Kitchenaid delivers winning usage experience

There is a great story from Hayley’s Dilling about her recent purchase of a Kitchenaid electric hand mixer and how in the instruction manual there were a dozen recipes that involved the mixer.

This is a brilliant example of how to enhance the consumers brand experience usage; the second moment of truth and a key stage of the path to advocacy.

The Kitchenaid example works because:

• It helps the consumer get the most out of the brand
• It makes her feel good about it
• It gives her a positive story to tell others about it (social media is like word of mouth on steroids which helps make this story spread)

The result should be improved sales, as loyalty and advocacy drives consumer acquisition.

Hayley goes on to point-out that marketers usually spend all their time and resource on acquiring new consumers (the brand promise stage), rather than taking care of consumers they already have.

If you are serious about driving brand sales then think about the brand experience at all stage of the path to purchase and not just acquisition. Check out my tips about the use stage.

Brands must get packaging right to get noticed, bought and loved

This recent report - by Business Insights - looks like a 'must read' for any brand that wants to win in store (the first moment of truth). Errhh I think that is all brands!

I write a lot about the importance of packaging. Most marketers know it is key.

This report highlights some vital things to take note of if you are not spending sufficient time on packaging - to make sure it is consistent with the brand experience you promise (in the advertising), or, us they say in their overview:

• (one of the benefits of the report includes) ...understand how packaging design contributes to the aesthetics and emotion of brand identity.
• (one of the key findings of the report)....design for brand enhancement demands consideration of brand communication, consumer needs, the context in which the product is sold, category norms, brand guidelines and constraints, potential pack structure or format and surface design. Packaging is one part of the marketing mix. Examining the global superbrands demonstrates how packaging is an integral part of branding and enhances the brand experience.

Packaging is too important to leave to chance. Get it right and, at the very least, you will stand-out versus competitors and increase your chances of being noticed. However, the real win comes if you make it stunning and delight consumers when they see and use it.

Get it right and they are likely to reward you with greater loyalty and possibly advocacy.

Get it wrong and your brand may not get noticed. If it really disappoints they will probably not buy again [see previous post].

It is definitely worth investing good amounts of time and resource on it.

Tipp ex video becomes highest viewing film on Youtube?

This brilliant video is currently getting a lot of views.

It will cleverly get Tipp ex noticed by millions of people.

Not only that, it is highly effective at communicating a brand message because it is relevant, original and interactive, thereby engaging consumers in what is a low interest category.

While it is a challenge to get the balance right when trying to create a contagious viral ad maybe they could have put a bit more brand into the story.

That said, it delivers a great brand experience.

Good stuff.