Brand attributes are, in simple terms, the traits that shape your brand's personality. Just as we associate certain qualities and characteristics with a person, we also make such associations with different brands.
By understanding and leveraging the power of these attributes, you can create a strong and recognizable brand that resonates with your target market.
But how do you identify your brand attributes? You need to understand several aspects of your business to recognize these features.
Setting your company's core values and evaluating customers' desires and feedback help you identify your brand attributes.
When you have a unique and desired brand voice, you can use it to communicate with your target market and attract them. Keep on reading to learn how to achieve that.
What are brand attributes?
Brand attributes are characteristics that a brand is identified with or associated with. These elements help set a particular brand apart from others by giving it its personality and identity. They can include anything from a brand's look and feel to the culture and beliefs it stands for.
Think of brand attributes as the building blocks of a brand's identity. They are the elements that help to create a unique and recognizable presence in the minds of consumers. You can use them to create an effective marketing strategy.
In addition to setting your business apart from the competition, brand attributes also help to build customer loyalty. Consumers who identify with a brand's values and beliefs are more likely to develop a strong bond with the company and become loyal customers.
Your customers will only develop a good impression of your brand when there are defining attributes.
Customer perception is necessary to build these characteristics. But you also need to lay down some groundwork to ensure that they understand the unique value of your products and services.
Why are brand attributes important?
Being aware of the brand attributes allows you to develop a strategy to align them with your company's primary mission and core values. It also gives you the scope to handle your brand's market positioning better.
You can create a comprehensive marketing strategy when these attributes align with your goals and mission. It will be easier to attract your target customers by triggering the right emotional connection. For this, you need to use the right promotional tools for the marketing campaigns you launch.
Brand attributes also influence customer behavior. By clearly defining the characteristics, you can effectively communicate what your brand stands for and what it offers. People are more likely to make purchases when they understand what they're buying.
Having vital brand attributes offers the following advantages:
- A better brand recall
- A chance at global brand recognition
- Generates profitable customer relationships
- Drives business growth indirectly
- Gives you an edge over competitors
- Increases brand engagement
- Builds a clear brand identity
- Creates a unique value proposition
What are the types of brand attributes?
To build a brand strategy, you need to focus on hard and soft attributes. Here's what each of these categories means.
Hard brand attributes
These attributes are those elements that a brand has more control over. For example, these could be the products you sell, your company name, slogan, vision and mission statement, and even the logo. The content you put out on your website and social media is also included in this category.
All these elements tell a story about your brand values and can trigger certain emotions in your potential customers. Having strong hard brand attributes helps customers understand the company and its offerings, builds trust and gives the company a competitive edge.
Soft brand attributes
These intangible qualities create a positive emotional connection between a brand and its customers. You cannot just make or change them like creating or modifying a logo or brand kit.
You must work on the company culture and inner values to build favorable soft brand attributes. The identity takes shape by boosting the brand's appeal, reliability, and credibility to the customers.
Managing these attributes is more challenging. But they also impact brand loyalty more as they affect your customer's brand experience and emotions the most.
An excellent way to craft and nurture a brand's identity and distinct characteristics is content marketing. Each company has a unique brand voice, and words are a powerful means to communicate that to the target audience.
Try our team of skilled B2B content writers to establish your brand's unique identity. We deliver work that reflects our commitment to quality, accuracy, and attention to detail.
Brand attributes vs. brand personality: what's the difference?
When building a successful brand, it's essential to know the difference between its attributes and personality. They may sound similar but have some key distinctions.
Brand attributes
Brand attributes are the features that define your brand and what it stands for. They can be tangible, like a product's features and benefits, or intangible, like the company's values and mission statement.
They are the "voice" of your brand and should be communicated through all of your marketing activities.
A brand can have many attributes, which must have similar traits to make sense together.
Brand personality
On the other hand, brand personality combines the holistic view of all those brand attributes. Just like a person has many traits that form their character, the same goes for brand personalities.
You can decide what brand personality you want to have and select attributes aligned with that.
When you know which traits will suit your brand best, you can focus on building your brand's personality as you envisioned.
Why brand attributes are important in building customer loyalty
Most people have the perception that customer loyalty is all about customer satisfaction. Yes, in the days before social media, ruthless competition, and saturated markets, loyalty mostly depended on customer satisfaction.
That, however, doesn't hold as true in the current business scenario. Consider the following points.
- Even when customers are delighted with a product, they don't start buying exclusively from that brand.
- Due to increased competition, the same products from different companies have little differences. Companies these days offer quality products in similar price ranges, leading to the same level of satisfaction.
Therefore, a company must focus on aspects other than only products to build customer loyalty. A big part of customer relationship management now depends on how the customers identify with the brand.
Instead of focusing on making their products different, many businesses now aim to make their brands unique by building a powerful brand personality.
Every customer touch point—from website design to word of mouth—reflects your brand's identity and values. A strong brand presence will create an emotional connection with customers and make them more likely to return.
How brand attributes and personality promote brand loyalty
Brand personality drives customers to identify with a brand and stick with it. When they like your brand's personality, they're more likely to recommend it to friends and family.
Building a brand personality that attracts your target audience is a great way to make a solid human connection with the customer.
For example, a clothing store could emphasize its eco-friendly production methods or offer free shipping to customers. By establishing these attributes, customers learn to expect a certain level of quality and consistency from the business. As a result, they are more likely to return and shop there again.
Across all industries, the following brand attributes have positively affected customer perception.
Consistency
A consistent brand is highly preferable to consumers. People like it when a company meets their expectations. A consistent brand experience can turn occasional buyers into lifelong customers.
Uniqueness
People always look for new and exciting products and services that they can't find anywhere else. Brands should stay ahead of the curve and be creative with their offerings to keep customers engaged.
Innovation
In modern times, people value technology and newness. The more new solutions your brand can bring forth into the world, the more attractive it will be.
Trustworthiness
Credibility is a significant asset that can draw new customers. You can expect better retention if your products are reliable and your customer has a safe brand experience.
Customer-centric approach
A brand should have the customer's best interests at heart. From providing excellent customer service to creating user-friendly products and offering personalized experiences, customers want to feel like the brand values them.
How do you identify your brand attributes?
Identifying your brand's attributes is necessary to control its positioning. Your brand experience depends a lot on a proper positioning strategy.
Take the following actions to create sustainable attributes that will define your brand.
Define your company culture
Your company culture sets the tone for any conversation you have with your customers. It shapes your organization's identity and defines how your employees handle certain situations.
So, setting a good culture is essential if you want your brand to embody desirable attributes that your customers will appreciate.
Start by defining the company's mission and vision, and communicate them to all employees, so everyone's on the same page. It will give employees a sense of purpose and provide customers with a clear understanding of what you stand for.
Recognize your core values
Values are what drive culture, to begin with. Your employees will behave in a way that reflects your company's core values. Every message you put out through social media or other channels has to be in conjecture with these values.
So, it's one of the first things that will stand out about your brand to potential customers. Everyone in your company must know the values you want to nourish and represent.
Know your target customers well
Customers will cherish those attributes that they feel connected to. Knowing which values your target market adores will help you build a strong bond with them.
If your target customers care about the environment, you must commit to sustainable practices to earn their trust.
The personality and characteristics of your target audience define how you should plan the brand positioning and strategy.
Identify what makes your brand stand out
Find unique value propositions that only your brand offers. Those features stick out when customers compare products from various companies. To have a unique brand personality, highlight these traits in your company's marketing campaigns or slogans.
For example- FedEx had this slogan 'When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.' It conveys their USP and shows that they prioritize on-time deliveries above all.
These things shape the customer's perception of your services and products. You cannot create brand loyalty overnight because it needs careful cultivation of the brand image.
Find the best words to describe your brand
Using the right words in all your slogans, mission and vision statements, social media posts, and advertisements to represent your brand is crucial.
Over time, your words will also become your customers' words to describe your brand.
Use a clear brand voice in your marketing
When it comes to brand voice, it's essential to remain consistent in the language, tone, and messaging you use across all your marketing channels. Doing this helps establish trust and reliability with your target audience, as they can easily recognize and relate to your brand's voice.
Furthermore, a strong brand voice can help create an emotional connection with your customers, which is essential to building strong relationships and trust.
For example, a company that sells toys for kids could sound fun and even silly across all communication channels.
Incorporate brand attributes with all design elements
Your brand attributes should reflect in all your marketing materials. Visual elements are also a big part of communicating with your customers. Represent the best qualities of your brand through all the design elements.
For example, if you want to be a fun brand, use bright colors that pop out in all designs. To convey that your brand is high-end, use golden accents and clean, elegant typography in your designs.
Ask for customer feedback
Don't leave anything for speculation. Ask your customers for feedback. You'll get a lot of insights into your perceived brand personality and identify areas of improvement and growth.
Collect customer reviews, check social media comments, and conduct surveys to get to know their likes and dislikes. Working on the lackings will keep your business in tune with your customers' needs.
Identify the emotional responses in your brand experience
To create a strong brand presence, you need to trigger a positive emotional response in your consumers. Big brands like Coca-Cola or KFC have slogans that are all about feeling joyful and good. That's what their brand image revolves around.
Focus on your customers' positive emotions while interacting with your brand and incorporate them into your marketing efforts. Highlighting such a brand attribute can be positive for your sales, foster strong customer relationships, and build brand loyalty.
Best examples of how to use brand attributes
Brand attributes matter when building customer loyalty and standing apart from other brands. The positive characteristics that define your brand can successfully attract long-term customers.
We've put together the following examples of well-known brands using their suitable brand attributes.
Levi's
Levi's is a brand known for its high-quality, durable products. The brand doesn't focus on seasonal clothing but on items that can be worn all the time. Customers buy Levi's for their reliability, endurance, and high quality.
Credit: Garreth Brown / Pexels
Since the company never lost sight of this brand attribute, it successfully earned customer loyalty. It has achieved iconic status with signature styles like Levi's 501 jeans, now considered a classic and timeless wardrobe staple.
Apple
Another attribute most brands aim to have, but Apple has mastered, is innovation. Their slogan, 'Think Different,' carries this message effortlessly to their consumers. They're a brand that cares about bringing new ideas to fruition.
Credit: Melike Benli / Pexels
The products have become synonymous with modern and sophisticated design. Its brand attributes have helped it establish a solid customer base that appreciates the company's commitment to quality and innovation.
Nike
Nike's most stand-out attribute is that they're always up for a challenge. The slogan, 'Just do it,' sums up this attitude well.
Credit: Paul Steuber / UnSplash
Since it's a brand focusing on athletic apparel and accessories, the slogan perfectly captures the company spirit and resonates with customers' sentiments.
People purchase Nike shoes to have that kind of energy, act rather than think, be healthy, and push themselves to overcome the next hurdle.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola has successfully created an association with the feeling of joy and togetherness with its brand. It builds its identity around the theme of bringing people together and spreading happiness.
Credit: Himalaya Karan / Pexels
Happiness is an innate human emotion that consumers all across the globe can understand and relate to.
Nivea
Nivea showcases care and gentleness in all its marketing campaigns. Instead of innovation, it has opted for familiarity. The products are consistent and follow the heritage more than current trends.
Credit: Muhammad Taha Khan / UnSplash
Trustworthiness and care are this company's brand attributes to which people have responded for years.
Final Words
Brand attributes need to be carefully cultivated in today's competitive business environment. You must combine your brand's identity with a marketing strategy to drive customer loyalty.
Look no further if you're searching for a renowned content writing company to craft a story about your brand's unique attributes. Strategically is ready to help you create engaging, meaningful content that will elevate your brand and give it the attention it deserves.