Have you ever heard about a cool brand via social media and their profile looks awesome but then you click on their website and it does not match, something feels ‘off’ or looks unprofessional. You probably didn’t click to buy. Or maybe you have purchased a luxury item and it’s arrived in a plain box that didn’t feel very special leaving you feeling just slightly dissapointed. That is why having a cohesive ‘on brand’ and compelling experience matters for your business.
You make your customers feel good with your products
As a beauty, fashion or lifestyle brand you know that appearances do matter as most people do care in some way about how they are portrayed. It might not be about following the latest trend but about self-expression or just putting their best foot forward. You also know that how someone feels is super important, hopefully as an ethical company you want someone to feel that little bit better from using your product. Maybe their skin is glowing and they feel more confident, maybe your candle scent just makes them smile or maybe your handbag makes them feel a bit more themself without harming animals or the planet. And your values as a brand play into this too because your customer can feel confident knowing that your brand isn’t causing harm and this in turn makes them feel good.
People choose products for what it says about them
What you choose to buy says something about you. Especially in our online world where people share what they buy and interact directly with their favourite brands. Subconsciously or consciously, we can’t help but sometimes think if I buy cheap what does it say about me, if I buy luxury what does this mean about me, if I buy eco-friendly what does this mean about me and so on.
Staying ‘on brand’
Now as you can probably guess there is a link back to your brand design and visuals because how that all looks and feels contributes to how your customer feels about your brand. For example if they see themselves as a bit of a rebel and your brand is ‘rebellious’ or a ‘disruptor’ but your brand experience from logo, packaging, advertising, social creative and website doesn’t all look that way it won’t connect and I won’t feel authentic. And on the other end of the spectrum if your target audience is on the luxury side then everything about their experience with your brand needs to feel high end and luxury.
This really does need to be joined up as well to create a seamless feel so that what they see on social media and then go to your website it looks how they expect, there isn’t a disconnection that could create a feeling of unease that maybe your brand isn’t what they thought or it’s not so legitimate. And vice versa too if someone has come across your website first and then goes to check out your Instagram lets say and it’s barely updated or the look and feel is not ‘on brand’ but all over the place they may question whether to trust you. Because subconsciously we all are looking for things that aren’t quite right especially online and when it comes to spending our money. The brand identity is one part of signifying trust, essentially you haven’t just popped up overnight but your customers can rely on you.
A cohesive branded customer experience
It doesn’t stop at how your brands social media and website appear either like I mentioned you need to consider how the whole experience makes your customer feel. For most brands I truly believe your packaging design does matter, if it looks amazing then your customers are going to want to have it, they will want to put it one their shelves (not hidden away in the back of the cupboard), they might buy it for their friends and they may even share it on their social media. Let’s be realistic that if the packaging is not so great that scenario just wouldn’t happen. With so many amazing products with great aesthetics out there you need to compete.
So, how do you become compelling to your potential customers?
So first of all you need to know who your target customer is, things like how old are they, are they married or single, do they have kids, what is their income levels, what do they like, what do they read, where do they hang out in person and online.
You need to have decided (or get help to figure out) what your brands personality is and tone of voice – is your brand playful, friendly, bold, rebellious etc. Again this needs to be consistent and cohesive from the wording of your social media to your website to your order confirmation email to your packing slip. This is what makes brands compelling for customers.
