With so many brands vying for our attention, most have little to no impact on our lives. Instead, they add to the noise and growing clutter we face every day.
Havas Group compiled a report stating that 75% of brands could disappear tomorrow and be easily replaced, with less than half of brands (47%) considered trustworthy. Worse still, people are becoming more cynical of brands, with 71% saying they are tired of their empty promises and 66% of consumers wanting more meaningful experiences.
What is a meaningful brand?
Meaningful [mee-ning-fuhl] full of meaning, significance, purpose, or value; purposeful; significant.
Meaningful brands are purpose-led, transparent, socially and ethically responsible organisations. They truly understand their customers’ needs and look for ways to add value to their customers’ lives and to society at large. Brands that make a real difference in people’s lives are typically more profitable and create zealot-like advocates. These are the types of brands that people say they cannot live without.
Desert Island Discs is a long-running radio programme in the UK. Each episode features a guest, usually a well-known public figure. They choose eight pieces of music, a book and a luxury item to take to a hypothetical desert island.
Imagine you were on a desert island and had to choose the brands that matter most to you. Which brands are irreplaceable and add the most value to your life? What are your desert island brands?
Some people cannot function until they have their morning fix of Starbucks coffee, while others cannot bear the thought of being severed from their Apple iPhone.
Every organisation wants its brand to be the only choice that people cannot live without, but becoming a meaningful brand can be hard work. Here are some helpful steps for building a brand that matters.
How to build a meaningful brand
Creating a meaningful brand involves connecting with customers emotionally and aligning it with a purpose that goes beyond just selling products or services. Here are some steps you can take to create a meaningful brand:
- Get under the skin of your customers: Find out what makes them tick, keeps them up at night, what they believe in and how you can improve their lives.
- Define your brand purpose: Identify the deeper meaning and values behind your business, and ensure they align with your target audience’s needs and values.
- Communicate your purpose: Use your brand’s mission statement, messaging, and visual identity to communicate your purpose clearly and consistently.
- Walk the talk: Ensure your brand’s actions align with its stated purpose and values, and be transparent about your business practices.
- Humanise your brand: Use your brand’s mission statement, messaging, and visual identity to convey it clearly and consistently.
- Create consistent brand experiences: Develop unique and memorable experiences that align with your brand’s purpose and values.
- Encourage stakeholder engagement: Create opportunities for customers and employees to engage with your brand and its purpose, such as through social media, events, and volunteer opportunities.
- Stay relevant: Continuously re-evaluate your brand’s purpose and values, adjusting them as necessary to remain meaningful to your target audience.
By following these steps, you can create a brand that resonates more deeply with customers and employees alike — a brand they would choose above all others.
How can B2B brands be more meaningful?
Today, B2B brands must compete and differentiate themselves in crowded, increasingly commoditised markets. Too many B2B brands focus on product features and benefits. Smart B2B brands that can connect emotionally with their customers’ needs, beliefs, interests, and aspirations will move beyond transactional relationships and build meaningful connections.
Here are some helpful examples of how B2B brands have positively impacted their customers’ lives and added real value by becoming an invaluable partner, not just a supplier:
Slack
Slack was born from frustration with internal communication, including endless emails. Its focus on customer needs creates a simple experience that connects teams, unifies workflows, and improves productivity.
Mailchimp
An all-in-one marketing platform for small businesses, Mailchimp empowers customers worldwide to start and grow their business. Mailchimp was originally conceived because email software was oversized, complicated and expensive. Understanding small businesses is in its DNA, and its mission to empower the underdog resonates deeply with its customers.
B Corporation
Certified B Corps are companies that B Lab has verified to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. B Corp recognised a decline in confidence in businesses and rampant greenwashing, leading customers to lose faith in them. In today’s world of tightly integrated supply chains, companies require a high level of trust in their business partners. They knew that to win over cynical audiences, businesses needed a highly trusted certification to bolster brand equity and credibility.
Would you like help with creating a more meaningful brand? If so, call us on 01323 430700 for an informal chat or email us at hello@firebrand.co.uk.
Related article: Creating new value is the only way to be meaningfully different
