The business case in support of brand experience is simple, and is effectively a combination of the impact of both successful brand management and superior customer experience interactions.
Brands with a strong brand experience are immediately recognisable, for all the right reasons, and tend to boast strong brand associations. For example, we often think of Johnson and Johnson when we see baby products. Coca-Cola is synonymous with happiness. McDonalds is known to deliver a consistent product experience, everywhere in the world. Bumble is known for championing women. And Hailo became a verb in Ireland after the ground-breaking brand was first launched (as an aside, since it was re-branded to FreeNow and has struggled to cope with increased demand, brand perception has suffered).
At it’s most basic level, superior brand experience makes your brand more distinct and memorable than other brands. It builds mental availability with consumers long before they become active customers, such that when the purchase trigger is activated your brand is top of mind. It builds emotional connection and drives loyalty.
Emotionally connected customers*:
• Spend up to 2x or more with their preferred retailers
• Have 306% higher lifetime value (LTV)
• Recommend brands at much higher rates: 30.2% vs. 7.6%
Consistency across both brand communications and phygital experiences is a critical factor. However it is challenging to get it right, some brands rely heavily in big experiences and overlook consistency. Others focus on consistency only and ignore the experience impact. You need both.
Take Red Bull for example. At the end of the day, Red Bull is selling an energy drink in different flavours. But the reason it is ranked one of the world’s most valuable brands is because it has a consistent brand experience in everything it says and does.
Red Bull has successfully elevated the brand beyond mere “energy drink” in the eyes of consumers to that of being the brand that gives you wings. The Red Bull brand is synonymous with ideas, endurance, inspiration and sport. And everything the brand touches reinforces this underlying strategy, whether it’s sponsoring extreme-sports athletes, creating crazy new events, or even doing a space jump!
"Customers are also much more likely to repeat purchase from a brand that delivers a more memorable brand story and superior customer service. As the old adage goes, it is 5x more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to retain one"
To know more about our Brand Experience Audit Tool (BEAT) click here
TapCreative is an award-winning design agency focused on brand strategy, identity, physical and digital spaces to create transformative brand experiences.
