Brand: Signature Signs

All the big brands have one thing in common, a deep understanding that it’s all about the customer. Ultimately, branding is the process of defining your reputation in the mind of the consume. This perspective is often the difference between a thriving brand and a dying brand. Some brands create “hallmarks,” a term coined by mega-brand strategy firm Lipponcot, to intentionally seek an experiential connection with the consumer. Distinguishing signs can be colors (Tiffany Blue Box), shapes (Coca-Cola bottle), symbols (Nike Swoosh), rituals (Corona Lime Wedge), service (Zappos), voice (“My Pleasure” for a popular chain of chicken sandwiches) and even rings (Toyota wireless lock). With that in mind, here are three ways to create unique hallmarks for your brand:

1. Audit your current customer experience. Start by getting feedback from your current customers. Determine what they like and what they don’t like. Just ask them some open-ended questions and you will be amazed at the things that come up. We believe in qualitative over quantitative research in this case. Once you’ve read your customer’s pulse, map each touch point from start to finish and examine the current landscape of the experience. Look for areas for improvement and include customer feedback for specific areas.
2. Analyze the competitive landscape. What are the hallmarks of your competitors? One of the hallmarks of John Deere is its green tractor. So when Kubota tractors entered the market, they chose orange tractors as their signal. Basing your hallmark on a competitor’s strategy may seem counterintuitive at first, but it can often prove effective when two similar but distinctive cues become a loyalty badge for customers who choose one brand over another.
3. Devise and draw signals. Sit back and think about what makes your business special. What signals do you currently have? What color, texture, shape, products, service, voice or sound make your brand experience unique? After thinking about the various factors that make your brand unique, take the main factor and work to create a distinctive signal through it. Signs don’t need to be complex to be effective. They just need to be memorable and recognizable.

A distinctive sign is a unique aspect of your brand that sticks in the minds of consumers and allows them to experience what your brand has to offer. This signal helps create a customer-centric experience that allows a brand to stand out in the marketplace. Consumers feel a personal connection to Corona when they squeeze a lime into a bottle of company beer, and women instantly feel special and appreciated when they open one of Tiffany’s blue boxes. Thinking about what makes your brand special and applying it to a recognizable signature cure is a great way to engage consumers in a way that encapsulates them in a unique experience that can only be achieved through your brand.