Feature
The Gist
- Experience focus. Modern customers value brands that deliver extraordinary experiences, fostering loyalty.
- Storytelling importance. Authentic storytelling creates an emotional connection, enhancing the brand experience.
- CSR significance. Active engagement in corporate social responsibility aligns with customer values, boosting trust.
Today's customers often value experiences over products and are drawn to brands offering outstanding experiences that encompass the shopping process, customer service, product usability, brand culture and alignment with customer values and lifestyles. An exceptional brand experience differentiates a brand, improves loyalty and boosts sales. This article will discuss the ways that businesses are crafting an experience that aligns with their brand, enabling customers to leave feeling emotionally fulfilled, connected and satisfied.
Crafting an Exceptional Experience
For many brands, creating the concept of an experience that is based around the brand is natural. For instance, a company that sells surfboards is selling the experience and culture of the surfer lifestyle: the beach, board shorts, suntan lotion, a relaxed atmosphere and, of course, surfing. A company that sells insurance, on the other hand, would find it more challenging to sell the insurance experience; however, one would presume that the experience they are selling is security and peace of mind. It may be easier to conceptualize the experience of some brands than others, but generally, every business is (or should be) selling an experience that is based around their products or services. Examples of this include:
- Apparel – Feeling stylish, sharp and dynamic
- Home Decor – Turn your house into your home
- Electronics – Ride the bleeding edge of technology
- Travel – The world is your playground
- Fitness – Nothing is more important than staying healthy
- Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) – Be safe and secure in your online dealings
- Accounting – Sit back and let professionals handle your numbers
- Plants – Bring a bit of nature into your home
Jerry Thurman, customer service manager and operations at Hamilton Devices, a CCELL Vape products wholesaler, told CMSWire that in today's ever-evolving world, there has been a notable shift in priorities, with a move away from product toward blending culture/product experience as well. "The modern customer places great importance on brands that can deliver extraordinary experiences, and in return, they exhibit a heightened sense of brand loyalty," said Thurman. “We aim to give a customer experience ranging from a seamless purchasing journey to top-notch customer service and a vibrant brand culture, and lastly we try to match our customers’ unique lifestyle.”
Related Article: You’re Not Selling Products — You’re Selling Experiences
Understanding Your Customers
Businesses that focus on the brand experience need to more fully understand their customers’ motives, needs and desires. A great example of that is Marnix Broer, CEO and co-founder of Studocu, a student document resource community, who told CMSWire that though their users come to them looking for great study notes, the Studocu community also provides a great experience that leaves them with a stronger sense of community and connection. “Since these notes are user-generated, they can study ‘together’ with other students from across the globe, which helps stave off some of those feelings of isolation that many students can feel as they embark on their own,” said Broer. “Learners can also connect with each other over the comments section to deepen that sense of connection.”
“One of our best features, 'Ask an Expert,' provides an elevated student experience,” explained Broer. “Allowing our users to ask for advice or information allows them to receive a form of tutoring, simultaneously helping them connect with others and get the information they need in nearly real-time.”
The experience that Studocu provides is largely based on building a sense of community, which emphasizes that Studocu genuinely cares about its students and helps to build an emotional connection with them. “We don't want students to struggle with loneliness or yearn for connection, so we aim to provide the answers they need while also creating more low-pressure opportunities to connect virtually.”
Related Article: 3 New(ish) Ways to Think About Customer Loyalty
Tell Your Brand’s Story
For marketing purposes, storytelling is about crafting a story that resonates with customers, reminding them of how the brand’s values align with their own, and how the brand’s products improve their lives. Storytelling is a way that brands can create a human connection with their customers through the brand experience.
Many brands share their origin story, which is the story of how and why the business was started. Often, the story begins with the founder's journey, their motivation, the challenges they overcame and their vision for the company. A well-crafted origin story can inspire customers and make them feel emotionally invested in the brand.
A classic example of a powerful origin story is that of Apple, founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. In this story, a small garage in California becomes the birthplace of one of the world's most innovative technology companies. The story details the adventures of two young visionaries working late into the night, surrounded by wires and circuit boards, fueled by a shared dream of revolutionizing personal computing. This origin story is a potent symbol of entrepreneurship and innovation, the spirit of bold vision, determination and creativity.
Other types of brand stories include stories about the people behind the brand, and stories about customers who have benefited from the product or service. The essential elements of brand stories are that they must be authentic and organic. Transparency should also be part of the business strategy of brands that use storytelling as an essential part of their brand experience.
The Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility and Accountability
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has taken on a much greater level of importance since the COVID-19 pandemic and recent social and political unrest and is a way for brands to show that they care about their community, social causes, and challenges such as climate change and sustainability. Olivia Brooks Allan, executive VP at Landmark Ventures, a strategic advisory and global investment bank, told CMSWire that amid banking bailouts, geopolitical tension and recession fears, businesses cannot afford to ignore the social impact of their business or the interests of their wider stakeholders. "Today, the ‘business as usual’ approach to social and environmental concerns is simply insufficient," said Allan.
Allan believes magic happens when you bring two groups of people together, "specifically, those who want to address the most pressing social issues facing humanity and those with capital and resources to make a change,” and that experiences can transform the way we think about problem-solving and engage with the community. To bring these groups together, Landmark created its annual flagship summit, an in-person gathering where corporate leaders, grantmakers, government leaders and social impact activists gather to engage in discussions about the future of work, tech for good, creative capitalism, social justice and more.
CSR enhances a brand's alignment with its customers' values. When customers see a brand they support actively embodying its stated CSR principles and values, it improves trust and loyalty, further enriching the overall brand experience. Landmark Ventures is a great example of a brand that uses thoughtful experience, via its Social Innovation Summit, to show that it actively embraces its CSR, effectively driving the brand experience and improving the overall customer experience.
Creating Engaging, Fulfilling Experiences
A great example of a business that is creating engaging, fulfilling brand experiences is that of the NBA, which recently engaged fans with a unique voting experience through its 2022-23 Bob Lanier Community Assist Award. The NBA empowered fans by enabling them to participate in the selection of an NBA player who has consistently contributed positively to their community during the season. At the end of the season, the chosen player will be honored with an award, and the NBA will make a $25,000 donation to a charity of the player’s choice.
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To accomplish this, the NBA teamed up with Jebbit, a digital experience platform that enabled fans to watch and choose from videos showcasing each player's impact. Through Jebbit, the NBA not only created an engaging platform for capturing votes but also collected zero-party data, which enhanced the NBA's ability to offer fans more personalized and engaging experiences.
Final Thoughts on Creating Experiences
In today's market, where experience often trumps product, brands must find ways to integrate both around brand culture. By understanding customer motivations, telling authentic stories, and emphasizing and living up to corporate social responsibility, brands can create engaging experiences that not only satisfy customers, but also nurture loyalty and set brands apart from their competitors.
