Many experts today say that brands aren’t just logos or catchy monikers that become household names and that brand identity is all about the right messaging. But in an increasingly competitive — and digital — world, there is one thing smart businesses can count on to build their brands’ longevity: the customer experience.

That said the idea of the brand as a living, breathing thing has taken hold. The best way to build your customers’ brands and support their relationship with their clients is to make their brands into experiences.

What is a "Brand Experience"?

A year and a half ago Stephan Vincent, a branding expert and contributor to LinkedIn's business news network Pulse, asked a lofty question.

In the article titled, "What does it take to define your brand experience”, Vincent talked about the various ways companies both big and small strive to separate themselves from direct competitors.

Some of Vincent's argument involved high-level concepts like commitment by company leadership and courting "buy in" from employees throughout companies. But some of his more important ideas involved customers.

"The brand’s purpose is not defined by what you do for your customers," Vincent writes. "It is defined by why what you do matters to your customers."

Taking a different angle, Bruce Henderson, a contributor to Chief Marketer business network, writes that brand experience is more about delivering ideas, knowhow and even useful information about how to use products or services in terms of how they benefits users. This is especially important with businesses engaged in B2B markets. In particular, Henderson says that brands that can physically engage customers via trade shows or experiential marketing and events do best.

"Most events offer prolonged interaction with a brand, its people, products and/or services. As such, they are a valuable tool to build brand affinity by deepening people’s exposure to — and relationship with — the brand."

As a partner to thousands of promotional products distributors and decorators that serve small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Idea Custom Solutions can vouch for the fact that trade show and event marketing works for many companies. But the means by which your customers make contact with their audiences — and ultimately the customers who choose to do business with them — might be less important than the contacts themselves.

Getting Personal

Without going into certain industry-specific marketing tactics such as loyalty and rewards programs or more futuristic ideas about virtual reality technology, it appears that building useful brands for customers involves more personal approaches versus a one-size-fits-all mindset.

Recently, a craft brewer in the Pacific Northwest decided it was time to rebrand and spiff up its packaging. But it didn't stop there.

Pyramid Brewing introduced a summery Outburst Citrus IPA not just for the warm season but to complement its year-round line-up. It coupled the new product launch with a colorful set of cans and box packing as an integrated "invigorated brand aesthetic and experience", while also revamping digital channels including its website and social media.

More importantly, Pyramid started a campaign called "Find Your Pyramid" to engage beer lovers. The campaign, plugged on social media, called on their loyal customers and curious beer drinkers unfamiliar with the brand's great brews "to share their adventures from across the Northwest" by posting photos of them drinking Pyramid beers with a #FindYourPyramid hashtag. While getting customers to enjoy their beers, Pyramid also in turn is turning the volume way up on their rebrand efforts.

Customers’ Voices and Listening

Forbes just revisited the topic of branding and the customer experience in an April post. Contributor and best-selling business author Step Hyken writes that building a meaningful (and profitable) connection with customers begins and ends with listening.

"Brands that listen well respond by doing something with the information. Their response isn’t in words; it’s in taking action on what they “hear.”

Similar to what Pyramid Brewing demonstrated through its #FindYourPyramid marketing campaign, Hyken reinforces the value of calling on customers to share their stories. He also writes that, by listening to their clients, your customers will increase their clients’ spending while also reinforcing long-term retention. Companies can also build brand ambassadors.

"When you make customers happy, they talk to their friends, family members and colleagues. This is amplified through social media," Hyken adds. "Positive feedback should be shared on websites, brochures, and more. It can be some of your best marketing!"

Certainly companies come in all different kinds, each with different approaches to engaging clients. But don't forget to leverage the expertise of an experienced partner throughout the process of helping your customers to engage their audiences.