According to a survey completed by Ogilvy, Google and TNS, 74% of customers said they viewed word of mouth as an important influencer in their purchasing decisions.
It is no news that word of mouth, what people say about our brand, is the best form of marketing. We are most likely to buy a product that someone we know tells us to buy rather than that which an advertisement says we should.
The reputation of our brand hangs on whatever people say about it and word of mouth is shaped by experiences that affirms or negates our promises – what we tell our target audience they will get from our product or service. Simply put, our brand is people’s impression of us or our business shaped by kept or broken promises.
The experiences that shape what people say about our brand goes far beyond the communication of our promise either with words or with graphic design. It is heavily dependent on the relations and interactions audience have when they come in contact with our business.
A 2011 survey by American Express shows, 78% of consumers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor service experience.
Another by McKinsey shows, 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated.
Both statistics brings into clear focus, another by Lee Resources which shows, 91% of unhappy customers will not willingly do business with you again.
You can imagine what these people are saying about a brand based on their experience and how it is affecting the brand’s reputation.
Building a reputable brand has more to do with the ‘feel good’ experience we create for our customers. Yes, great design helps to attract more of our target audience, but we must strive to keep our brand promises, served with lovable experiences because that is what ensures that the audience pays for our product, buy repeatedly and talk about us in good light to others aka word of mouth.
A tailor with absolutely no graphic design but has built a reputation for delivering on time will get way more repeat business than another with the best of branding but always leaves clients disappointed.
It is very possible to build a reputable brand void of great graphic design by strategically creating memorable experiences however we must note that great design helps to attract more of our desired audience and compels them to give us a try.
It also helps to easily identify and differentiate us in a sea of competitors. A brand on its ‘A’ game with both strategic experiences and great design will always outshine and lead the brand with great experiences but bad design.
Succinctly put by Adaora of Trellis Group,
