Branding as a relationship

Relationships. That’s a big word, dude.

Relationships are what help us make the most of our lives. From partners and family to the local baker. We’re all surrounded by people who we relate with on different levels.

If you care about someone, I bet you don’t mind dedicating time and effort to your relationship with them.

The same goes for great brands.

But how?

Before spilling the beans, I want to give you a quick history lesson about how brands related to their customers in the past.

The waves in the ocean

Before the age of social media or even the internet era, brands were basically logos: nothing more than static graphic representations of what they were. That was the first “branding wave”.

Currently, however, people tend to view brands that change as a good thing, including these examples of brands that changed their logos to emphasize the importance of social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic. These actions demonstrate that a brand is alive, personified, original, and most of all, cares about people.

So, get used to the idea that your brand’s logo doesn’t need to be the same forever. On the contrary: you can change your logo every month, especially if you’re creating a relationship with a younger audience. Young people embrace change devotedly and very easily, in fact, they crave it. Remember to always spice things up.

Here’s an easy way to think about it. If brands = people, just remember that people always change their clothes without changing who they are.

For example, no matter how much I defend essentialism as a lifestyle, and I do, I don’t wear the same clothes every day. Once in a while I buy some new t-shirts that match my style or a new pair of Vans.

The point is that I have my own style, my own way of expressing my personality, but I change my clothes often and sometimes I even change my hairstyle.

What I’m saying is: a visual identity is a part of a brand, but it’s not everything.

Of course, most brands still have logos and they’re an important part of their brand identity. But as time passes, people no longer connect with just logos. They’ve started creating mental images of brands.

The second branding wave proved this. Brands became more than logos, they became ideas and concepts.

Then the next wave came. It was time to start experiencing brands. Big companies quickly learned how to do just that. Disney is a good example of a real brand experience, with theme parks that are “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

We’re at the end of this “experimental wave”, and the world is changing fast. Now that customers have experienced brands, they want to talk with them, especially on their social media channels.

Learn how to duck dive

If relationships are the most recent wave, let’s get your brand surfing!

If you don’t want to get pummeled and pushed back by a crashing wave, the first thing to learn is to duck dive. Don’t worry, it’ll get easier.

Translation: if you don’t want your brand to face difficulties when surfing the relationship wave, it needs to learn to dive into this ocean properly.

The key to surfing? Three words: engagement, differentiation, and loyalty.

The relationship wave

Several factors make up a relationship: affinity, worldviews, coexistence, and shared experiences. With brands it’s no different. So be prepared: hold your breath and dive in.

People’s engagement with a brand has a lot to do with some of these aspects. If your brand shares at least one factor that is very important to your community, they’ll engage with you. That’s when your brand will be able to create a strong culture and a shared purpose with your audience.

But we’re all tired of seeing brands that are a dime a dozen. So you need to be different, and your brand needs to be unique.

And loyalty is a must. To make audiences loyal, brands must not only sell products but also create value for individuals and demonstrate their commitment to society. Loyalty can reach consumers on a deeper and much more personal level.

With these ideas in mind, I’m positive your brand will be able to surf.

Being this kind of brand is pretty much like surfing: it’s hard to get the hang of it in the beginning, but it’s magical when you start surfing one wave after another.

So, what do you say? Do you want to go surfing together? 🏄✨