The F&B Industry is undergoing a massive transformation. As more and more brands enter the scene, and as new and unique demands of customers rise, there is a growing need for the players in the industry to reinvent themselves. Wider issues like obesity, food-waste, carbon footprint concerns, ethical sourcing, and rising sugar levels have all come into the spotlight and the need for brands to ensure public health has become key considerations. Let’s look at 5 trends that F & B brands need to watch out for in 2018:

1. Healthy Alternatives: As health concerns rise across the world, 2018 will see F&B brands making health their top most priority. Brands will make headway in incorporating holistic health and wellness into their products and ensure their products are healthy and nutritious. With consumers seeking natural, wholesome, guilt-free, great-tasting products that ensure healthy indulgence, lactose-free and gluten-free products will become increasingly popular. In a bid to go healthy, Coca-Cola has been cutting sugars in their drinks by almost 30%. Pizza Hut aims to eliminate MSG and added trans-fats from their menu wherever possible.
2. Minimal Processing: As health concerns emerge, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and health implications of eating too much red meat, salt and sugar – the global sugar consumption in 2016 was a whopping 180 million metric tonnes. Brands that deliver high quality, no-preservative, low-processed foods in their most natural form stand to make it big in 2018. Organic products, cultured meat, natural and clean products, and plant-based alternatives will become preferred healthy options for millennials. The worldwide market for organic food & beverages could cross $200 billion by 2020. Kraft, which had been using artificial colours and flavours in its iconic Mac and Cheese quietly rolled out its newly formulated product with no artificial preservatives, flavours or dyes. Hershey is in the process of removing genetically modified beet sugar from its chocolates and switching to cane sugar instead.
3. Veganism: Personal health, climate change, animal welfare, and carbon footprint concerns are all pushing the world towards vegetarianism and veganism. As people become more aware of healthy and ethical lifestyle choices, several popular food brands are now entering the vegan space in order to meet the needs of the growing vegan population. In the coming years, red meat may no longer be the star of the plate; instead, beans on a bed of quinoa could be the swanky new ingredient at every restaurant. 2018 will see the F&B brands that offer egg substitutes, vegetarian meat, almond milk, tofu desserts, coconut yogurt, and vegan butter rising in popularity. Food Delivery service Just Eat surveyed 20 million deliveries and reported that the demand for vegan and vegetarian food had increased by 987% in 2017. And nearly 40% of dairy style products now contain vegan alternatives.
4. Local sourcing: As consumers become more aware of their food preferences and the impact sourcing has on the environment, local or sustainable sourcing are becoming popular movements. Trends such as “farm-to-fork” and “stem to root” are gaining immense popularity for they support local sourcing and help reduce food waste. 2018 will see brands that place value on sustainability and transparency, and that support local produce becoming more and more sought-after. For selling Snickers in India, Mars International is sourcing peanut – one of the main ingredients for the chocolate – from Rajkot. PepsiCo India does contract manufacturing of potatoes in Punjab for its potato chips.
5. Brand Transparency: The highly-aware and Internet-savvy consumer of today is placing immense value on brand transparency – not just in marketing, but also processing and supply chain. According to the Sustainability 2017 report from the Hartman Group, 69% of consumers demand more information about a company’s personal, social, economic, and environmental practices. “Informed and savvy consumers are demanding more from the foods they eat, and some are prioritizing ingredients over brands,” says Andrew Mandzy, Director of Strategic Health and Wellness Insights, Nielsen. The demand for products that are made by brands that care may be just what consumers are looking for this year – brands they can believe in and trust. Brands that are true to the company’s history, values, and attributes, have no secret ingredients and those that feature ethical claims on their packages are going to make it big in 2018. Tesco uses a traceability database that enables consumers to get sourcing information on various chicken, eggs, bakery, and frozen food products. Nestle India is executing a web series titled “From Our Kitchen to Your Kitchen”, where consumers will be invited to learn about products and how they are made.

Supporting Mindfulness

Today’s consumers look for a connection with the foods they eat; they want to know where foods come from, how they have been sourced, and how healthy they are. Mindfulness will be a hot trend in 2018 for it is this body-mind connection that will influence F&B brands to improve the transparency of their products.

These movements present a challenge for brands that have defined their purpose around more superficial values. They will have to look deep within themselves to find that health-oriented purpose or that historic passion for sustainability the brand has always believed in. In order to keep up with the new consumer’s focus on health and sustainability, F&B brands will need to showcase their positive valence and communicate how they can add meaningful value to their suppliers, their employees, and the consumers. It is this Purpose that will make people ally themselves with the brand. The key is, to tell the truth, especially about nutrition, to the conscious consumer.

For more on how your Brand can capitalize on these emerging trends, write to us at info@lokusdesign.com.

2018 is the year of ‘Purpose’. Often confused with Positioning, a brand’s “Purpose”, is simply the reason the brand exists. It provides a clear strategic direction and vision to the business- it helps you see the bigger picture when you are tied down by tactical nitty-gritty of work. It aligns people and processes while making decision making easier/ more intuitive at all levels and functions.

A critical factor related to Purpose is driven by discovering a brand’s reason for being and identifying how the same can be communicated to the brand customers. Take, for example, the ‘Open Your World’ campaign by Heineken. The ads were generally well received but the campaign still faced criticism since the idea of the advertisement were not wedded to what Heineken seemed to stand for. The campaign showed the coming together of people with different views on climate change to feminism to transgender rights over a beer. However, Heineken could be easily replaced with another brand quite legitimately since the campaign was not deeply connected to the visible purpose of the brand itself.

Clearly, it is your brand Purpose that can inspire brand loyalty and enable your audience to engage emotionally with your brand. Given that Purpose has to be born from a place of inner passion, what are the key things that you need to consider while defining it?

1. Purpose, vision, and mission do not mean the same thing

Purpose defines ‘why’ a brand exists. It is the meaning behind a brand’s existence… an idealistic view of what you stand for. Mission, on the other hand, are the quantified steps that a brand needs to take in order to achieve the set goals. It involves fleshing out of initiatives and tactics that help a brand achieve operational excellence, assist product development or define brand communication or go-to-market strategies. ‘Vision’ is the destination of where you want the brand to head in the future. Do not use the three interchangeably.

2. Purpose doesn’t have to be linked to profitability.

Purpose has a higher order of reason than just making a profit. It has to be more than driving shareholder value. For example, a lot of people think that bankruptcy looms large in Tesla’s future. However, the main Purpose of this company is not to make money but to pioneer smart electric cars, build the infrastructure to support them and develop the battery technology not limited to cars. The profit factor here is ancillary… and Tesla is succeeding in the pursuit of its Purpose.

3. The pursuit of something greater than yourself

Jim Stengel, former CMO of Procter and Gamble in his book “Grow” highlights the results of a 10-year study of 50,000 brands and revealed that brands centered around improving people’s lives beat their competition by wider margins. These businesses grew 50 times more than their competitors and an investment in them would be 400 percent more profitable than an investment in the S&P 500. The CEO of Unilever, Keith Weed also stated that some of the highest performing brands in Unilever’s portfolio were those driven by a Purpose that supports a cause that is greater than profitability. In Unilever’s case, that Purpose is of sustainability.

Purpose thus has to be focused on what problems an organization wants to solve, how the pursuit of that change is going to make a difference in the lives of people and where the brand fits in while articulating that change.

4. Does Purpose resonate in everything the organization does?

Purpose has to resonate with everything that an organization does – whether it is externally with its audiences or internally with its employees. A strong sense of Purpose is what attracts the right talent to an organization. A Deloitte survey states that “Millennials would prioritize the sense of Purpose around people rather than growth or profit maximization.” And if you were wondering, Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers also have the same set of motivations. Elon Musk puts across this point as well, “Putting in long hours for a corporation is hard. Putting in long hours for a cause is easy.” As with employees, Purpose also aligns the people of the organization with the processes to make decision-making easier and intuitive across all levels and functions.

5. Does your brand Purpose spell authenticity?

The thing with brand Purpose is that it has to be ‘authentic’. And for it to be authentic and inspiring it has to be true to the brand’s inherent Positive Valence and Values. This can only be achieved if the brand looks inwards to understand why they do what they do, what are its passion points and at the intersection of these two with how the brand can be of service to the world. It is important to discover the reason behind why a brand came into existence and relating that with what the world needs helps with to discover a solid brand Purpose – one that does not get caught in the noise of competitive cacophony and becomes the driving force behind a brand. Unilever, as an example, discovered their brand Purpose by doing an archaeological dig. The brand’s Purpose was fleshed out by William Heskith Lever in the 1890’s with Sunlight “To make cleanliness commonplace; to lessen work for women; to foster health and contribute to personal attractiveness, that life may be more enjoyable and rewarding for the people who use our products”. Today Unilever’s stated Purpose stands at “helping people to look good, feel good, and get more out of life.”

6. Brand Purpose is open to evolution

Everything about an organization, including brand Purpose has to keep itself open to evolution. Purpose has to manifest in everything that a brand does but it has to also focus on remaining relevant with time. The original purpose of Tesla was ‘to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable transport’? It was later updated to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” The replacement of ‘transport’ with ‘energy’ signaled Tesla’s shift from being an automotive-focused company to becoming a company focused on providing a clean energy ecosystem. Purpose is one, Mission is many.

7. Think of the ‘product’ as a service

In order to manifest the brand Purpose, organizations need to look at their ‘products’ as a ‘service’. Only then can they bring Purpose to life in clear and meaningful ways. Under Armour is a great example of this. Their Purpose is to ‘Empower Athletes Everywhere’. By using technology to create connected fitness experiences such as UA Health box, they are evolving from being just another apparel company to becoming a personal health and fitness guide. By thinking of the product as a service, organizations gain the capability to build and enhance their capabilities and drive this agenda across the board. Think about it. This approach gives companies the opportunity to drive user experiences that stand at the intersection of ‘useful and delightful’. It helps in adding value to people’s lives and helps the brand gain a degree of loyalty that no TV advertisement or campaign can generate.

When a brand thinks through these key points to define its Purpose, they can stand out in a competitive landscape. The “Purpose” they define will help them define their brand personality, the brand attributes, its differentiators, and the brand story in an original, authentic and organic manner… and it has been proven that in the world of copycats only the original and authentic can survive.

For more on this, write to us at info@lokusdesign.com.

Could the current crisis facing Facebook be stemming from the lack of a clearly defined/ understood/ practiced Purpose? It may well be so. Facebook grew because it gave people a platform to connect with one another beyond boundaries. However, Facebook continued to, consciously or unconsciously, position itself as a platform, the best out there yes, but still just a platform. There was no personal or emotional connect that Facebook could forge with their users… simply because they only focused on delivering a functional service and made no attempt at showcasing why they did what they did, something that is essential to create a connect with the brand. As a result, the people on Facebook began to view it as a utility -like their electricity company! Possibly as a direct result of this, Facebook today is easily losing users in the face of the public backlash it is experiencing.

What does Purpose actually mean?

A report by HBR defines purpose as “the aspirational reason for being which inspires and provides a call to action for an organization and its partners and stakeholders and provides benefit to local and global society.”

Purpose is the reason a brand exists. It is the core that drives all organizational decisions and is the reason that drives every call to action. Purpose highlights the inherent, intrinsic, authentic, and inspiring strengths that are fundamental to a brand and helps flesh out the shared values that construct it.

If you take a look around, some of the most successful Brands have always seemed to have a very strong sense of Purpose. Tesla, Amazon, Apple… all companies that we love have a strong sense of Purpose that breeds loyalty and love, even in the face of adversity. Take Apple for example. The company is driven to challenge the status quo by thinking differently. And even though we know that Apple slows down the batteries of older phones, it doesn’t deter us from being loyal to the brand.

Having a strong Brand Purpose matters…

Purpose, clearly, is not a marketing tagline used to influence and impress. Purpose-driven brands have more engaged employees and loyal customers. They manage transformational change better and are better at innovation. And yes, Purpose-driven brands also make more money. But why is this? Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard Business School says, “The sense of being part of something greater than yourself can lead to high levels of engagement, high levels of creativity, and the willingness to partner across functional and product boundaries within a company, which are hugely powerful…Once they’re past a certain financial threshold, many people are as motivated by intrinsic meaning and the sense that they are contributing to something worthwhile as much as they are by financial returns or status.”

With a strong brand purpose, organizations can align their products, services, experiences, and offerings to their customers and clearly define their value proposition. It is the reason why within an organization different products, services, the marketing programs, the business units, and extensions are related to and are differentiated from one another. Purpose gives a brand all its meaning and that defines its personality… the traits that a brand would display should it assume a human form. This complex identity that a brand creates, fosters loyalty, that of its customers and of its employees. That’s because a brand with purpose has a clear sense of direction.

According to Harvard Business Review, “64% of consumers cite shared values as the primary reason they have a relationship with a brand.” By tapping into its inherent Positive Valence to define its Purpose, brands can reduce Entropy, the chaos that is pervasive in an intensely competitive market. This helps them to not only identify who their customer base is but also helps them articulate clearly what they stand for. This is how these brands resonate with their customers without getting trapped in a competitive frenzy.

A clear brand purpose brings more coherence to the brand strategy, provides greater brand clarity, opens up opportunities, provides credibility, and instills a strong sense of confidence and optimism among all stakeholders. Simply put, Purpose, paves the way for creating an ‘Authentic’ brand experience. And an ‘authentic’ brand experience is a powerful differentiator.

Where does Purpose stand today?

Brand Purpose cannot, indeed, must not, be solely leveraged for marketing purposes. Purpose must resonate as real and have the capability to persist over a long period of time. It has to show a societal impact…something that cannot be achieved with just a new advert or shiny new packaging. Pepsi’s advertisement featuring Kendell Jenner witnessed a spectacular backlash within 24 hours of airing. The memes surrounding this promotional campaign were savage as they ripped apart this awkward political campaign because people perceived the campaign as an opportunistic attempt to tap into the Black Lives Matter movement.

In his book “Grow: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World’s Greatest Companies”, author Jim Stengel says, “Purpose creates a meaningful goal for the brand—a goal that aligns employees and the organization to better serve customers.” Purpose clearly is the silver bullet that gives an organization the capability to make strong, impactful and clear decisions…those that create a distinct brand perspective and influences what the organization does and doesn’t do.

Companies like The Body Shop have become strong brands because they have a clear sense of purpose. The Body Shop specializes in selling all-natural products. They are visibly directed by the “Enrich, Not Exploit” purpose. The organizational goals, product goals, and social goals are all aligned to this purpose. Airbnb is another great example of a purpose-led brand. Their purpose was to make people across the world feel that they could belong anywhere. It helped address the “universal human yearning to belong” and helped people to become better and more complete versions of themselves.

Purpose has to be true to the business, the organizational culture and to the products and services it delivers. It has to be the single criteria by which an organization evaluates ‘all’ its actions…to its consumers, its products, and product launches, to the partner strategies, organizational structure, employee interactions…everything. And when it does so, it creates a meaningful impact in today’s’ world and this has a world of benefits -the most key being a meaningful existence!

For more on this, write to us at info@lokusdesign.com.

Apple. McDonald’s. Nike. All of these brands have iconic logos. Simple yet powerful. Striking yet pleasing. When you see the Apple logo, you think of sleek, forward-thinking gadgets. When you see McDonald’s golden arches, you think of Big Macs and fries. When you see Nike’s swoosh, you think of fitness. So, what sets these logos apart? There are three major aspects: uniqueness, easy recognizability, and legibility across billboards and mobile phones, print and online advertising. That said, let’s look at the top 5 most iconic logos of all times and see what makes them stand out from the rest.

1. McDonald’s

Who doesn’t recognize McDonald’s golden arches? Although one reason is that the brand – valued at $88 billion – is internationally known, the other is just how simple the design is. That is what makes it so popular. Founded in 1940, McDonald’s was first known as McDonald’s Famous Barbeque; it was in 1962 that the arches were incorporated in the logo and in 1968 the arches resembled “M”. Today, not only do people recognize the logo, they subconsciously (or consciously) seek it on a long road trip across the country. Do you know? The logo was derived from real arches that were part of their restaurant architecture, and now is an integral part of their branding.

2. Apple

The bitten Apple has always been famous, but it’s prominence has grown manifold over the years due to the rising popularity of Apple products. According to Forbes, Apple is the world’s most valuable brand, estimated at $170 billion as of May 2017. Undeniably one of the most easily recognizable logos in the world, the bitten apple logo came into existence in 1976, and was characterized by a rainbow spectrum (representing Apple II which was the world’s first computer with color display). Today, the logo offers a modern, monochromatic look but that doesn’t stop it from being recognized all over the world – and has become more a fashion statement than a trademark. Do you know? Apple’s first logo depicted Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree – in a bid to relate the computer company with the man who revolutionized science with his theory of gravity!

3. Coca Cola

For a brand that came into existence 132 years ago, Coca Cola has seen it all. If only logos could talk! Probably the world’s most widely recognized brand, the name Coca Cola was chosen because the founder thought the “two Cs would look well in advertising. Over the years, the logo has undergone several distinct changes: from different scripts to extra swirls, tail tweaks to a red disc, fishy shape to a white wave – although the logo has undergone constant change, what has remained timeless is the dedication of the company to associating themselves with happiness. What works for Coca Cola is the sheer longevity of their brand – for someone who has been around for more than a century, being recognized is not hard. Do you know? Consumers enjoy more than 1.9 billion servings of Coca-Cola’s beverages each day!

4. Nike

Nike’s swoosh logo is one of the most recognizable brand logos in the world. Although the company was launched in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports, the swoosh logo was designed in the year 1971 for a meager $35– when the Nike name was adopted. The logo was designed in an attempt to convey motion, and also to symbolize the wings of the famous Greek Goddess of Victory, Nike. Over the years, the logo has undergone several tweaks – the red and white color palette has given way to the solid black swoosh that is representing the robustness of the brand in a powerful and positive manner. Do you know? Nike’s logo is the most profitable logo in the world and is worth $26 billion!

5. FedEx

The shipping company’s simple logo is probably best-known for its hidden image. Started by a young entrepreneur in 1971 as a small delivery company, the first logo went by the full name of Federal Express. The current logo was designed in the year 1994, and the different colors of the “Ex” represent different delivery types: while an orange “Ex” stands for express, the red stands for freight. Today, the brand has grown to become a powerhouse in the world of delivery (with annual revenue of $60.3 billion), delivering packages for every holiday and sale imaginable across the world. The distinctive look of the logo is recognized by everyone – from the logo on a truck on the highway to the plane on the runway. Do you know? The space between the “E” and “X” on the FedEx logo forms an arrow that denotes the company’s forward direction, speed, and precision.

NBA superstar LeBron James had said, “There are some teams and logos you see, no matter where you are in the world, and you know exactly who they are and what they mean.” While not a branding or design guru, it’s hard to argue with LeBron that this is really what a great logo should be all about, isn’t it?

For more on this, write to us at info@lokusdesign.com.

When you think of Nike, you would visualize someone athletic and sporty. When you think of Rolls Royce, you would visualize someone regal and crèam de la crème. Johnson & Johnson comes across as kind, compassionate, and caring – a brand people trust, a brand people would like to associate themselves with. Harley Davidson comes across as strong, tough, and dynamic – a brand people find awe-inspiring, a brand people would like to hold onto.

What kind of a person comes to your mind when you think of your brand? And frankly, does this even matter?

Brand’s Personality is the set of key characteristics or traits that your Brand would display if it were a human. As such, it defines how your brand speaks and behaves – either through individuals representing your brand, or through your advertisements, or your packaging. And this is of critical importance- according to a study, 45% of a brand’s image in the minds of its consumer is attributed to what it says and how it says it.

A brand personality that resonates is sure to enhance brand equity for it offers a consistent set of traits that consumers can align with their own value systems. Brand personality can help in:

• Portraying your image as a brand
• Communicating positive traits about your brand
• Forming an emotional connection with consumers
• Differentiating your brand from competition
• Building long-standing relationships with consumers

Brands with a strong and truthful personality are easier to remember and identify. A strong personality that matches the brand experience and the shared values engender loyalty towards the brand and increased trust.

Types of Brand Personality

Given the importance of your Brand’s Personality, we need to have a tool for measurement of it. One of the most often used instrument in this regard was developed by Jennifer Aaker way back in 1997 in her research on “Dimensions of Brand Personality”. She constructed a five-dimensional framework for describing and measuring the “personality” of a given brand, each dimension being divided into a set of facets.

1. Excitement – carefree, spirited, youthful (think of Fanta)
2. Sincerity – down-to earth, hardworking, thoughtful (think of Amul)
3. Ruggedness – outdoor, tough, athletic (think of Thums Up)
4. Competence – successful, influential, accomplished (think of GE)
5. Sophistication – luxury, elegant, prestigious (think of Rolex)

Craft your Own

Carefully and accurately defining your personality is important for your brand to resonate with the right consumers. By reflecting the correct attitude and choosing an apt personality you can occupy a place that is unique in the market. Is your brand bold or is it witty? Is it conservative or is it intellectual? Is it glamorous or is it mysterious? Is it dependable or is it youthful? Here are some tips:

• If your brand comes across as friendly, showcase the friendly relationships your share with your employees, suppliers, and consumers.
• If your brand comes across as sincere, offer a sneak-peak into your production process and show them how hardworking you are in creating an honest product.
• If your brand comes across as rugged, highlight your employees’ adventures and portray your daring self.
• If your brand comes across as reliable, share facts about the equipment you use or the standards you adhere to.
• If your brand comes across as sophisticated, pair your product with places and people that consumers see as aspirational.

It all depends on your inherent personality. Focus on the traits and qualities that make you “you”. Then, find a creative way of engaging with your consumers, make a strong and personal connection and achieve brand equity.

For more on this, write to us at info@lokusdesign.com.

In an extremely competitive market, brands are trying exceptionally hard for distinction, relevance, and growth. Every brand more or less knows what it wants to do, some brands also know how to do it but only the truly successful brands know why! You might be selling a range of home appliances, but do you know why you’re selling them? Is it just to make money, or is there a clear purpose driving your brand?

A brand should exist not just to make money, but to project and reflect the positive difference it can make in people’s lives. It is the clarity and simplicity of your brand’s purpose that drives all other brand attributes. It is also this purpose that is the basis for an enduring relationship with the consumer. Companies with a clear brand purpose can transform and innovate better. Employees aligned with this purpose are happier, perform better, and represent the brand more consistently. And when your people have a greater sense of purpose, profit will inevitably follow.

Brands with Purpose

As British author Simon Sinek says “Knowing ‘why’ your company or brand exists provides the foundation on which to build everything else — your ‘how’ (organizational culture, brand experience) and your ‘what’ (products or services you offer)”. Let’s look at car major Tesla. In a world where non-renewable sources of energy are fast depleting, Tesla is making the giant transition to sustainable energy. ‘What’ do they do? They build a range of electric vehicles. ‘How’ do they do it? They create a culture of technology, design, and innovation fueled by the drive to move away from polluting and depleting fossil fuels. ‘Why’ do they do it? To accelerate the transition to sustainable transport, Tesla builds the next generation of electric cars using integrated energy solutions. People who work for Tesla share the same purpose as the brand – to combat climate change and bring about a clean energy revolution.

Sports apparel company Nike has a strong brand purpose as well. By bringing inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world, it reflects the positive difference it can make in people’s lives. Nike connects with individuals universally and moves away from the fitness world to everyday life. Nike is not just creating products for the athlete but is committed to building deeper community connections and encouraging positive social change around the world. ‘What’ do they do? They design a range of sports apparel for people of all age groups. ‘How’ do they do it? They create a culture of fitness and inspire everyone to do their best. ‘Why’ do they do it? To augment the experiences of today’s athlete and solve the problems for the next generation, Nike fosters a culture of invention and creates products for everybody. As a general rule, the folks who work for Nike, care just as passionately about everyday fitness as the brand itself does.

Discover your Purpose

If you want your brand to be felt across your organization, you need to first find your brand’s purpose. No, your brand’s purpose cannot just be social initiatives or CSR or cause marketing. A brand’s purpose and meaning are not meant to only reflect in the mission statement; it should be evident in every aspect of daily life: every customer interaction, every product launch, every marketing presentation, every employee meeting should highlight how your company is living its purpose.

What is the purpose of your brand? Do you want to delight people with experiences of joy and wonder like Coca-Cola? Or connect and nurture people like Star Bucks? Are you looking to evoke feelings of confidence like Mercedes? Or do you want to make every person feel beautiful like Dove? When you are able to define your brand purpose, you will then be able to create a culture where your people share the same values as your brand.

If you want to discover your brand purpose,

• Start by deep-diving into the history and heritage of your brand, the story of your founders and the reason for your brand to come into existence. Do you know, Unilever was founded in the 1890’s with the purpose of revolutionizing hygiene, and even today the brand is “helping people look good, feel good, and get more out of life”.
• Do a brand evaluation; look at your brand’s strengths, passions and how it can be of service to the world. Furniture MNC Ikea’s core strengths include its understanding of life at home. Since better homes create a better society, Ikea is “creating a better everyday life for the many people”.
• Ask your employees what they feel about the brand, why they are proud to be associated with the brand and unearth real value in the purpose of your brand.
• Ask your customers, suppliers, dealers, and retailers and discover your brand’s purpose.

How aligned are your policies with your overall brand purpose? Do you offer products and services that meet your brand’s purpose? Do you hire people who share your brand’s purpose? Is your brand seen in your office and your employees? Do an assessment today!

For more on this, write to us at info@lokusdesign.com.

Brand Experience Centres have become a worldwide trend. Although luxury automakers like Porsche are at the forefront of these centres – offering top-notch brand experiences – Brand Experience Centres are slowly picking up steam across other verticals and geographies as well: from names like Starbucks to technology majors like Samsung – everyone is building these cool spaces for customers to immerse themselves in a brand. And Indian brands are following suit; while Amway India has launched its first digitally-enabled experience centre in Bengaluru that offers a host of options like Augmented Reality, gamification, and virtual makeovers, Fab India is planning to set up over 10 experience centres by 2018 that will house cafés, interior design studios as well as organic wellness centres.

What are Brand Experience Centres?

So why are Indian brands finding love for Brand Experience Centres? Since today’s customers are tired of aggressive, in-your-face marketing tactics, they are desperately seeking opportunities where they can choose to immerse themselves in the brand of their choice, at their own pace and time. Brand Experience Centres surround visitors through a hands-on, full-brand immersion experience, without the pressure of purchasing a product. These hep and modern spaces are a perfect medley of contemporary art installations, coffee bars, themed-events, and innovative technology. They enable brands to interact with potential customers on their own terms, without the hard-selling tactics of the traditional retail outlet. Brand Experience Centres aim to create emotional connections with customers that build their interest and convert them into brand loyalists. They also are a great source of word-of-mouth referrals that spark widespread curiosity for others to check out the centres for themselves.

Successful Brand Experience Centres

The BMW Brand Experience Center in Tokyo is truly out of this world. It showcases the brand’s history, evolution, culture, and technology-orientation. The massive center houses dealer showrooms, custom brand experience areas, and virtual reality experience zones. People can not only see the latest range of BMW cars in a spectacular static environment but also get behind the wheel and experience their exceptional dynamic capabilities. The end result? An exciting and engaging experience for people, and a good chance for BMW to showcase its strong culture, lineage and innovative technology.

Apple’s Brand Experience Center in Brussels serves a similar purpose; a Genius Bar like no other, not just serves as a platform for showcasing the latest products but also educates, encourages, and empowers visitors with a hands-on experience of all their products. The wall with interactive displays showcases all the new products including the latest apps, features, music, and in-store events. The indoor-trees and touch-sensitive tables provide a relaxed, laid-back vibe to the store. Such an experience enables visitors to understand the nuances of the various products in a stress-free environment that help them in making the right purchasing decision. Even if they don’t make a purchase they get a chance to immerse themselves in everything the brand represents and promises about itself.

Nestle’s Brand Experience Centre in Vevey, Switzerland – called the ‘nest’ – gives visitors a chance to get acquainted with the Nestlé brand, its history, and culture as well as the brand’s efforts in exploring current food challenges. They leverage interactive exhibits and digital technologies but the theme is very real and living. From giving a peek into the latest products, to showcasing the history of the brand through cinema, the two-storied Brand Experience Centre also symbolises the future and displays creative innovations through a range of games and a VR experience.

Building a Sensational Brand Experience Centre

The era of Brand Experience Centres is here to stay. These upscale, public engagement spaces are becoming the newest way to attract customers in a pressure-free environment. So, what makes a successful Brand Experience Centre?

• Values: In a hyper-competitive world, it is what the brand inherently “is” that will resonate with the right target customers. Everything in the experience centres should be based on a strong foundation of what is at the heart of the brand and the company. Why is the company here? What does the brand represent? This is the experience the consumers want to immerse themselves in.
• Aesthetics: Showcasing your brand in a cool and unique fashion will go a long way in driving a sense of exactly who your brand is. In a world where social sharing has become common place, an aesthetically designed Brand Experience Centre can drive significant word-of-mouth (and Instagram) referrals.
• Events: If you want visitors to come back to your store, you need to make events a regular affair. Just like you would seasonally update offering at your retail stores to ensure repeat visitors, you will have to build a diverse event calendar at your Brand Experience Centre. Conducting events in the form of workshops that are curated with different themes is a smart way to engage your target market.
• Technology: One of the best ways to immerse your visitors at your Brand Experience Centre is through the use of modern technology. In today’s digital world, offering a stunning digital experience is what will stay with the visitors for a long, long time. Incorporate AI-driven robots or offer a state-of-the-art VR experience to make the visit truly immersive (and impressive).

Focus Yourself

Showcasing brands and their rich culture through a Brand Experience Center is a strategy gaining ground among companies across the world and it’s time for India to follow suit. As aggressive, hard-sell marketing tactics turn off customers, and as businesses start to become consumer-centric, these customer-driven immersive destinations are the way forward for brands. If you’re looking to engage customers in new and innovative ways, it’s time to represent yourself. With a Brand Experience Centre! You will be able to forge deeper relationships with your customers by leveraging creativity, technology, and innovation.

For more on this, write to us at info@lokusdesign.com.