Brand Experience Opportunities

As we’ve discussed in the past, a brand is not your logo, it’s not your name, it’s not your website, sales materials, or marketing efforts, and it’s not your tagline. It’s the sum total of the experiences an individual and a community associates with your business or organization.

I was recently attending a conference, enjoying a nice cup of hot tea with my worsening cold when I pulled out a cough drop and was pleased to find some words of encouragement and a fantastic example of brand experience.

Halls Brand Cough Drops

Halls knows that they have an opportunity to remind you of their name and logo on the wrapper of their tasty drop, but they have taken it a step further and created a small experience for you. Whether you’re in bed, on your couch, or in a conference, you likely have a pile of wrappers and a need for some love and support. They have taken that opportunity to extend their brand experience and bring you a little closer to their brand.

Brand Opportunities Everywhere

You have opportunities like this all of the time. Think about the essence of your business, what you are providing at your core, and why you provide it and find ways to communicate that message every chance you can get…not only in your “marketing”, but also in your brand experience.

For instance, if your business is a restaurant, what do your bathrooms look like? Do they extend on your brand experience, or is it just a place to get “business” done (of course I’m referring to Fonzy business ☺). Do your hostess, your wait staff, and your busing staff all buy in to the brand experience?

Buca di Beppo Restaurant

Buca di Beppo is a great example of a restaurant that understands its brand position as a reasonably priced, family restaurant that takes its brand experience all the way. They have Italian family photos and memorabilia from floor to ceiling in every room and have a place in every kitchen for a large family table so that customers can watch the restaurant do its thing while they dine, enjoying the smell of fresh garlic all evening long. In addition, if you’re enjoying the kitchen table, the chef and waiters will show you the dishes before they make their way to the dining room, and will bring you a taste of some extras…just like momma would if she were in the kitchen. It doesn’t pretend to be a high-end restaurant, instead Buca Di Beppo embraces it’s place in life and takes the brand experience all the way.

Make your Brand an Experience!

If truly aligned with your purpose, every effort put in to your brand experience should help create loyal customers.