Brand integrity begins with the promise that a brand offers both it’s employees, as well as it’s customers. To begin understanding this, an organization must first help it’s internal brand ambassador’s understand why it’s important. The best ambassador a brand can have it that of it’s ownership, and it’s employees. Brand loyalty begins here. Effectively communicating your “brand promise” with your brand ambassador’s allows them to speak the language and communicate everything that your brand does for it’s followers. After you’ve successfully communicated your brand promise to your team, an effective way to re-enforce and keep it relevant is within your facilities.
Brand Elements used strategically in your buildings
Your brand consists of elements that include a logo, a key visual design direction, colors, deliverables, and more.
Typically, businesses use a combination of these items in various formats to market their physical products and services. Most companies consider their brand letterhead, website, brochures and give away items, vehicles, etc. However, one very often overlooked area of branding that can have an intense impact on your customers is your interior space, better known as environmental branding.
Just as you can brand physical or visual things, you can also brand your space and create an experience for customers. Branded Environments are an often overlooked, but useful element in a facility that can help keep your brand and it’s promise relevant.
A “halo lit” 3-D logo used here in a clients facility highlights their corporate colors as well as their logo
Creating “Mini-experiences” within your facilities
Your facility gives you many options to create a brand experience for visitors, or re-enforce your mission, vision, and brand promise to your team that comes to work each day.
If you have a solid brand direction in place, you have the ability to design with multiple brand assets. A strong brand direction can, and should, extend into your spaces. So, whether you’re a corporate office, a manufacturing floor, or a cool restaurant with a branded vibe; clients, customers, and employees should experience your brand through interior design and well-planned experiences anywhere they meet, walk, or sit in your buildings.
Branding your space gives you more opportunities to connect with your customers. Mini-experiences allow this to happen at multiple levels. In turn, this creates a deeper connection from the customer to the brand.
Your facility can be your “Tour guide”
A properly branded facility with planned-out stops to educate visitors can also help communicate your brand promise and highlight what you do. For example an interactive display that can be accessed while someone is viewing your manufacturing area may be an effective way for a “self-guided” tour.
This large touchscreen wall allows visitors to see functions done in each area of this organizations campus. Product videos and image galleries also allow them to learn more through this interaction.
Other areas with large viewable walls can be converted into graphic murals that showcase or re-enforce your brand and or your product offerings. These large graphic elements can quickly convert your bland spaces into billboards that highlight your organization’s strengths.
Client Hospitality area before/after
Also, consider the relationship every area has with every other space. Seamless transitions keep the customer engaged as they journey throughout your space. This is a key factor in creating a brand that is not disjointed in the eyes of your customer. In a recent project Apogee was able to help IEC Electronics brand their new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to highlight their capabilities. This ongoing project will transform their facilities in two locations into “experience centers” so prospective clients can easily learn about their core competencies and manufacturing capabilities. Take a virtual tour and learn more about this project here: https://apogeeexhibits.com/portfolio/corporate-interior-design/
For more insights, check out our E-book “Express your brand the moment they walk in the door” we explore even more effective ways to highlight your corporate branding in your facilities. Get in touch if you’d like a free consultation.
