Not so long ago, branding as a term came with a certain definition. For instance, as per Oxford, branding means “the activity of giving a particular name and image to goods and services so that people will be attracted to them and want to buy them.” However, now there is a lot more to it than the above-mentioned definition. In fact, even with regards to terms and types, branding has evolved a lot more than one could have presumed a few years ago – personal branding, corporate branding, and geographic branding to name a few.
Nonetheless, with consumers being more aware and knowledgeable about products and services than ever, and eventually engaging with companies that align with their values, the entire concept of branding requires an evolution that serves consumers and not merely brands.
Enters: Mindful Branding
Mindfulness, as a concept, means something similar for most individuals: a state of being aware of yourself and your surroundings, followed by accepting the good and bad, and eventually, becoming a better version of oneself.
Also, read: Mindfulness, Business, and Success – What is Science?
This asset has been aligned with branding and marketing by some companies; Google, to name one of them. With the customers having a wide range of options to choose from – be it a product or a service – it becomes significant to provide them with something more than they expect: a profound experience. In order to do so, it is crucial that this approach is not taken as a mere strategy or textbook for quick results. Instead, here are some keys you could explore to unlock the mystery of mindful branding:
Approaches to Implement Mindfulness in Branding
Let us get it out of the way: there are no immediate benefits when you implement a new approach to an activity that has been around forever. Moreover, in this case, the new approach being ‘mindfulness’ and activity being ‘branding,’ the path to align these can seem a bit complicated. To help you set the first foot right on this path, I have hand-picked a few pointers which could work wonders while adopting mindful branding:
From Thinking to Becoming
“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as a forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.”
Michelle Obama
Statistically, scientists say that we have around 60,000 thoughts each day. Surprisingly, almost 95% of these are similar to thoughts we had the day before. To understand it better, if we picture these thoughts as a wave of a river in constant motion, we will realize the difference between each of our thought processes.
For some, the wave goes and a new wave comes, indicating the “go with the flow” approach. Whereas, others find it interesting to trace the flow back to the source and introspect. Regardless of your preference between the two, one thing is in common: fluctuations. If a marketplace is faced with an unexpected piece of information, the wave gets disrupted and results in impulsive and instant decisions.
By welcoming a more mindful approach under such circumstances, you will be able to practice patience and rule out any rash decisions. Eventually, maintaining control regardless of the situation.
Read more: What We Think, Is What We Become
A Change in Presentation
With so many resources available to everyone just by clicking some keys, most of us are being more aware by the minute. The customers are no different. Therefore, if you present yourself as a brand that focuses on consumption growth, your customers will respond to you simply as a means to an end, with no obligation to become loyal customers.
On the other hand, if you highlight the ‘why’ and purpose of your brand at every step, you will attract customers who act as a community. These steps could be as minute as deciding the packaging material for your product is environmentally friendly, or as significant as creating a brand identity with utmost authenticity. The end goal is to be thoughtful of how your brand appears to the target audience, and understand that it cannot be achieved by putting up a front, but only by being thoughtful and mindful at all times.
Transforming “I” into “We”
With the pandemic hitting everyone one of us in one way or the other, people have started valuing the concept of ‘belonging together’ now more than ever. By acknowledging the interdependency that connects us all, a brand can become a part of society in its entirety.
For perspective, if you, as a brand manager or an entrepreneur, offer your employees sessions that revolve around mindfulness (for example, meditation and healthy morning routine), you are benefiting them as well as your brand. It is by encouraging your employees to be mindful, you can adopt mindful branding at its most effective.
To Conclude,
Mindfulness and brand strategies have a lot in common: the need to be focused, a sense of awareness, an ever-going path of discoveries, and most importantly, a combination of success and failures. Some of the leading companies such as Coca-Cola and Disney have been proving to us how the effects of combining the two together are entirely magical.
Coca-Cola follows its rigid core values, such as forward-thinking, accountability, and passion – as portrayed even with its brand images. Whereas, Disney, on the other hand, is a legendary example that shows why and how a brand shall focus on their customers more than anything else. By introducing parks and fun technologies, this company certainly stands on its tagline: “Creating happiness through magical experiences.”
Related: An insight into Coca Cola’s visual branding strategy
All in all, you can implement mindfulness to your branding strategies in ways that may seem bizarre as of now – a voice assistant or a thank you note sent with the product – these all will work unexpectedly. However, the essential factor to consider while doing so is making sure that the end result serves all, and not simply profits the brand. Lastly, as we all have been moving towards digitalism at the speed of light, real-life and meaningful experiences are required to be preserved and shared more than ever.