I don't know about you, but I love a great brand experience. And as we head into 2024, customer expectations are as high as ever.

We want great experiences, easy purchasing, quick delivery and custom offers.

If you’re wondering what I’m referring to when I say ‘brand experience’, it’s the experience of every touch point that you go through when you're purchasing from a brand.

It's also all the little, thoughtful things brands do to help you remember them. 

It’s like that unexpected bonus glass of champagne with lunch, or a little cookie with your coffee, or a handwritten thank you note in your parcel. These small gestures go a long way in how you relate to the brand. 

As I always say to my clients, people want to know that they've seen, heard and acknowledged by the person they’re working with or buying from. No one wants to feel like a number! 

In the book The Brand Flip, Marty Neumaier says, “We no longer buy brands, we join brands”. Everyone wants to be part of a community where they feel like they belong and have a relationship with the company they’re buying from.

Here are 4 simple ways to approach your brand experience design

1. Understand where you want to position yourself in the market (brand positioning)

Let’s start by defining what brand positioning is all about.

The definition of brand positioning is a clear outline or description of who you are as a company, what products and services you offer, who your target market is, and what makes you unique.

Brand positioning sets you apart from your competitors. When it comes to your position in the market, think about where you sit to others – are you the Chanel or the Kmart of your industry?  

Everyone is clear on what the differences are between those two brands. They know what they’d expect to pay, and even more so, what kind of experience they’d expect to receive when they enter either one of those stores. 

Philip Kotler, the “Father of Modern Marketing”, provided a brand positioning definition:

“The act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market.” Your brand must be distinctive and unique, or you risk being invisible in a crowded marketplace. 

Ask yourself:

• What is the quality of my products and services?
• Am I seeling it on mass?
• Is it an exclusive type of product/service

2. Understand your clients self-identity to boost their brand experience

A customer’s self-identity is how your client sees themselves in the world. You’ll have clients who buy luxury goods and see themselves as people who deserve that. They’ve worked hard, and they’ve earned money (or maybe they haven’t), but they see themselves as people who deserve and want the finer things in life.

I always say that the difference between whether someone buys a $20K car or a $120K car is how they see themselves in the world and what they believe they deserve. 

The interesting thing is that as you raise your self-identity, you may attract clients who also see themselves at that level. 

Here’s what I mean by self-identity.  

• I love beautiful destinations and lux getaways (I work hard, so I want the best of the best for my holidays!). When I run a retreat at a lux property with amazing speakers and all the works, I attract people who want that. They are willing to pay because they love this service, experience and destination. 
• If a real estate agent you were considering hiring to sell your house pulled up in a broken down, beat up old car, would you think they're an excellent real estate agent who sells loads of houses? I'm guessing not.
• If a life coach is on their socials crying all the time about how crap their life is, you’re not going to hire them to help you sort your life out. If they can’t get it together, how the heck will they help you?   

So, you have to understand the tangibles and intangibles, know what your clients want, and understand how they see themselves in the world.

3. Map out their journey when they find or work with you to create a personal brand experience

I’ve found many businesses set and forget things in their business, or they just let things happen by accident. If you want to create and design an amazing brand experience, you have to deliberately craft what you’re doing. 

It's best to look at where people find you and their experience. 

• When they find you on Instagram, what type of conversations are you having (or are you having conversations)?
• Are you sharing content they can consume that is helpful to them (have they asked for it)?
• When people subscribe, what is the quality and consistency of content you’re sharing with them?
• When someone contacts you through your contact form, is it a dull, bog-standard, “Thanks for getting in touch, we’ll be in touch soon”, or are you injecting your brand voice and personality?
• When customers buy from you, do you look at the value of the customer and experience you’re creating, or is it all the same?

Sit down and map out each touchpoint in your business and ask yourself – is this the experience I want this person to have? If it’s not, then change it. 

4. Automate, systemise and personalise to introduce your clients to your brand

I know many people may be thinking, ‘Come on Suz, I have too many clients to get personal with every person who makes contact!’. But let me assure you that you can automate, systemise and personalise as much of your business as you want.

And, it still remains personal to give clients the best brand experience possible.  

Here’s an example:

I was speaking at a conference in NSW recently, and we did a brainstorming session on what the financial planners and advisors in the room could do. One of the conversations that we had was that some clients wouldn’t like SMS, others don’t want email etc., or some wouldn’t want something like a personalised video.

The easiest way to know how your client wants to be connected is to ASK. Add it to your onboard process and make check the box so that you have that in your system for future reference.

When you know what your clients do or don’t like, you can customise your client’s experience to suit.

Here is a guide to how you can review your own brand experience

What is the brand experience of your client’s journey when they make contact?

I recently did a brand experience audit of my business and looked at what clients went through before purchasing. 

I looked at:

• When people find me and connect, what’s their experience?
• What is the message they are getting?  

I think this is something that is often overlooked. But often, as the first point of contact, it’s vital to give them the best possible introduction to enhance their brand experience from the get-go.

What’s your contact thank you form say about you? 

I have fun contact replies and remind people of my other services. They can also request more information if they choose to book me as a speaker.  

What is the brand experience of your subscribers, and how do you use their client information? 

People won’t subscribe to receive junk. So, how can you make their life better? Are your messages consistent, and do you provide quality? 

I’ve recently added a coaching prize for my subscribers to encourage them to open and read my monthly emails. It’s a fun and rewarding way to keep them engaged (plus, I know the content I’m sending is worth their time!). 

The beauty of email CRMs is that I can look deeper at our audience to understand why they’ve signed up and the level of business experience they have. From this, I can personalise (and automate and systemise) emails that are relevant to them.  

Showing you value and knowing your clients is important. Don’t assume everyone is the same. By creating a customised experience, you’re delivering something they love. 

Review your products & update them to wow your clients and boost their brand experience.

Review what you’re offering. Here’s what we’ve decided to update:

BBA: Clients will be given a monthly coaching call outside of the live rounds to gain extra support when they need it (I’m so excited about this part, and I know my clients will appreciate it too!). 

Amplify: I’ve always sent out amazing gift boxes when someone joins. But lately, I’ve become conscious that some people don’t love champagne (I do!) and may have nut or other allergies (I’m allergic to chocolate!). So, on my checkout page, I’ve added a custom question asking about their preferences (no alcohol or nuts) for their welcome present. 

It’s another way of personalising their experience and getting to know your client. 

We have also upped the offering of more guest presenters and exclusive events for amplify clients. 

Do you have inclusion & diversity as part of your brand experience?

Finally, I looked at my business and brand experience from an inclusion and diversity perspective. 

I've always been focused on women in business, but I'm becoming more aware that people don't necessarily identify as men or women. I want to make sure I'm as inclusive as I possibly can be.  

I’m a big believer that your business needs to keep evolving. While I’m sure 95% of my audience will most likely be female (because that’s who my brand attracts), I’m excited to let go of that filter and boost my brand experience to be more inclusive.

What does your brand experience say about your business?

I encourage you to look at the brand experience you’re giving your clients. 

When it comes to your brand experience design, focus on how you’re creating amazing experiences based on data and then automate what you can, making it relevant and personal.

Never forget that personal touch! Your gesture could make someone’s day, and they’ll treasure it more than you may think. 

To find out how you can build your business & create exceptional brand experiences & products and services for your client, make sure you check out and come and join us in Bold Business Academy.