For many, branding involves only 1 or 2 sensory experiences. But brands that engage all 5 senses create something super sticky. Like double stick tape, it's nearly impossible to put down. Here are 5 ways to bond your brand to its fans.
1. see
It isn't just your logo or website. It's everything you do that visually communicates with both employees and customers.
Check the things that become like wallpaper because you see them every day: signage, welcome mat, restrooms, parking lot. If you're fierce and high-performance, do they reflect that, or do they say "wimpy" instead? Be sure what people see is what you mean.
2. smell
Movie theaters have it: the unmistakable smell of hot, buttered popcorn. Victoria's Secret has it: the signature fragrance that envelops shoppers when they walk in.
Imagine the smell of Play-Doh or crayons. Your experience of the brand is strongly linked to their unique scent.play doh has a branded smell
Science has proven the power of smell and its ability to trigger emotional memories. Is there a way to use smell to make your brand more distinct, memorable and special?
3. taste
Unless you're a food brand, you may struggle with this one. You need your own flavor of brand Kool-Aid. Your flavor is that special recipe of purpose, passion and people that builds your brand from the inside out.
Are you a health brand? Then help your people be healthy. Promote healthy conversation, fitness activities and actions that align with the vibrant face you want the world to see.
(At MB Piland, we bring treats to client meetings. That counts in this category, too: taste is part of our brand experience.)
4. touch
The cover of Fast Company magazine has an unusual texture. Pick it up in the dark and you'll immediately be able to identify it. Some consumer packaged goods also do this brilliantly.
How can you translate this concept to your own brand, no matter what you sell? Could it be the shape or paper of your business card or collateral materials? Handshakes, reception area furniture and shipping boxes should also have your personal (branded) touch.
5. hear
A jingle or that "wah" sound of PlayStation are auditory brand cues. For B-to-B brands, it could be the timbre of the voice that greets callers, your after-hours message, the music that plays in your office or the ambient sounds of business. Do these build or erode your brand?
Don't wait to get super stickyBond your brand to its fans. Every day that you work to be stickier with employees, volunteers, suppliers, board and customers builds loyalty and drives profit.
Sticky brands generate more loyalty and profit. For help bonding your brand to employees and customers, call Martha at 785.969.6203.
