Can You Feel It? All About Brand Experience and Why You Should Care

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Can You Feel It? All About Brand Experience and Why You Should Care
Did you know that more than three-quarters of people will pay more to shop with a brand they see as more authentic? More consumers are skeptical of brands and ads than ever. Giving them a look at the “real” you is more important.
If you want to deliver more authenticity, then it’s time to think about your brand experience. After all, keeping customers happy takes much more than a great product or a low price. So, what is a “brand experience” and what can it do for your business?
What is a Brand Experience?
Brand experience refers to the feeling people have when they interact with you. It’s like experience marketing and experiential brand marketing. These three terms are not quite the same, though.
Experience marketing focuses on selling ran experience rather than a product or service. A brand experience doesn’t have to focus on only marketing or selling activities. A brand experience can encompass every interaction a person has with your brand.
That does include interacting with your ads. It also includes talking to your team members and interacting with your social media. It can even include visiting your website.
The brand experience covers every contact point a potential customer has with you.
Why Does it Matter?
So now you know what brand experience is, but why should you care? In today’s market, there are very few ways to set your brand apart from your competition. If you offer low prices, someone else might offer lower prices, for example.
A brand experience is something only your brand can deliver. Think about the experience of shopping in an Apple store.
The Apple brand experience is very different from that at a local electronics shop. It's even different from walking into the Microsoft store. It continues when you get home and open up the sleek box of your new iPhone. Apple then makes it simple to set up your new device.
If you do run into trouble, the Apple website is a click away. Easy to navigate and full of beautiful images, Apple makes it easy to answer your questions. If the problem persists, you can talk with an Apple Care specialist.
When you’re done, you might feel both technologically savvy and happy! Apple creates beautiful, innovative products. Then they back it up with great customer care.
The experience for this customer goes so far beyond just the iPhone itself. It’s in the product packaging, the website, the store layout.
Keep Customers Coming Back
Our happy Apple customer will likely continue to interact with this brand. They may turn to Apple the next time they need a new computer. They might think about buying an iPad.
When they have questions, they turn to the knowledgeable Apple Care staff. Those team members keep delivering advice, answers, and great service.
What’s going on here? This brand experience helps Apple win customers over and keep them coming back. The brand experience helps the company to build a relationship with the customer.
Every time the customer has a positive interaction, their relationship is reinforced. They put more trust in the brand, and they’re more willing to keep buying.
It’s a known fact that keeping customers costs less than acquiring new ones. Returning customers are also far more valuable .
Defining a Brand Experience for Your Business
Not all brands will deliver the kind of experience Apple provides itself on. You might decide that your strength is delivering great customer service. Another business might focus on a wide selection of products or making it easy to save money.
Your brand experience should be in line with your brand values. What do you value as a business? Maybe it’s providing great advice to your customers.
Another business might feel delivering a “fun” experience is the most important thing. Whatever it is that guides your brand, it should be reflected in everything you do.
That means your customer service team shouldn’t be at odds with your marketing or your sales team. Your social media shouldn’t be fun and quirky, while your blog takes a more serious tone.
Aligning your messaging and efforts across every aspect of your business is key here. It goes a long way to creating a cohesive brand experience for your customers.
Aspects to Consider in Brand Experiences
We mentioned your social media, as well as marketing efforts. Your advertising campaigns should reflect the business’s values and the experience you want to deliver to your customers. The same is true for your social media.
If you have a brick-and-mortar store, you’ll want to consider factors like interior design, layout, and lighting. Crowded store shelves send one message to customers, while almost empty shelves sends another.
You’ll also want to think about your website. This UX UI designer recommends putting some serious thought into your website layout. The design should be both functional and visually appealing.
Messaging and tone of voice are also key. These are important for ad copy or social media posts. They also affect the pictures and even colors you choose for designs.
All these choices can impact the messages you send to your customers.
Finally, think about your team members and your corporate responsibility activities. How can employees be their true selves while delivering good customer service? How will you support social initiatives that reflect your brand values?
Develop Your Brand Now
A brand that builds from a solid foundation is more likely to deliver a better brand experience. If you’re just starting your business, take some time to think about the values guiding you. What vision do you have for the business?
Once you know that, developing a brand experience is a lot easier.
Looking for more advice for getting branding or marketing efforts off the ground? Check out our extensive library of how-to guides for the brand experience tips and branding tricks you need.