HOW CAN A BRAND CULTIVATE TRUST WITH ITS CONSUMER?

Hello there, thanks for your replies to our last letter; it was wonderful to hear from so many of you. Today, we bring you our second letter. As promised, we will explore a big question in our industry:

how can a brand cultivate trust with its consumer?

Last time, we mentioned the transformative and convergent moment in brand design when imagination meets purpose. To us, that means when creative and strategic work invokes, from your consumer, a meaningful association and an emotional bond with your brand.

A strong brand that delivers a positive and consistent emotional experience starts with empathy for the person or community you are designing for. The more you do this; the more people come to rely on you and, most importantly, trust you. That trust is why we all return to our favorite brands over and over. We crave that familiar feeling that a brand gives us because they become a part of our daily lives and routines. This familiar feeling and ease has always been our goal when working with you and the brands you place in our care. This is why we always start with an inside out, emotional perspective, also known as the brand essence.

In our world today, cultivating this emotional connection is the key to a brand's survival. But how do you develop this connection? Trust can't be forced. And while you can't control how people perceive your brand, you can represent it authentically and consistently — what it stands for, how it communicates, and how it looks. The better this is done, the more likely consumers will understand you, and trust follows.

The quality of the bond depends on how well the brand essence is understood. That's why brand essence is a foundational branding tool. It helps you find your brand's core, which answers questions like why your brand exists, what it does, and how it does it. Brand essence is the piece that creates an emotional bond between brands and consumers. It's the heart and soul of the brand. We know that a brand is more than a logo; it's what people think, feel, and say about your business.

To discover your brand's essence, we encourage you to download our one-page Brand Essence Tool. With this aid, you will clarify and articulate who your brand is, what it does, and why it all matters, giving you the blueprint you need to build a strong brand. The completed guide then becomes a powerful reference tool to share with the people who help you bring you brand to life. While this work may not be easy, it is necessary and worth the effort.

We hope you find this helpful and would love to hear from you as you continue to refine or discover your brand essence. Next month, we'll talk about the client-agency brief, another tool to leverage to communicate your brand's purpose and design better.

Until next time,

The Team at Invok Brands