Brand Experiences

You can advertise and talk all you want on carefully crafted messages, but at the end of the day, what people remember is what they actually experience.

Every interaction with your customers is an opportunity. So holistically assess all the touch points that comprise your brand vs. stakeholders. In theory, no experience is too small to qualify, but different companies will weigh touch points depending on needs, resources and whether they’re a product or service-based brand, B2C or B2B.

Be a us @ and a “people brand.” People matters — because your organization is the one delivering the brand experiences, or inspiring others to tell your story. Take a “brand2everyone” approach that puts that commitment into action, at every level in the organization.

Build relationships based authenticity: on what’s real, right and relevant to the brand’s communities, because they do not only buy, but also talk, promote and share their experiences with others.

Invite participation of your customers and other stakeholders: Welcome ideas, empower people to adapt the brand to their needs and engage with the social web. Invite customers, users and staff to share their input and ideas as part of a brand commitment to innovation. Invent new ways for people to interact with your brand and invent new experiences beyond your core offering that differentiate your brand from the competition.

Use Customer Journey Mapping. The shown example of how Ikea uses Customer Journey Mapping is a tool for visualizing how customers interact with their Brand. Customer Journey Mapping provides a map of the interactions and emotions and can help an organization provide its customers with the experience it wants them to have.

You can map your Brand Experiences according to:

The discovery experience (how people learn about you)
The digital experience (since mobile devices and computer screens are today’s default shopping mall and town square)
The Buying experience (what happens in store or when customers are in market)
The user experience (what happens after the sale)
The community experience (how stakeholders connect with you and one another beyond what you sell)
The employee experience (how staff and potential recruits alignaround core values, culture and vision)

Always ahead of the curve, IKEA once again displays their creative might with a 200 square meter temporary lounge at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in France. Passengers departing from Terminal 3 can take a snooze in one of nine cozy beds or simply relax on the sofa while waiting for their flight. And what will this goodness set you back? Not a single penny.

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