Using Physical Marketing to Tell Your Brand Story
Your brand’s story is a critical piece for connecting with customers. Consider Patagaonia, a company that makes gear for outdoor adventuring, but that also uses eco-friendly products and promotes a healthy relationship with the environment. Or Dove, a company that sells self-care products and has a long-running campaign called the Self-Esteem Project that promotes positive self-esteem in young girls and lobbies for safer social media legislation. These companies both have an authentic brand story that communicates what is most important to them while also delivering their product.
Physical marketing offers a way for you to tell that story. Here’s how.
What is a Brand Story?
Your brand story details how your company originated and communicates your mission and ongoing passions. It’s the narrative that describes how you came to be and what drives you—it’s your story. And most of us, especially the ones who are passionate about what they do, have a story.
When customers love your brand story, they feel a connection to you which leads to loyalty and an emotional bond. Authenticity speaks volumes and developing your story around what makes your brand authentic will help you to reach your audience.
How Physical Marketing Benefits Your Brand
Physical marketing allows you to make an emotional connection with your customers that solidifies a loyal customer relationship. One case study by Millward Brown investigated the impact of physical marketing on the brain and concluded that the research “strongly suggests that greater emotional processing is facilitated by the physical material than the virtual.” In other words, people get more out of marketing they can touch or interact with in the real world than marketing they interact with digitally. And it’s another step towards creating a loyal customer. Statistics show that 84% of customers are more inclined to be loyal to a brand when they share the same values. Detailing those values through your brand story can create a strong customer relationship.
What Types of Physical Marketing Should You Use to Tell Your Brand Story?
Physical marketing is any representation of your brand that isn’t digital. Here are a few examples that will help you tell your brand story.
Three-dimensional direct mail: Direct mail is a way to separate yourself from the crowd and a 3DDM kit offers you an opportunity to connect with others on a tactile level. Sending handpicked items to customers or prospects says a ton about your values and helps to create an emotional connection.
Swag: Who doesn’t love a good piece of swag? Choosing a promotional product that can be disseminated at a conference or handed out to customers to show your appreciation. Either way, the swag you select speaks volumes about your business.
Brochures: Regardless of whether you are selling a product or a service, brochures are a great way to get your name and brand story in front of prospects. Brochures give you a space to tell others why you are doing what you do and how it creates a difference in the world. Prominent imagery always helps to tell your brand story.
Signage: Signage can include any number of pieces of physical marketing—it could be a billboard, your building’s sign, or even simple posters or advertisements that you display in convenient locations. Either way, your signage can say a great deal about your business. Carefully selected images and language can really grab the attention of possible prospects.
Case studies: Case studies show your human side by demonstrating how your brand impacts your customers. This is a large part of your brand story because it creates a connection between you and what you’re selling. Be sure to include testimonials from customers and select striking imagery that demonstrates your impact
Tips for Creating Physical Marketing Materials to Communicate Your Brand Story
For most business owners, it’s easy to identify what put you on the path towards starting your company, but it’s not always so easy to communicate. As you’re developing your next physical marketing campaign, try these tips to communicate your brand’s story.
Select the right visuals: Your imagery is going to be particularly important if you want to grab the hearts of people. They should show your human side, be professionally taken, and really communicate what matters to your business.
Choose your language wisely: Once you identify your brand’s vibe, use language that aligns with the message you’re trying to send. Subaru uses lots of words related to love because they want to focus on family. Apple uses “Think Different” as their tagline because they want to show the power of stepping outside of the norm. Find your vibe and communicate it well.
Pay attention to how you communicate your story: The how is just as important as the why. If you’re an eco-friendly brand, you’ll want to use physical products that have a small carbon footprint. You want to make sure that you are considering how it will be received given your stated brand story and mission.
Looking for inspiration? Check out these 8 Tactile Marketing Trends and drop us a note to see how we can make your brand story come to (real) life.