand Strategy
They develop branding packages and branding strategies that align with your brand's values, target audience, and goals. By understanding the target audience, they craft experiences that resonate with customers.
How to Implement Brand Experience Design Into Your Marketing Strategy
If you are still willing to give brand experience design a go by yourself, here are some steps you can follow:
Step 1: Define Your Brand’s Purpose
The first step in creating a brand experience is to clearly write down your brand values, purpose, voice, and personality. These four things can serve as the foundation for crafting authentic and positive brand experiences.
Step 2: Conduct Consumer Research
Do research to understand what your customers like and expect. Find out what types of marketing they respond to and interact with.
Step 3: Map the Customer Journey
Take a look at your customers' journeys and what points of your business they have experienced or will experience in the future. Analyze and optimize each touchpoint to ensure a seamless and positive experience.
Step 4: Develop a Consistent Brand Identity
Step four is where you put your research and knowledge to the test. You will now need to create a cohesive visual brand identity. Create brand guidelines and see how you will use these elements across all your touchpoints.
Still trying to figure it out? Consider working with branding agencies to make everything look professional and polished.
Step 5: Design Memorable Experiences
Create unique marketing materials and work on an easy-to-navigate website. Think of ways to create emotions and make your customers feel good about your business. This would be online or in physical spaces.
Step 6: Train and Empower Your Team
Share your ideas for creating a great brand experience and train employees to implement these ideas into your business. Train them about your brand's values and personalities. Especially those who are in customer-facing roles. Give them guidance on how to interact with your consumers.
Step 7: Continuously Measure and Optimize
Once you have started implementing your brand marketing experience, constantly gather customer feedback and analyze data through feedback surveys. This data will identify areas for improvement and shape your branding experiences over time.
Conclusion
Investing in brand experience design can significantly impact your business.
Every time someone sees or interacts with your brand—whether through online marketing, social media presence, or talking to staff in a store—you have a chance to build your brand reputation and leave a lasting impression!
