The first impression of a brand is formed within 7 seconds – Forbes
Your innovative formula and effective ingredients, the sustainable packaging and the affordable price point, all the time and effort spent on every little detail, and the reason behind you going through all of this in the first place – you have only a few seconds to communicate your whole story to the potential consumers before their gaze wanders off. An easily recognized brand benefits from exposure alone. However, in a more and more saturated market, the opportunity for differentiation – both on the shelf and online – is difficult.
First impressions are crucial in developing brand loyalty. 48% of consumers report that their first purchase or experience is the most critical one in deciding if they will develop loyalty to a particular brand.
But, before you start looking for ways to establish your presence, you need to define the message you want to communicate. That’s where branding comes in. Consumers can spot fake a mile away, and they’re not afraid to call such brands out. Think about what your company presents and be authentic. Think of your products, the messaging, and the visual elements as tools to support your story. We all love good stories, and that’s exactly what a brand is – the story of you, your products, and your company.
Customers want to buy from brands they can stand behind. In order to engage with potential consumers brands are expected to have a meaningful brand purpose – a reason the brand exists beyond making a profit. Developing great products is the first step, but it’s nowhere near enough. How are the products being produced, what are the ingredients and where do they come from, is the brand sustainable/cruelty-free/vegan/organic, does the brand share the same values as their potential consumers?
The challenge for beauty brands is to engage with consumers rather than just market to them, to be transparent, and communicate authentically.
Before you can expect customers to connect with your company and products, you first need to understand who you are as a brand and create a simplified brand identity – focusing on your strengths and what differentiates your brand from the rest. It’s what’s going to make the customer choose your products over your competitors. If you had to narrow it down to just a few words, what word would best convey your brand to consumers?
Companies tend to use different tools to create and shape a unique, distinctive brand, but one thing all successful brands have in common is being audience focused and customer feedback-driven. That why in order to start the branding process, you should first define your ideal customer profile. Treat your customers as an important source of ideas for your brand and ensure your brand is designed specifically for them. Knowing who your customer is will help you make the right branding, but also business decisions.
Once you’ve answered the core questions about your brand, it’s time to define all the aspects of your brand identity, from brand story, mission and values, brand voice, and visual elements such as color palette, logo, and typography.
Before you launch your brand, you need to have all elements ready to go, ensuring they’re all an accurate representation of who you are as a brand. With thousands of beauty products available online and on store shelves, having a delineate brand style guide or brand bible is not only convenient but also helps to maintain consistency across all channels and brand touchpoints, online and offline.
Your customers must have a consistent experience of your brand wherever and however they encounter it. And while some aspects might change and adapt over time and across different platforms, the messaging and core values, as well as key visual elements must stay the same and should be clearly communicated. Familiarity breeds positive feelings, and by being exposed to a brand more often customers are more inclined to like it, and buy it.
90% of consumers expect that their experience with a brand will be similar across all platforms and devices.
Every element that represents your brand should be aligned with a consistent brand strategy, from your website and social media channels to influencers and brand ambassadors you choose to engage with. Consistency helps build trust, not just in your brand but product quality too, transforming prospects into happy customers.
The bottom line is, your product must work. Eye-catching packaging, cool buzzwords, and TikTok content may compel consumers to give your brand a shot, but no matter how good your branding is if the product doesn’t deliver promised results, nothing can persuade a disappointed customer to buy from you again.
All unsuccessful brands are unsuccessful in their own way, yet all favorable beauty businesses have certain things in common: quality and efficiency supported by clear messaging and distinctive brand identity.
ARE YOU A YOUNG GROWING BEAUTY OR LIFESTYLE BRAND IN NEED OF SUPPORT WITH MAXIMIZING YOUR SALES REVENUES? SOMETIMES IT TAKES AN OUTSIDE VIEW TO SPOT THE THINGS YOUR MISSING. SIGN UP FOR A FREE BRAND HEALTH CHECK TODAY AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS.
MABE’s brand development consultancy services support new and developing beauty and lifestyle brands with sustainable content creation, brand messaging, values and culture, social influencer marketing, and recruitment outreach in addition to promoting a brand’s efforts in reaching new audiences.
