As the world accelerates, propelled by rapid advances in AI, customers cope by adopting ever more reserved attitudes towards new brands. Marketeers need to find new – or, perhaps, underused — means of connecting activation with brands to counter this. Here’s one to try: hitching branding to customer experience. This established technique gains a new relevance in the AI age.

The relationship between a customer and the perception of a brand is dynamic and can experience various tensions and changes. Personalisation and offering relevant contextualisation ups the number of customers willing to try a novel brand. Yet, if all brands engage in personalised messaging – ideally based on first-party data – all brands act with the same, “seamless” CX that is on offer everywhere. Brand interactions fall flat. A still underused approach to make CX stand out is Branded Customer Experience (BCX).  

BCX is the strategy of defining and implementing customer experience guardrails and codes of practice for the design of interaction points based on brand positioning. While CX focuses on the overall perception a customer has of a company based on their interactions across various touchpoints, Branded CX delves deeper into creating an emotional connection and perception of the brand. If done well, the result is that customers experience the brand as one that is familiar and distinctive.  

Brand promise: Still out there 

Positioning a brand in the marketplace involves making a commitment to customers. Nike aims to “bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world”, while Apple urges us to “Think different”. These statements are powerful, serving as a north star for both brand development and the companies in charge. Customers also closely monitor if the brand promise feels true to them. By developing CX strategically, we can reinforce the notion that brand promises are being kept. 

Behavioural research shows that consumers seek to justify their brand choice. Novel brands afford consumers the opportunity to select them in preference to known brands. Why? These novel brands still lack strong associations with what they stand for. That’s an opening for brand positioning – and BCX strategy starts here. 

From CX to Branded CX

“Designing CX” implies looking at a customer’s entire journey with a particular brand. This generally focuses on practical, tangible touchpoints, such as customer service, website navigation, product delivery, and after-sales support. The first step – good CX – is to make these interactions as effortless and satisfying as possible. Branded CX then assumes a broader perspective: it is meant to design the overall perception and emotional connection that customers will develop with the brand, in both direct and indirect interactions. 

BCX effectiveness grows over time. Only once customers decide that a brand is reliable and cohesive, based on the interactions they remember, are they ready to convert. BCX comes into play in the Consideration Phase when customers develop the expectation of what interaction with the brand feels like. Within that process, BCX provides customers with the satisfaction of seeing that expectation met. 

Mirroring brand feel in interactions

Purposefully designing what a brand should feel like at every turn is not a new concept. Branded Interactions proposed extending it into the digital sphere; over the last few years, it has grown to encompass the experience design of offline touchpoints as well – point of sale, delivery and customer service.

Some champions in the field: 

• IKEA is praised for its research-driven product design that aligns with customer needs and values. Their CX is 100% immersive, thanks to the showrooms that customers pass through on their way to the shelves. The tone of voice, straightforward and human, avoids jargon and speaks to everyone. IKEA’s “hej you” communication further reflects their tagline of being a brand “for the many people” and is applied uniformly from web to in-store facilities. 
• Patagonia‘s environmental mission and brand positioning are inseparable. The brand has elevated its raison d’être to make it the core brand statement: “We’re in business to save our home planet”. Supply chain ethics and repair and reuse initiatives reinforce brand credibility and provide customers with a sense of community, proponents of conscious consumerism.
• Singapore Airlines’ “A Great Way To Fly“ exemplifies the consistency BCX calls for. With warm, attentive hospitality, SIA straddles distinct customer segments. Frequent business travellers, older loyalists, and price-sensitive infrequent flyers are offered tailored services, ranging from luxurious to economy. It is left to the customer to decide on the level of exclusivity they buy into.  This ensures that a premium image is maintained while being inclusive to all guests.

How-to: Branded CX 

There are several ways to implement Branded CX. The strategy needs to be built on a case-by-case basis and evolve in line with the brand positioning. It can be informed by what has worked well in the past, as well as supporting specific positioning goals.

Two examples of this approach in application: 

Approach 1 – Branding a given CX touchpoint  

In email marketing, signing off a send with the brand’s name and logo is common practice. How might this be changed up within a Branded CX approach? 

• Step 1: Check in with the brand: If a brand is positioned as friendly and empathetic, this should be reflected. If it is loud and bold, equally so. Define what emotional component or attitude related to the brand should be reiterated.  
• Step 2: Write BCX guidelines: Derive a set of tailored Branded CX guidelines. The starting point can be how the overarching style of communication (symbol use, complexity, vocabulary, social context) reflects the brand, as well as the repeated messaging doing that.  
• Step 3: Change with intent: Choose elements within CX touchpoints to improve in line with BCX guidelines and implement. 
• Step 4: Test and proof: Run small-scale pilots to ensure that changes achieve the desired outcome. 

Approach 2 – Adding intention to a (new) CX touchpoint

Branded CX may be useful when expanding the customer base is in focus. How might Branded CX support this specific goal?  

• Step 1: Research trigger points: Understand and list: What motivates customers to convert? Is the purchase emotionally driven? How should customers feel during this time? 
• Step 2: Define scope: Assume the research concludes that conveying the reliability of the product is key. List and rank options to dispel last-minute doubts regarding the purchase and offer information on return policies. 
• Step 3: Drive implementation: Shortlist the most promising options, decide on an effort-to-impact basis, then oversee implementation of changes. 
• Step 4: Document before and after: If the approach requires data-driven proof, measure before and after implementing the Branded CX changes and assess the effect. 

Win-win: Stronger brand plus better CX 

In summary, Branded CX is a tool to help marketing teams align on creating memorable, emotionally resonant customer experiences. The framework can be applied to improve CX and strengthen the brand in one go. By focusing on digital distinctiveness, emotionality, and consistent branding across touchpoints, Branded CX can support diverse business goals, such as fostering loyalty, driving growth, and achieving brand distinctiveness. 

Aligning CX with a brand’s identity ensures that every interaction reinforces the brand’s promise to the marketplace and reiterates brand values. Branded CX is very intuitive and can therefore be easily implemented in companies with brand activation teams.

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Picture by Curtain inin / Unsplash.