How ‘human’ is your brand?

Brands, like people, thrive on personal connections. 
The more personal relationship between a consumer and brand is, the stronger the brand gets and the more loyal the consumer becomes.

When consumers feel a personal connection to a brand, whether it is through shared values, experiences, or emotions, they are more likely to become loyal advocates. 

This loyalty can translate into repeat purchases, positive word-of-mouth referrals, and even a willingness to pay premium prices. So, brands that prioritise fostering personal relationships with consumers tend to enjoy greater success and longevity in the marketplace.

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence has even made it more fascinating - the seamlessness in crafting engaging brand narratives that influence consumer purchase decisions.

This perhaps explains why large companies invest heavily in understanding the psychology of branding because it helps in building strong, lasting connections with consumers. 

According to a 2023 Deloitte report ‘Buying into Better: Shaping tomorrow’s consumer today’, customers are buying into better by choosing brands that align with their values and needs.

A 2018 Ipsos media consumption and usage habits report shows that corporate components, beverage, and telecommunications firms are listed as the biggest advertisers contributing between Shs65.7b, Shs52.1b, and Shs43.9b, and a sizeable percentage goes to branding. 

Whereas the agenda for the spending in the public sphere is to arouse brand love, a return on investment is integrated therein and remains a key aspect.   

Commenting on the statement, Mr Ronald Mayanja Omugalanda, a marketing consultant, says companies that leverage psychology in branding create memorable, impactful brand experiences that drive consumer loyalty which drives sales and grows your business. 

“In marketing, companies tend to categorise their customers; they have loyal clients and new ones. This categorisation helps them reach and appeal to new customers because, normally old customers who are in most cases loyal, mind less about a new look of a brand. He says while citing an example of the new MTN identity and message from ‘Everywhere You Go’ to ‘Unstoppable Network’.

‘’With the ‘Unstoppable’ phrase, they want to resonate with new clients, especially the youngsters, engrossed in technology,’’ he notes. According to the MTN website, the company unveiled the message because of its broad coverage in Uganda, among other factors. 

MTN’s identity overhaul was made in 2022 resulting in taking ownership of the colour yellow. The firm’s new logo forgoes the italics, the red underscore, and the solid-coloured oval present in the previous logo. It now has a minimalist look that retains the oval (now represented as a solid outline) with the letters M-T-N nestled in it. These can be used against a sunshine yellow or plain white background in either black or yellow font colours.

In 2019, Nairobi-based bank, Equity unveiled a refreshed identity in line with the ongoing journey of transformation and regional expansion, according to a press release from the bank’s website.

In the release, Equity Group chief executive officer and managing director Dr James Mwangi is quoted explaining the organisation’s move: “The evolution of our brand is an important part of our strategy for continued market leadership as well as being integral to the promise we made to all of our stakeholders.”

Several companies have undergone a similar path of changing their identities for various reasons including Total Energies, and Airtel Uganda, - from a “Smartphone network” to “A reason to imagine” purposed to attract new customers. 

What SMEs miss 
“These are things Small and Medium Enterprises need to pay attention to make a bigger kill,’’ Mr Mayanja says. 
He says that branding helps people identify which product or service is best for them and their needs and thereafter make a purchase. 

Hypothetically, good branding does and should lead to sales. Branding establishes the identity and ‘feeling’ in the potential consumer’s mind which is easily distinguishable from other competitors in the same marketplace. 

Mr Mayanja emphasizes this while citing an example of unbranded candle products in local shops. ‘’Such products are bound to be invisible forever because of lack of identity,’’ he says. He adds that with a good identity, you create a ripple effect where customers will always come back to you irrespective of the price. 

Affordable branding 
The benefits of effective branding go beyond a distinguished image. But while the benefits make it a very sought-after aspect for any business, it is not easy to achieve by any means. That is why small businesses perhaps fail at branding even before they have found their footing. 

However, the head of research at the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Andrew Luuze, says psychology in branding is just as important for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) as it is for large companies. 
SMEs which typically have limited resources compared to larger companies, can make the most of their resources by focusing on strategies that are most likely to resonate with their target market, resulting in a higher return on investment.

He says there is solace in spending time formulating a message that resonates with company or brand goals, colors, and packaging font types. 
Industry experts say that font speaks volumes about your products. For instance, font types can depict if your product is flexible; they are illustrative of a durable product or, a friendly product. 

“These are some of the simple things SMEs can take advantage of and a modest graphic designer for hire costs about Shs1 million to support developing compelling designs which they can afford,’’ he says.