How Does Branding Impact Customer Experience in 2023

It’s easy to think of branding and customer experience as two separate entities. However, the two are more closely aligned than you may think. Though not strictly interchangeable, both work to provide the customer with a stellar experience from start to finish. They simply cover different areas of the consumer process.

So far, so good. But in order to up your game in 2023, it’s crucial to be aware of the interplay between these two areas. Specifically, how branding can have a serious impact on your customer experience.

It may seem counterintuitive, or even unlikely. But there are several ways in which branding informs your customer’s experience.

We’ll take a deep dive into the topic. But first, let’s clear a few things up. What exactly are branding and customer experience?

The double threat: branding and customer experience

You’d be forgiven for thinking that branding is simply about the logo - the classic Ferrari horse may spring to mind, or that iconic, silver Apple.

But nowadays, branding is so much more than the carefully crafted insignia that adorning your products. Branding now encompasses something much more intangible. It informs how the customer feels, and the journey they will take, when they interact with your company.

In simple terms, branding includes customer service and experience, your online presence, visuals across all media, marketing and advertising, and reviews. Essentially, it’s anything that contributes to the ‘feel’ of your company.

And for those of you with virtual stores - Ecommerce branding is just as important as for anyone else!

As for customer experience, this is the ‘how’ that drives all of this. It is the art of keeping your promise to the customer. In-store experience, advertising, merchandising, product design, staff and logistics - and more - all contribute to the customer experience.

If you want to stay ahead of the curve in 2023, it’s necessary to understand the exchange between the two.

If you think of branding as a promise to your customers - this is who we are and what you will get from us. Then customer experience is where you deliver on that promise. Done right, you’ll build a loyal, satisfied customer base. But fail to deliver, and they might never come back.

Let’s take a look at how branding impacts customer experience.

Consistency

More than anything else, branding provides your business with a consistent message that filters through every pore of company culture. If you have a consistent brand message, then the customer knows that they are always in safe hands.

Strong, consistent brand strategy allows for a seamless experience across all customer touchpoints. This builds trust in your brand as customers know what they’ll get from you. But, if your branding is focused on simply acquiring customers, shattering when they’re met by a confusing website or unhelpful customer service teams. That trust is broken forever.

Beyond this, a reliable brand message helps you to recruit talent that believes in your vision from the get-go. They’ll be aware of your core message before they apply, and know what's expected of them before they start.

For example, If you have online sales staff, your company’s branding can break the ice to a VoIP small business. With no facial expressions and visual aids to help them, staff need to be even clearer on the brand mission in order to communicate well over the business’ preferred mode of communication.

And finally, don’t forget - creating clear, captivating copy is a crucial part of achieving a consistent brand message, so you’ll need a writing style guide to keep things uniform.

A meaningful act

With the market so saturated with products and services, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to set your company apart from the others. A clear, winning brand message is one way to cut through the crowds.

Nowadays, consumers want companies to share their values and consumption has become a sociopolitical act, allowing customers to assert their identity with their dollars.

If your brand aligns with your customer’s value system, this allows for a more meaningful experience. It also helps the customer to truly embody the journey that your branding promises.

If customers feel that their purchases are meaningful, this inherently makes their customer experience more significant and positive. It allows for greater trust between the consumer and the company, which helps cement a better customer experience.

Think of the overwhelming popularity of unboxing videos. Customers now generate content aligning themselves with your brand. And they merge branding with experience perfectly. They're not just people opening a box and showing a product, they’ll talk about the packaging, the finishes, even the instructions. Yeah, it’s your product with your shiny logo on the box, but it's the experience that people are watching for.

Empower the consumer

As we’ve noted, good branding makes for powerful user-generated content. It also creates a strong, consistent message that makes the consumer feel safe and cared for.

All of this works to empower the consumer. It makes them feel more important and often, more knowledgeable.

If they feel they can recommend your product to someone, this gives them significant kudos in this little game of life. It’s a small thing, but being the person to give a good recommendation, to know something that others don’t, is a powerful feeling.

If your branding is consistent, meaningful and aligned with your consumer’s values, this in turn will empower the consumer in their daily life.

This is the ultimate customer experience, as it continues long after any touchpoints that are in your hands.

Merging customer experience and branding

So now you’re up to speed with how branding can impact customer experience. But perhaps you’re wondering how to merge the two to create a killer strategy for 2023?

What’s crucial here is to actually begin with the customer. Pay attention to their wants and needs, their values and their language. This will allow you to match branding with your company’s customer experience.

You can do this by using real-time data to inform your decisions, as you keep an eye on customer reactions to campaigns, communication and other touchpoints. For example, an online phone system allows you to track different metrics and reporting as well as speech analytics. Sentiment analysis can also help here, allowing you to detect emotion in customer language, whether it’s using phone, email or tweets.

John Allen - Director, SEO, 8x8

John Allen is a driven marketing professional with over 14 years of experience, an extensive background in building and optimizing digital marketing programs across SEM, SEO, paid media, mobile, social, and email, with an eye to new customer acquisition and increasing revenue.