When you see a large yellow ‘M’ on the side of the road, you know that just around the corner is a place to buy fast food. Branding such as McDonald’s golden arches has been proven to be one of the most influential factors affecting what and where consumers buy. How then, do brands have such a great effect upon consumers? Here are 10 ways that brands influence not only consumers but also the business itself.

1. Brands Are Feelings

 

“ A brand is a result–it’s a person’s gut feeling about a product” Marty Neumeier

This is a quote I love by a legend in the branding space and I’ve used it in another post on my site because of how relevant it is.  Feelings and emotions are what make up a brand.  Colors, logos, graphics, slogans, products, services, etc. are just things a brand uses to make people feel a certain way.  Change any of those things alone and you won’t change the brand but change how you make people feel and that will completely transform your brand.

The reason brands now actively focus on creating those feelings is actually based on science, Harvard Business School professor Gerald Zaltman wrote a book based on years of research and consulting work with large clients like Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble entitled How Customers Think: Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market. In the book, Gerald states that 95% of buying decisions are made by the unconscious mind.  Without going into detailed neuroscience logic is controlled by our conscious mind and our emotions are controlled by our subconscious.

This power of emotion in our buying decision is continuously proven true by brands all over the world.  Watch any Nike ad and you immediately can see it’s active, inspirational, and exciting.  Apple is premium, creative, and popular. Brands that create feelings like these are the ones that succeed. But brands can also create negative feelings.  Pepsi was sadly a perfect example of this in 2017 with their horrible tone-deaf commercial with Kendall Jenner that trivialized the black lives matter movement in the USA. (Source) This commercial caused national outrage, confusion, and anger that was enough to make a company as big as Pepsi immediately pull the ad down.

 

 

2. Good Brands Create Trust

 

One way or another, what a company wants out of their branding is trust from their customers. Consumer trust is one of the most valuable things that a company can earn. If a business has won the trust of its consumers, they have much more freedom to try new services and come up with new products. While companies and brands that lack a dedicated consumer base take a large risk every time they release a new product, trusted brands have much more opportunity to innovate and improve upon what has already been done.
 
It is easy to see the effect that trust has when we look at a brand like Disney. When a new children’s movie comes out, Disney does not have to worry very much about whether or not consumers will accept their new product; consumers trust Disney to make quality children’s shows, so they will see and purchase the movie without much research. As long as a company continues to create the high-quality products that they are known for, it will retain the trust of consumers and continue to find success in the market.
 
Another way that trust in a brand affects consumers is that if a brand’s product has been trusted in the past to get the job done, consumers will continue to buy from that brand. Consumers don’t like to take huge risks on their purchases, and businesses don’t like to take huge risks in creating new products. Proper branding will help businesses to earn the trust of customers. It helps to mitigate the risks on both sides and create a sense of security for buyers.

5. Good Brands Create Desire

 

Another way that brands affect customers is by creating desire in the customers. Brands strive to associate themselves with the things that the customers are looking for. Kleenex tissue, for example, uses the word “clean” in their name to define their brand. Customers associate Kleenex with tissue so much that that brand has become synonymous with their product. For example, by creating strong associations between a brand’s food and a consumer’s desire for a healthy diet, brands can strongly affect a consumer’s choices.
 
Even simple decisions in a company’s logo, such as using the color green, can make a product appear more healthy to consumers because they associate the color green with health-centered products. Though a product may not actually be healthy for a customer, effective branding can still create a desire for the product in the customer.

6. A Company’s Brand Conveys a Clear Image

 

One of the ways that a brand simplifies and supports a business is by projecting a clear, unified image to customers. If this is done effectively, brands that sell many different products don’t have to worry about marketing for each item. They can advertise their brand and unify their different services.
 
For example, Hershey’s chocolate doesn’t need to market all of its different candies and treats. They have united all of their products behind the clear and recognizable brand of Hershey’s. When someone sees their logo, they know that Hershey’s sells chocolate. If Hershey’s gains the trust of their customers, then the single brand will earn them much more revenue than if they marketed individual products separately. To convey a clear image, brands strive to project a sense of personality to the customers.
 
By marketing with an assertive or commanding tone, companies can create their image and continue to influence how people think about their brand and their collection of products. Apple, for example, has a sleek, innovative brand personality. Consumers have a clear image of Apple and trust that when they buy a product that it will reflect the sleek, innovative personality of Apple. In this way, companies can set clear expectations for the customers and then meet those expectations.

7. Brands Offer Transparency to Consumers

 

 
As brands seek to earn the trust of consumers, they strive to project transparency in their image. Consumers are more likely to trust a brand if they feel like they know exactly what they are getting. Customers don’t like surprises or hidden elements in their shopping, so companies create brands that are clear and concise.
 
One example of how transparency supports a brand and affects a business is McDonald’s. Mcdonald’s is transparent about the low health benefits and high-calorie counts of their food. They don’t highlight it, but they are transparent to customers about it. No one is surprised to find out that McDonald’s (and fast food in general) isn’t very healthy for them. However, the transparent nature of these drawbacks means that customers still trust McDonald’s and continue to buy from them.
 
A brand is an effective way for a business to communicate with customers and present an image that will gain their trust. By portraying an image of openness and transparency, consumers will be more likely to buy from a company. Open communication between brands and buyers means that both can get what they want. This also prevents any scandals with the company that could ruin the brand’s reputation completely.

8. A Brand Makes Your Business Memorable 

 

In a market of so many competing brands and products, an effective brand can make your products memorable. Studies show that about 6 in 10 people prefer to buy products from brands that are more familiar to them. Therefore, businesses market their brand with distinct logos and styles that customers will find memorable. If a customer is satisfied with the product, they will recognize the brand in the future and choose it over the competing brands.
 
For example, look at the fast-food industry. Everything about a fast-food company strives to be memorable and distinctive, from the way that the restaurants look to the way that the distinctively named menu items are wrapped when the customer receives them. All of these elements contribute toward the brand’s memorability. When a potential customer sees their logo, they will remember the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of that brand’s products. If the brand is sufficiently memorable, the customer will want to return.

9. A Brand Makes Your Business Credible

 

Another way that brands affect customers is by making your business appear more credible. Having a prominent logo on an item’s packaging makes customers more easily able to trust that the product does what it advertises. If a brand seems proud to sell a particular product, customers will be more willing to try it out.
 
One example of how a brand can make a business or product more credible is in cleaning products. Customers, in general, won’t be able to distinguish between a powerful soap or a scented gel- especially at the store. However, having a brand clearly shown on a bottle of cleaning solution will make a consumer more likely to trust the product’s claims about how well it cleans. Trust in a brand and a product leads to the customer buying that product more often. It is important to understand that when customers are shopping, they factor in not only the brand of the product that they are buying but also the brand of the retail store where they are at.
 
High-profile retail brands are going to convey credibility and dependability in their products outside of the product’s own reputation. This credibility appeals to the consumer’s sense of authority. If both a product brand and a retail brand seem to advocate for a product, consumers will trust those authorities and will be willing to buy.

10. Brands Convey Dedication to the Consumer

 

Consumers want to feel important to the brands that they buy from. They want to feel heard by the company that they buy from. By maintaining a clear brand and image to their customers, companies can show how they respond to the needs of their customers. If a company shows its dedication to its customers then the customers will trust the brand and the company will be successful. Every aspect of a brand is designed to be appealing to customers.
 
In our market economy, successful businesses are those that set themselves above their competitors by providing the customers with what they want. If consumers want chicken sandwiches, more fast-food chains will make them provide for the consumer. As brands make changes and come up with new products, they are catering to the needs of the customers. Customers see the brand grow and adapt and feel the dedication that the company has to them. This grows the commitment that consumers have to a brand and increases the trust that consumers have in it.
 

3. Brand Alignment

 

Brand Alignment refers to how your company conforms to the image of its brand.
 
Lamborghini, for example, seeks to “Design and produce the most reliable, appealing and innovative luxury super sports cars worldwide, with the purpose of exceeding expectation of our customer.” This helps them sell their products to a specific audience that is enticed by the products that Lamborghini has to offer. To support their branding, the Lamborghini company makes every aspect of their business work towards this vision. We know their branding is working because you recognized that picture above was of a Lamborghini even though the logo was not there.
 
If companies are strongly connected to their specific brand, customers can find exactly what they are looking for by studying any aspect of the company. Consumers can make purchases from a brand with confidence. The greater confidence that a customer has when they make a purchase, the more likely they are to become vocal advocates for a brand. The brand has been loyal to its image and its products have been loyal to the priorities of the company. In turn, customers reciprocate this loyalty through their purchasing habits.

4. Brands Create a Sense of Belonging

 

One thing that effective brands strive to do is create a sense of belonging in their customers. If customers feel that they are at home with your brand, they will continue to buy it. To create this feeling, businesses work hard to be inviting to customers and to make their particular brand as comfortable as possible. Once the customers have grown comfortable buying from one specific brand, they will usually stay in their comfort zone for as long as the brand holds their trust.

Along with making their company appear inviting, brands also work to create a community of consumers. This increases consumer loyalty to a brand and makes it less likely that consumers ever switch brands. Therefore, companies market their products to specific audiences to give their consumers a sense of belonging to a community of users of a brand. Marriot Hotels, for example, markets to people who travel for business. They have used various incentives and marketing programs to not only advertise to traveling business people but also to make them feel a part of the larger community of people who travel a lot on business. Because business people travel a lot and need to choose a reliable hotel, the Marriot hotel chain has been able to be successful by appealing to that core group.

5. Good Brands Create Desire

 

Another way that brands affect customers is by creating desire in the customers. Brands strive to associate themselves with the things that the customers are looking for. Kleenex tissue, for example, uses the word “clean” in their name to define their brand. Customers associate Kleenex with tissue so much that that brand has become synonymous with their product. For example, by creating strong associations between a brand’s food and a consumer’s desire for a healthy diet, brands can strongly affect a consumer’s choices.
 
Even simple decisions in a company’s logo, such as using the color green, can make a product appear more healthy to consumers because they associate the color green with health-centered products. Though a product may not actually be healthy for a customer, effective branding can still create a desire for the product in the customer.

6. A Company’s Brand Conveys a Clear Image

 

One of the ways that a brand simplifies and supports a business is by projecting a clear, unified image to customers. If this is done effectively, brands that sell many different products don’t have to worry about marketing for each item. They can advertise their brand and unify their different services.
 
For example, Hershey’s chocolate doesn’t need to market all of its different candies and treats. They have united all of their products behind the clear and recognizable brand of Hershey’s. When someone sees their logo, they know that Hershey’s sells chocolate. If Hershey’s gains the trust of their customers, then the single brand will earn them much more revenue than if they marketed individual products separately. To convey a clear image, brands strive to project a sense of personality to the customers.
 
By marketing with an assertive or commanding tone, companies can create their image and continue to influence how people think about their brand and their collection of products. Apple, for example, has a sleek, innovative brand personality. Consumers have a clear image of Apple and trust that when they buy a product that it will reflect the sleek, innovative personality of Apple. In this way, companies can set clear expectations for the customers and then meet those expectations.

7. Brands Offer Transparency to Consumers

 

 
As brands seek to earn the trust of consumers, they strive to project transparency in their image. Consumers are more likely to trust a brand if they feel like they know exactly what they are getting. Customers don’t like surprises or hidden elements in their shopping, so companies create brands that are clear and concise.
 
One example of how transparency supports a brand and affects a business is McDonald’s. Mcdonald’s is transparent about the low health benefits and high-calorie counts of their food. They don’t highlight it, but they are transparent to customers about it. No one is surprised to find out that McDonald’s (and fast food in general) isn’t very healthy for them. However, the transparent nature of these drawbacks means that customers still trust McDonald’s and continue to buy from them.
 
A brand is an effective way for a business to communicate with customers and present an image that will gain their trust. By portraying an image of openness and transparency, consumers will be more likely to buy from a company. Open communication between brands and buyers means that both can get what they want. This also prevents any scandals with the company that could ruin the brand’s reputation completely.

8. A Brand Makes Your Business Memorable 

 

In a market of so many competing brands and products, an effective brand can make your products memorable. Studies show that about 6 in 10 people prefer to buy products from brands that are more familiar to them. Therefore, businesses market their brand with distinct logos and styles that customers will find memorable. If a customer is satisfied with the product, they will recognize the brand in the future and choose it over the competing brands.
 
For example, look at the fast-food industry. Everything about a fast-food company strives to be memorable and distinctive, from the way that the restaurants look to the way that the distinctively named menu items are wrapped when the customer receives them. All of these elements contribute toward the brand’s memorability. When a potential customer sees their logo, they will remember the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of that brand’s products. If the brand is sufficiently memorable, the customer will want to return.

9. A Brand Makes Your Business Credible

 

Another way that brands affect customers is by making your business appear more credible. Having a prominent logo on an item’s packaging makes customers more easily able to trust that the product does what it advertises. If a brand seems proud to sell a particular product, customers will be more willing to try it out.
 
One example of how a brand can make a business or product more credible is in cleaning products. Customers, in general, won’t be able to distinguish between a powerful soap or a scented gel- especially at the store. However, having a brand clearly shown on a bottle of cleaning solution will make a consumer more likely to trust the product’s claims about how well it cleans. Trust in a brand and a product leads to the customer buying that product more often. It is important to understand that when customers are shopping, they factor in not only the brand of the product that they are buying but also the brand of the retail store where they are at.
 
High-profile retail brands are going to convey credibility and dependability in their products outside of the product’s own reputation. This credibility appeals to the consumer’s sense of authority. If both a product brand and a retail brand seem to advocate for a product, consumers will trust those authorities and will be willing to buy.

10. Brands Convey Dedication to the Consumer

 

Consumers want to feel important to the brands that they buy from. They want to feel heard by the company that they buy from. By maintaining a clear brand and image to their customers, companies can show how they respond to the needs of their customers. If a company shows its dedication to its customers then the customers will trust the brand and the company will be successful. Every aspect of a brand is designed to be appealing to customers.
 
In our market economy, successful businesses are those that set themselves above their competitors by providing the customers with what they want. If consumers want chicken sandwiches, more fast-food chains will make them provide for the consumer. As brands make changes and come up with new products, they are catering to the needs of the customers. Customers see the brand grow and adapt and feel the dedication that the company has to them. This grows the commitment that consumers have to a brand and increases the trust that consumers have in it.