As most reading this will appreciate, a logo is a visual representation or marker of a brand, but it is not the brand itself. A brand is more than an icon, a name, or a slogan… consider an airline for example or any other product or service come to think of it. A brand is the collection of sensory (emotional, functional and societal) interactions that are projected out into the world e.g. interactions such as pre-travel booking, consideration, booking, check-in, transit to the airport, baggage drop, airline lounge, pre-flight, boarding, in-flight, arrival, off-boarding, airport, transit, etc. Yet importantly, it is how those interactions are experienced by our customers, the associations that are built, the stories that are shared and the memories that are stored, from the first time they hear about the brand to the last time they engage with the brand - a brand does not exist for a customer until they have experienced it.
At Brand Anthology we think of a brand as a collection of projected and experienced interactions delivered through various touchpoints, this has informed our touchpoint matrix (see image).
Brand Anthology touchpoint matrix:
The Brand Anthology Touchpoint Matrix is straightforward enough, yet many organisations often focus on one or two rather than all four interaction points which are critical for the success of a brand. A strong brand is built on a foundation of trust, credibility, and differentiation. It’s about more than just what a company sells; it is about how it makes customers feel through authentic customer service, the ease or not of the online translation journey or the aesthetic created at the shopfront, all of which can be attributed to the four key interaction points within the Brand Anthology Touchpoint Matrix.
At Brand Anthology we would suggest the starting point in developing the optimal brand experience begins first and foremost with your organisation's people and culture. Your people should be your brand's biggest advocates, be that finance, operations or human resources through to marketing and sales - all of which are representatives of your brand and are responsible for delivering various experiences to a range of internal and external stakeholders.
Second, ensuring your products and/or services are delivering the best experience to your customers follows. Certain experience management techniques are useful to note at this stage from employee to customer experience satisfaction markers, helping to measure the health of the product and/or service experience.
Next the environments your brand operates through, be that direct e-commerce and shopfront, through to channel partners, affiliates, wholesalers and retailers - from trade fairs and expos to the experiential corporate entertainment zone - all of these environments should be supporting the desired brand experience.
Finally, communications. Once the prior interaction points are in play, packaging up your brand and actively communicating is the final stage. If you move to promote your brand while underdeveloped or your team is not clear on the features and benefits, or your returns process does not meet or surpass the market, your brand experience will begin to negatively impact your customer's experience - ultimately impacting the aspirations of your business.
If you want to build a strong, sustainable brand, you need to focus on more than just your logo. You need to focus on creating a positive and memorable customer experience that delivers against all four interactions of your brand's touchpoints. This enables you to build trust, credibility, and differentiation. In doing so you create a powerful connection with your customers that is valuable, meaningful, and lasting.
Here are some additional tips we believe are effective for building a strong brand and can get you started:
Be consistent. Your brand should be consistent across all touchpoints, from your website to your marketing materials to your customer service.
Be authentic. Be true to your brand's values and don't be something you're not.
Be original. Keep your brand fresh and relevant by constantly evolving.
Be customer-centric. Put the customer first and always focus on their needs.
By following these tips, you can build a strong brand that will last for years to come, and if you’d like a hand at Brand Anthology we’ve worked with brands at all stages of growth and have decades of experience architecting solutions to help brands deliver the very best experiences.
Contact us today and let us help you grow your business - call Stephen at +61 (0) 402 399 211 or sd@brandanthology.com.au
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