Why are consumer brand experiences more immersive than those of service providers? They give us the feels.

Typically, a service is often associated with the B2B market. The reality is that with an ever competitive landscape of options, the expectations of clients and buyers is incredibly high. We are used to quality brand experience, services and outcomes. Also, the B2C style of marketing is much simpler to implement because emotions, and personal feeling are involved. We can relate to it.

This is a wonderful thing, however it has always made marketing service based businesses challenging. Particularly for those who are building a brand anew, or don’t already hinge off a well known community or brand, to stand out and grow. That is without adding the complexity of a rapidly changing social media landscape into the mix.

Learning from consumer brand experiences

So, how do you differentiate? Channel vision, feelings, perspective and beliefs, just like B2C businesses do. Add the human factor, and emphasise the ‘service’ in service based business.

With this in mind, I wished to take a closer look at two examples of consumer brands, who have creative, artful and immersive brand experiences. I’ve selected these brands because they captivate, and are curiosity infused. I’ll also share some takeaways on how entrepreneurial leaders with service based businesses can learn from these brands.

Vibrant, artful pleasure from Flamingo Estate

Image by Flamingo Estate.

Brand experience learnings

Flamingo Estate is the story of a lush orchard and pleasure garden on a California hillside overlooking Los Angeles, and the many hands that have helped tend it. It’s a philosophy that champions slow ways and ancient practices.

Highlights from Flamingo Estate

• Holistic and cohesive visual brand identity
  • Craft it carefully, thoughtfully and implement it bravely. Everywhere.

• Take into account both tangible and intangible brand elements, such as:
  • Don’t stop at the standard stationery, social media and website.
  • Craft pop-ups (these are something else). Use your brand three dimensionally in campaigns.
  • Wrap the brand around services, new offers and every touchpoint of the experience.
  • Try collaborations too. Who matches and meshes with your brand?
  • Create a playlist. Appeal to the senses. Create atmosphere for those who can’t be present.

• Values, brand beliefs and feelings are religiously layered into products and experiences
  • Imagery details are considered down to the colour balance. Infusing Californian sunshine, and the translucent shine of bubbles from the bath house – Flamingo Estate photography (and illustration) is evocative and immediately felt.
  • Collaborate with like-minded businesses and individuals to give fresh dimension to a product. Eg. Loving how they implemented celebrity branded and co-created honey.

Bright, Crisp and Everyday Function from HAY

Image by HAY.

Brand experience learnings

Founded in Denmark in 2002, HAY creates contemporary furniture with an eye for modern living and sophisticated industrial manufacturing. Curious to understand how they imbue brand experience for their audience?

Highlights from HAY

• Brand attitude and vision are a north star for all that they do
  • Stay in your lane and commit to it. Fold it into everything you do.
  • Making design accessible for everyone keeps HAY’s collaborations, team, audience all on the same page with their reason for being.
  • This makes sure products and campaigns are continually fresh and unique.

• Crafting an in person and digital destination which is aligned globally
  • HAY House in Copenhagen is a destination for anyone who is mad about design, architecture and fashion. Centrally located, it tips the original showroom concept on its head, inviting people into the world of HAY.
  • HAY have 7 boutiques and 21 offices/showrooms globally – and the guidelines are clear no matter the country, ensuring the experience is just as bright, aligned and clear. Check out how they implemented their brand in Melbourne, their first Australian space.

• Blending market types for more impactful exposure
  • When they say they believe good design should be available for everyone, they mean it.
  • HAY retails to consumer facing audiences, as well as through agents to B2B buyers, like interior designers, architects, contractors and dealers.
  • This allows them to blend not only their connection to the softer home environments, but also be represented across commercial workspace, restaurants and hotels.

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Questions to ask when reflecting on your brand experience

Measuring and evaluating your brand experience can be a tricky thing to go through. It is most difficult to challenge the status quo when we’re comfortable with how things are looking and feeling. Why risk changing it?

Well, there may likely be elements you don’t change. However, imagine if you were in the same position when you first started your business and never took risks to try things differently – I bet life would look quite different for you.

If you’re thinking of reviewing how your brand moves into and is experienced by the world, you can start by answering the following five questions:

1. Do we deeply understand who our audience is, and how we serve them?
2. Are we creating and delivering emotional value?
3. Is our brand experience smooth, memorable and consistent across all touchpoints?
4. Do we evolve along with our audience? Are we embracing change?
5. What is important to stay the same, but where can we take new risks?

Need a guiding hand in the process? You can work with me on a deep dive brand experience workshop and strategy, as well as bespoke brand identity development and the big picture marketing material you would love to shape your audience’s experience. Contact me here for a short chat to find out more.