Making brands personal: customising for brand “you”
Personalisation is used to describe brand customisation for consumers. Personalising helps a brand appear more attractive, showing relevance to the customer’s life and linking with them emotionally. Shallow personalisation or incorrect personalisation that ignores context (for example, an email direct mail showcasing new washing machines in market when the individual has only recently purchased one) creates a disconnect that is uncomfortable. The best personalisation enhances the customer experience without them actually questioning how or why — the personalisation just feels helpful and relevant.
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THE digital and bricks-and-mortar marketplace is a busy, noisy place — just standing out in this environment of beautiful, bright and attention grabbing content can be difficult. But say you have done that, and you have positioned yourself so you have the greatest chance to grab your customer’s attention… now you need to show them that your brand is exactly what they need.
There is a growing view that brand personalisation is one of the best ways to show a consumer you fit in with their lives. Chances are, you have already experienced this. You may have bought a bottle of Coke with your name on it, chosen your individual colour for your bankcard, or been shown other products that you might like on Amazon or Netflix, or built your own Nike. At the very least, the email you get from a brand has your own name in the greetin
There are a number of theories that are used to explain why this approach can work. Attachment Theory from psychology is often used to describe why consumers respond to personalised products — because like human relationships, using their name helps a consumer form an emotional bond with a brand and once this bond is formed they become very loyal. Cognitive dissonance is the term used to describe how humans, after we actively engage with a brand by choosing a colour etc, unconsciously increase our liking for the brand because… well we chose it. Personalising the message and enabling a consumer to build their own brand experience or product helps a brand appear more attractive because it shows the relevance to the customers’ lives, and links with them emotionally.
Personalisation can make it easier for a consumer to make an action, but it can be very disconcerting and even downright weird if this misses the mark. Just because I bought a toilet seat once doesn’t mean I’m passionate about collecting and need to be shown others. Or say I’m still a teenager living at home, and your company has figured out I’m pregnant before I’ve told my family. It just feels awkward and intrusive.
To be successful in using personalisation, brands need to connect the personalisation with the core truth behind the brand, and build an engaging brand story and consumer experience that is seamless across devices and channels.
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Author: Stephanie Bradley
