Brand Experience, what is it?: meeting point between branding and CX
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:51 am
Brand Experience ( BX) is an approach that combines two ways of focusing on a complete strategy: branding and customer experience, creating something new that is based on generating unique brand experiences. In this way, we do not just define our purpose as a brand, but we are able to demonstrate that we carry it out, in all the interactions that a user (customer or not) has with us.
brand-experience-what-is-it
Therefore, brand experience is the result of the interaction with all the points of contact that a brand has with its audiences. It is the sum of the results of all our actions, which must generate a positive experience in all our buyer personas, at all times and points of contact with our brands.
From CX to BX: the evolution of experience
It is well known that the communication chain has changed very rapidly in recent years. Years ago, the media had control over audiences and we as consumers played a passive role.
This is how it worked: brands that had money wanted to communicate their message (always focused on the product). They sent it to a mass media outlet that was responsible for distributing it and launched it to a passive element, which was us, the citizens.
All this ends when the Internet arrives. Because the passive and controlled link, which we all were, took over a new technology that was more powerful than the other self employed phone number list elements (brands and media). At that moment we changed the rules and thanks to this technology we began to control the situation.
The first thing we do with this power is connect with other consumers like never before. Second, through these connections, we circulate information, thereby breaking a basic principle of the previous model, which is that information was in the hands of a few. From then on, it is in the hands of the citizen entirely or in collaboration with the media.
Finally, we started creating our own media (blogs, portals, social networks) and reading those created by others like us. These focused our attention, because we are talking about humans who began to express their opinions, to share them and, for the first time, to influence each other and therefore to influence brands. We changed the status quo.
We break the chain and there is a huge disconnection with the brands that can no longer (or we cannot) control what is said about us.
Given this total disconnection of citizens, because they now trust opinions more than messages from brands, which no longer direct the communication chain, an opportunity arises: relevance . Being relevant to them at all times, on the channels they choose and in the way they want.
CX or Customer Experience works to generate satisfactory experiences at different points of contact and in different channels. But differentiation and relevance need something more: BX or Brand Experience.
Over the years, brands have evolved to have a purpose, something that goes beyond their product: why and what they exist for. What is their mission in the world and their meaning for people's lives. In this way, Experiential Branding is based on the ability to activate our senses to connect Brand with Meanings and combines branding and customer experience, generating unique experiences in the interaction with our brand.
What are the unique experiences in BX?
A unique brand experience must work under the “Rock and Love” philosophy: that is, it must generate impact and, at the same time, offer reasons for connection with the audience. More specifically, it must be:
Amazing, to encourage engagement.
Own, which allows differentiation and that no other brand can replicate it.
That makes you fall in love and leads to a recommendation.
Feasible, not a promise that the brand cannot keep or something too abstract.
With purpose, creating a positive impact on society and supporting the brand's reason for being.
How to create BX: our methodology
To develop this brand experience, we rely on the MEE ( Strategic Experiential Modules ) that allow a brand to improve the experience it generates by working in a coordinated manner on the different interactions it has with its audiences based on five key facets:
Feel: It consists of having an emotional impact on consumers and clients.
Think : consists of responding to and highlighting the brand's purpose, its reason for existing.
Act : comes from solving problems and facilitating user behaviors .
Relate: It tries to generate a feeling of belonging and identification with the brand. This is generally achieved by linking the brand purpose with CSR or social impact actions.
Sense : This facet seeks to produce immersive experiences that involve the five senses.
methodology-brand-experience
Brand experience example: Apple
To explain this with an example, let's focus on one of the most valuable brands in the world: Apple.
All the advertising and descriptions of the new products that are launched on the market are done without taking into account a technical point of view and product characteristics. On the contrary, they activate the emotional dimensions of the client in their messages and make them clearly understand the benefits that they will have in their life by using them: “Beyond speed” (referring to the iPhone 12). They appeal directly to one of the users’ pain points. This is part of the Think module .
When a new product is launched, the spectacular presentations that it makes at private events manage to arouse the excitement of customers, who eagerly await these moments to rush to the stores to buy the product: Feel .
Their physical stores are a complete experience where you can make the product tangible in a comfortable way, designed for sale. The experience in the online store is also the same, with great care taken with the UI/UX of the website. They encourage purchases on all their channels because they are able to solve problems instantly and facilitate user behavior: Act .
To talk about the Relate part, which consists of generating that belonging and connection with the brand, going beyond the purpose and through a cause that benefits everyone, Apple achieves this with its commitment to sustainability and the environment: Think Green, Think Different. It is not just a declaration of intentions of “I am sustainable”, it is an action that is put in place so that the world gets involved with the brand.
Finally, the activation of the Sense module is achieved, among other things, with the packaging of its products. Who hasn't felt something when opening the box of an iPhone and taking out its components?
As we can see, through the product, website, physical stores, etc., it manages to work on the five experiential modules and generate a positive brand experience from the moment it is a desire for a consumer, until it becomes a reality.
brand-experience-what-is-it
Therefore, brand experience is the result of the interaction with all the points of contact that a brand has with its audiences. It is the sum of the results of all our actions, which must generate a positive experience in all our buyer personas, at all times and points of contact with our brands.
From CX to BX: the evolution of experience
It is well known that the communication chain has changed very rapidly in recent years. Years ago, the media had control over audiences and we as consumers played a passive role.
This is how it worked: brands that had money wanted to communicate their message (always focused on the product). They sent it to a mass media outlet that was responsible for distributing it and launched it to a passive element, which was us, the citizens.
All this ends when the Internet arrives. Because the passive and controlled link, which we all were, took over a new technology that was more powerful than the other self employed phone number list elements (brands and media). At that moment we changed the rules and thanks to this technology we began to control the situation.
The first thing we do with this power is connect with other consumers like never before. Second, through these connections, we circulate information, thereby breaking a basic principle of the previous model, which is that information was in the hands of a few. From then on, it is in the hands of the citizen entirely or in collaboration with the media.
Finally, we started creating our own media (blogs, portals, social networks) and reading those created by others like us. These focused our attention, because we are talking about humans who began to express their opinions, to share them and, for the first time, to influence each other and therefore to influence brands. We changed the status quo.
We break the chain and there is a huge disconnection with the brands that can no longer (or we cannot) control what is said about us.
Given this total disconnection of citizens, because they now trust opinions more than messages from brands, which no longer direct the communication chain, an opportunity arises: relevance . Being relevant to them at all times, on the channels they choose and in the way they want.
CX or Customer Experience works to generate satisfactory experiences at different points of contact and in different channels. But differentiation and relevance need something more: BX or Brand Experience.
Over the years, brands have evolved to have a purpose, something that goes beyond their product: why and what they exist for. What is their mission in the world and their meaning for people's lives. In this way, Experiential Branding is based on the ability to activate our senses to connect Brand with Meanings and combines branding and customer experience, generating unique experiences in the interaction with our brand.
What are the unique experiences in BX?
A unique brand experience must work under the “Rock and Love” philosophy: that is, it must generate impact and, at the same time, offer reasons for connection with the audience. More specifically, it must be:
Amazing, to encourage engagement.
Own, which allows differentiation and that no other brand can replicate it.
That makes you fall in love and leads to a recommendation.
Feasible, not a promise that the brand cannot keep or something too abstract.
With purpose, creating a positive impact on society and supporting the brand's reason for being.
How to create BX: our methodology
To develop this brand experience, we rely on the MEE ( Strategic Experiential Modules ) that allow a brand to improve the experience it generates by working in a coordinated manner on the different interactions it has with its audiences based on five key facets:
Feel: It consists of having an emotional impact on consumers and clients.
Think : consists of responding to and highlighting the brand's purpose, its reason for existing.
Act : comes from solving problems and facilitating user behaviors .
Relate: It tries to generate a feeling of belonging and identification with the brand. This is generally achieved by linking the brand purpose with CSR or social impact actions.
Sense : This facet seeks to produce immersive experiences that involve the five senses.
methodology-brand-experience
Brand experience example: Apple
To explain this with an example, let's focus on one of the most valuable brands in the world: Apple.
All the advertising and descriptions of the new products that are launched on the market are done without taking into account a technical point of view and product characteristics. On the contrary, they activate the emotional dimensions of the client in their messages and make them clearly understand the benefits that they will have in their life by using them: “Beyond speed” (referring to the iPhone 12). They appeal directly to one of the users’ pain points. This is part of the Think module .
When a new product is launched, the spectacular presentations that it makes at private events manage to arouse the excitement of customers, who eagerly await these moments to rush to the stores to buy the product: Feel .
Their physical stores are a complete experience where you can make the product tangible in a comfortable way, designed for sale. The experience in the online store is also the same, with great care taken with the UI/UX of the website. They encourage purchases on all their channels because they are able to solve problems instantly and facilitate user behavior: Act .
To talk about the Relate part, which consists of generating that belonging and connection with the brand, going beyond the purpose and through a cause that benefits everyone, Apple achieves this with its commitment to sustainability and the environment: Think Green, Think Different. It is not just a declaration of intentions of “I am sustainable”, it is an action that is put in place so that the world gets involved with the brand.
Finally, the activation of the Sense module is achieved, among other things, with the packaging of its products. Who hasn't felt something when opening the box of an iPhone and taking out its components?
As we can see, through the product, website, physical stores, etc., it manages to work on the five experiential modules and generate a positive brand experience from the moment it is a desire for a consumer, until it becomes a reality.