Four Practices for Building a Resilient Brand
Keeping your clients and customers at the center of what you do is one of the single most important actions you can take as a business founder and owner. Moreover, this idea is foundational to the four practices for building a resilient brand that I’m going to cover in this post.
When it comes to your brand, your customer matters. A lot.
When you think of branding, logos or websites likely come to mind. But a brand is so much more.
Each touchpoint you have with your customer is a reflection of your brand and an opportunity to continue to build a meaningful relationship.
This might seem straightforward, but, we see founders lose sight time and again of this practice.
Instead of being mindful to gather input and data, founders often veer into personal-hunch and preference territory. Before they know it, they are convinced that they have imagined the best brand or customer experience for their company.
Hunches can occasionally be on track but, wow, that’s a gamble.
There’s a better way.
There are four practices for building a more resilient brand.
1. Start with the customer
What do your people like? What are their challenges? Where do they spend their time? What are some customer journey pain points they are currently experiencing?
If you want to build a resilient brand, you must genuinely care to get to know your people. This is the foundation for building meaningful connections.
2. Practice empathy
Even the newest companies that have yet to acquire any user experience data can make use of these empathy opportunities:
- Online research
- Talk to customers (this works for potential customers as well) and ask intentional questions
- Survey customers
- Measure your Net Promoter Score (NPS) (surveys are a great place to include this)
- Validate assumptions through experimentation
- Step into customers’ shoes
- Complete and regularly revisit The Value Proposition Canvas
Commit to relentless improvement informed by customer feedback and data.
3. Consider the competitive landscape
Be mindful of other players in the segment. What is the competitive landscape? Understand what people may have come to expect. Explore their positive and negative feedback regarding competitors.
Listen to potential customers and dedicate time to research.
4. Set your personal preferences aside
The brand and customer journey you’re imagining may be far from what will resonate with your audience. Even if you identify with your target market, it’s still incredibly important to learn from them. Don’t make big calls based on your feedback alone.
When it comes to your brand and your customers, remain curious.
If your brand doesn’t resonate with your audience at a variety of touchpoints, it’s unlikely they will connect, engage, or remain a loyal customer.
Next time you want to create or update something simply because you like it or have a hunch, dig deeper first.
Begin implementing these four practices for building a more resilient brand. Create customer-centric visuals, content, and experiences. Build thoughtful brand touchpoints at every opportunity.
Commit to gathering information about your customers for the life of your business.
When you demonstrate empathy for your people you’re investing in loyalty, one of the most valuable customer attributes. You’re also building a meaningful experience that makes for a far more resilient brand.
For more brand creation and building tips and ways to commit to a customer-centric brand, check out How to Avoid Generic Visuals and Create a Strong, Engaging, Timeless Brand.
