8 golden rules for brand experience

Let's get to the point: people don't buy products, people buy meaning and experience. In any case, they are willing to spend more money for this than for the mere use of the commodity. Think about what the iPhone, an iPad or an iPod can do and cost, and what the competition is like. The performance does not justify the price difference. Nor can it be the design, otherwise iPhone owners would be better dressed and furnished than they are, at least better than the others. It is meaning and experience, the brand and its storyworld, in other words.

Today, when the audience's attention and time are the most valuable assets on the marketing communication account and, thanks to the Internet, people can always see and know everything, customer relations and customer experience require absolute attention if one wants to be successful.

I recently came across an article that looked at this from another angle. Studies at Cornell University and the University of Chicago showed that people prefer to spend their money on experiences rather than products. Travelling, eating out and going to the cinema beat handbags, clothes and jewellery. And this despite the fact that an experience sometimes only lasts a few minutes and a good product can accompany its owner for a lifetime. Why is that?

• Experiences create social connections, whereas products are usually experienced alone. We humans are social beings and seek contact with others. And: shared experiences connect, you can tell others about them, remember them ...

• Experiences have a character- and personality-building effect. You learn about yourself, you learn, you broaden your horizons, you sharpen your perspectives.

• Experiences are much less competitive than products. You are much more likely to compare your own shoes to someone else's and feel bad about it than you are about experiences.

• In addition, beautiful experiences awaken gratitude in the human subconscious, make us more generous and are good for our social behaviour.

In its classic communication,Tiffany brings to life what brand experience means - for both the giver and the recipient - and where it actually takes place. The staging of the packaging plays one of the main roles in this. 

Those who manage to charge their brand with positive experiences, and this does not only mean the famous shopping experience, play in the top class. All of this is also an occasion and source for effective content marketing, both analogue and digital. Eight golden rulesapply - no matter what you do:

1. Stick to the brand story! New ideas are seductive - the enthusiasm for them often lures you into foreign territory on which the brand story is not built. A lot of noise without real impact for the brand is the result.
2. Brand Experience and CRM are not departments in the company, but an attitude that affects everyone.
3. Brand Experience is intended to sharpen the view of the brand and at the same time broaden its perspective.
4. Take Brand Experience personally, your audience does too. Don't talk to just any record, talk to Barbara, Alex and Klaus.
5. Meet all expectations, even better: over-fulfil them. Remember the legendary chefs in airlines who greeted every passenger, including economy, raising hopes of edible food, but then ...?
6. The touchpoints are not where you are, but where your audience is. Go out, leave your familiar territory.
7. Stay authentic! And above all, pleasepleaseplease: When you talk to young people, don't pretend to be a teenager. You are not one.
8. Brand Experience and CRM are perfect for bringing the commonality of your brand's values and your audience's values to life. Experience is dialogue!

Big events like a visit to Lego Land, the Red Bull flight dayor the Nivea Family Day are examples that everyone knows. But also a cooking class, an apprentice day, an exceptionally positive interaction with restaurant guests or patients, the dramaturgy of a product packaging or the experience at a seminar have a lot of potential for experiences that have a lasting impact. One way or another, by the way. Because even though every marketing bible today says: "By their data you shall know them", brands are still recognised by their actions by the faithful people. And that is good.

Image credits: Facebook's Infection by Ksayer1 | Licence
Christmas Ads: ©Tiffany