Design Method

How Branding Influences Customers and Delivers Value

We are living in a digital world where YouTube stars and online influencers have become the new celebrities. Unlike movie stars and pop singers, the appeal of these emerging social media stars are authentic and just like you. Naturally, modern audiences are continuing this theme by demanding greater authenticity and trust from brands too.

Technology is ushering in a new era of exponential change where every product and service must also evolve. As your company vision continues to develop, your branding will need freshening up to meet your audiences continuously changing needs. But not everyone can see the value of branding from the outset.

Why Branding Is Not A Waste of Time

In a digital age of instant gratification, many see a building a strategic brand as too time-consuming. A lack of resources and available time can make it difficult to zoom out and see the bigger picture. Sadly, this conservative approach often fools many into thinking that branding doesn’t deliver ROI and they fail to see how it’s worth the effort.

We all know someone that thinks branding is just another “airy-fairy” concept dreamt up by design agencies. However, branding is one of the most effective marketing strategies available to businesses. Considering that consumers are looking for authentic brands that they can trust, why wouldn’t you want to tell the global community who you are and what you represent?

The first sign that you need to think seriously about updating your brand is the moment you notice that your expensive marketing campaigns are no longer working. Branding is often the unsung and under-appreciated hero that delivers maximum effectiveness of your marketing budget. But the rebranding of your business starts from within your company.

How Branding Can Transform Your Company Culture

A rebranding exercise is a perfect opportunity to step off the hamster wheel and zoom out to take a much-needed look at the bigger picture. When everyone is face down charging forward, it’s easy to forget the importance of taking a look back at how far you have come and how much your company culture has changed along the way too.

When faced with the realisation of just how much your business has changed as a group, it becomes much easier to get buy-in from your employees from the very beginning. It’s important to remember that the benefits of a strong brand will be felt internally by your teams before it even reaches your customers.

By clarifying your values and brand personality, your employees will not only understand the company mission but most importantly feel a part of something that they can be proud of. Building a company culture that helps your business thrive is more critical than any shiny new tech solution. So, what you are waiting for?

THE ROLE OF BRANDING IN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Customers now engage with brands in more ways than ever before. Our standard expectation is instant access to any product or service across a myriad of devices. Branding will showcase the look and feel of your company. It will also tell your audience more about who you are and what you do authentically.

Rebranding can ensure that your business remains relevant to changes in society and is equally as important in the age of e-commerce, and arguably more so than it was back in our analogue days. Branding is now at the heart of the customer experience and plays an essential role in ensuring you are a part of online conversations in your industry.

Recent research revealed that 91 percent of people regularly read online reviews of brands. A remarkable 84 percent of users also trust online reviews. How your business communicates to your customers will play a big part in how you manage their perception and help you deliver value to your customers.

How Branding Influences Customers

Brand influence is much more than good communication. Everyone wants their brand to be “top of mind” for customers. Staying current is also essential if you don’t want to avoid being the next Blockbuster video or Toys “R” Us. Welcome to the emerging “experience economy” where businesses of all sizes need to appeal to customers’ senses, as well as their wallets.

How you curate content and provide information that helps your audience make informed purchasing decisions is a huge step in the right direction. But how you resolve issues will also play a big part in how they perceive your brand too. Consumers are increasingly making their purchasing decisions based on the image of a brand, rather than on the product itself.

Your branding is what makes every product or service stand out from the crowd. By carefully honing your brand, you can create a visual and emotional connection with your customers. With the potential to build loyalty, influence your customers and increase sales, branding is something that has become impossible to ignore.