The DL on Design: A Brand Experience

Bianca Sawyer

Lead Designer, Identity Marketing

Think about this: one piece puzzles don’t exist. You might purchase a puzzle because you’re bored or you want the experience of piecing it together and unveiling a bigger picture. Like a puzzle, when piecing together a brand there are many elements that need to work together. This goes beyond a logo. Your brand will be viewed through many different avenues, including online and in person. This is why it’s important to create a branding experience that touches on a range of human senses and can be used across a range of platforms. Here is a list of elements that will ensure your customers are seeing the bigger picture and are experiencing your brand beyond 2D branding components.

Tone Of Voice

Your brand’s tone of voice is the style of vocabulary used across your brand. It represents the way you want your brand to be perceived. It’s used across your website and social media through to the way your employees talk to customers. For example, a real estate company that wants to appear down to earth and approachable would have a relaxed tone of voice. The agent may use greetings like ‘g’day’ which is casual and gives you the feeling that you have been mates with the agent for years.

Sound

Sound and music can provoke any emotion and transport your mind to any place. You might not think so, but sound plays a crucial role. It’s part of the overall brand experience and assists in creating an atmosphere. For example, a high-end real estate company would play relaxed lounge music at an open inspection to help buyers envision the luxury holiday lifestyle they are buying into. This same style of music would then be played in the agents office, be background music on their animations or property walk-through videos. The use of this style of music consistently will become instantly recognisable and associated with the brand.

Movement Marks

The best way to describe movement marks is to give you a famous example: the Toyota jump. This signature jump has been closely associated with Toyota for years. This movement mark is an action that a person can do which is often paired with “oh what a feeling” and is so recognisable it doesn’t even need to be in front of a car. Toyota has cleverly used this jump throughout countless commercials, advertisements and across social media. It’s also a great way to get customers involved and excited about their new purchase.

Fit Outs

Interior design and graphic design are like two peas in a pod. They go hand in hand. If you want to give customers the full brand experience, it’s essential to create a shop fit out that represents your brand’s style and personality. When people buy into a brand, they want to trust it and be inspired. A shop fit out allows customers to immerse themselves into the physical side of the brand and experience something tangible. It’s important to look at every aspect of your shop front including lighting, furnishings and positioning.

If you’ve created your brand’s core elements such as your logo, you may want to consider what else you can do to expand your customer branding experience. It’s important to look past these 2D elements so that your brand is recognised even when your logo isn’t present. The elements above are just a few pieces that make up the branding puzzle and a marketing agency such as Identity Marketing will help you harness your differences and expand on your brand.