In the traditional view, brand delivery was focused on communication activities and creative assets. Today, as communication channels become increasingly saturated, and consumer touch points increasingly diverse, sustained brand success means excellence in brand experience. From offline retail environments to online purchasing platforms, loyalty programs, company showrooms or customer service; brands across all categories must serve and delight customers at every turn.
But beyond mere quality and usability; companies must think about their experience with a brand mindset and create signature experiences that can become defining, differentiating assets on the same level as a brand name, a logo, or a star product.
What defines a signature brand experience?
A signature brand experience meets 4 criteria:
Brand aligned – a signature brand experience is directly aligned with the brand’s unique positioning, delivering its brand truth, building its brand universe, and channeling its brand personality.
Functionally disruptive – a signature brand experience delivers a major functional improvement at a key stage of the customer journey. It addresses a critical point of friction or reason for drop-off and re-defines customers’ baseline expectations towards the category. As such, a signature brand experience has an outsized impact on conservation and/or retention.
Brand specific – a signature brand experience leverages skills, capabilities or assets that are specific to the brand. It is thus difficult or impossible to replicate for competitors.
Emotional resonance – a signature brand experience is designed in a way to match usability with memorability and emotional impact. It is remembered not merely for its convenience but for its positive emotional associations that fit with the brand’s overall positioning and identity.
What are examples of signature brand experiences?
Labbrand accompanied EV brand NIO to translate its unique brand ethos into a unique dealership experience. ‘NIO Houses’ have given physical manifestation to the brand’s lifestyle and community attributes.
Apple’s Apple stores have re-defined the standards for purchasing experiences in the consumer electronics industry and become one of the company’s strongest assets.
Hot pot chain Hai Di Lao has been able to stand out in a crowded market through its exceptional, highly interactive service.
Nike’s “Nike by you” customization service has cemented the brand’s leadership on the sneaker scene.
How to create signature brand experiences?
360 insights – signature brand experiences must be rooted in a granular understanding of customers’ behavior and emotional state throughout their journey. They can also draw inspirations from behaviors and habits outside the category.
Cross-functional collaboration – most importantly, signature brand experiences mean injecting brand thinking into various components of company operations. Conversely, they mean bringing operational and execution foresight into the brand planning process. As such, the design and management of signature brand experiences call for tight collaboration between branding, design, and operations teams.
Technology leadership – signature brand experiences are not necessarily synonymous with new technologies. However, early adoption of emerging technology solutions is a strong asset in achieving experience breakthroughs.
Continuous investment – like any other brand asset, signature brand experiences must be the subject of continuous care and investment. Their optimization, upgrade and expansion should be at the core of every brand planning cycle.
Why are signature brand experiences key to brand growth?
Signature brand experiences allow brand execution to break out of the narrow confines of marketing and communication. They deliver the brand’s positioning and identity at scale, thus building positive perceptions and strengthening the emotional bond between brands and their audience. They also deliver direct financial ROI in the form of improved conversion and/or retention.
In addition, signature brand experiences are a measure of a company’s brand maturity. They are a direct reflection of the degree of integration between branding and other operational functions. As such, they are both means and indicator for brand growth.
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