experiences into a coherent journey with a brand requires marketers to focus on the element that defines people ’ s experiences : emotion . It is the emotional connection that brands are able to create consistently with their chosen audiences that gives them their power : an influence over both immediate , instinctive decision-making and more conscious rationalisation of choices .
When marketers talk about brand consistency , it is the components of their brand that produce these emotional responses that they need to focus on . When understood and managed in the right way , emotion can run like a consistent thread through the different experiences that a brand weaves for different touchpoints . Consistent emotions deliver consistent brand experiences .
Marketers must match the emotive needs of their target audiences with the emotive meaning that their brand represents : the bold and adventurous brand promise of Red Bull , for example , Audi ’ s promise of refinement and class , or the scientific expertise that exudes reassurance for pharmaceuticals companies and detergent brands .
They can then plan to deliver relevant touchpoint experiences in a way that connects with this inherent emotive meaning . Audi retail showrooms , for example , are temples to design and technology that consciously echo the brand ’ s emotive promise ; its Twitter feed is filled with video shot in a similarly sophisticated style , and surrounded by text in font colours that reflect the symbolism of the Audi brand and logo .
In China , that same refined aesthetic runs across Audi ’ s TMall storefront , bringing its brand equity to an eCommerce environment , with a minimalist feel that stands out from other auto brands .
Plotting a differentiated brand experience
The brands that have mastered emotional coherence in this way benefit from an inherent irresistibility amongst their chosen consumers , and typically enjoy twice the market share of their competitors . They are brands to which people are instinctively drawn , which can be chosen with little conscious thought but whose choice is still a deeply satisfying one that aligns with people ’ s deeper motivations .
However , such irresistible brands never get this way by attempting to be all things to all people . They differentiate like they mean it , and are prepared to have well-defined emotive appeal rejected by some in order for it to resonate more strongly with their chosen audiences .
As marketers seek to negotiate a confusing array of touchpoints to give consumers the experiences they value , they need to be prepared to differentiate to a similar degree . Competitiveness will increasingly depend on optimising a range of touchpoints for conversion , and enabling people to take the path to purchase of their own choosing .
However , when all competitive brands offer the option to buy through all channels , it is brand equity that will exert most influence over the choices that consumers actually make . Building and managing that brand equity is as important now as it has ever been .
‘‘ Delivering relevant , branded touchpoint experiences becomes a lot more manageable when marketers clearly understand the needs of the people they are delivering those experiences for – and which touchpoints matter most to those people . The problem they currently face is that the technology used to reach audiences across digital touchpoints has tended to obscure any meaningful sense of who they are targeting and why .’’
If they are to succeed , marketers must see touchpoints not just as an opportunity to deliver the right functions , but also to generate the right emotions . In doing so , they can find creative ways to stretch their emotive appeal and build recognisable brand experiences – no matter which journeys people choose to take .
Roz Calder is a founding director of NeedScope International which is now part of TNS Brand & Communication practice area . Having worked with major global companies to help them build powerful brands , Roz is now responsible for the development , marketing and global application of NeedScope with a particular focus on activation .