It’s not enough to offer a great product or service. If a customer isn’t happy with the experience, they’ll look elsewhere. On the other hand, if they have a great experience, you’ll have customers for life.
Studies show that people are willing to buy more, pay a premium, and be more loyal to brands that offer a great experience.
But what is brand experience exactly?
Brand experience is the lasting impression customers have of your brand. It includes the thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and reactions that individuals have in response to your brand.
“A brand experience resembles the experiences you have with the people in your life. Just as your perception of someone is formed by every direct or indirect interaction with them, so is your perception of a brand. It is literally everything you have seen and heard – or even felt or smelt or tasted – about it. The brand experience is everything you know about a brand.”
– Marty Neumeier, author of ‘The dictionary of brand’
Brand experience involves all possible touchpoints people have with your business. As advances in digital technology have changed the way customers interact with brands, ensuring a consistent brand experience across all channels is crucial. This includes both physical and digital. It’s not just about people’s experience of interacting with your website or social media profiles. Brand experience refers to the impression of a brand as a whole. That said, a positive experience navigating your website or interacting with your social media profiles will help create a better brand experience.
Think of LEGO. The LEGO sets are educational, fun, and engaging to play with. They also create immersive experiences in their stores and theme parks. They’ve created movies, books, games, and endless digital marketing content for children to engage with. Everything they do is all about creating a fun, educational experience.
Creating a great experience isn’t just about ensuring you are responsive on social media or making the purchasing process straightforward. Brand experience encompasses all the feelings consumers have before, during, and after interacting with your brand. It covers every aspect of the customer journey from when they first encounter your business to purchase and beyond.
Imagine you buy a new coffee machine. Maybe you followed the brand on social media, went to the store, then purchased online. Then you start using the product: are there clear instructions, is it easy to set up, and how do you ask questions if you get stuck? After you start using it, maybe the coffee machine changes your morning routine or creates a new experience of enjoying coffee. Every single interaction you have with the brand will have an impact. How will all these experiences impact your perception of the brand? It’s no longer just about the consumption of coffee. It’s an emotional connection built over time and how the product has become integrated into your life.
To create a good experience, you need to see things from the customer’s perspective and put yourself in their shoes. Where might they get confused, frustrated, or overwhelmed? Identify these areas and find ways to eliminate this or reduce friction.
What aspects can you add to surprise, excite, or entertain people? Think about the special touches you can add that might bring a pleasant surprise or evoke happy memories. For example, McCormick don’t just provide spices and flavourings. They offer a meal planner, recipes, and even tips for organising your spice pantry. They use content to help people create a memorable experience with food.
In a similar way that brand experience covers the breadth of people’s experience with your brand, it also has widespread impact. People’s experience can have lasting effects on whether or not they choose to buy from you again, recommend you to others, or choose to go with a competitor.
In conclusion, brand experience matters more than ever. It’s not just about keeping customers happy or motivating them to spend more. It’s how you stand out from your competitors, attract new customers, and retain existing ones.