Today I wanted to chat to you about how to connect with your customers on a deeper level through building an impactful and sustainable brand. If you feel that your product or service is fantastic but somehow people don’t seem to be jumping at the chance to buy from you, or work with you then it may be that your sustainable branding isn’t quite connecting with them.
I’m lucky that it’s been an incredibly busy time at Creative Wilderness recently and as I built sustainable brands, many of them re-brands, I reflected on how powerful branding is. I’m currently building the brand for an amazing sustainable vitamin business and although their product and mission hasn’t changed their branding is completely different and will now reflect their unique personality and impact.
building a sustainable brand is about creating
a deep emotional connection to your brand
increasing your sustainable branding connection
As we spend less time in physical shops then we search for these opportunities to connect with brands in the digital world. And whilst nothing quite beats the friendly chat at your local veg market or coffee shop, building a great brand identity and digital space gives your potential customers that feeling of connection – that they are getting something different with purpose.
I’ve been inspired by Good Hemp for this vitamin sustainable re-brand project as they have built a strong sustainable business that makes such an impact and is one of the main reasons I’d pick up their milk carton over another. Both products will be pretty similar but the FEELING I get when I interact with the Good Hemp brand adds a little joy to my day.
We are rarely the only people producing and creating something. We are often starting a business where there are already many others offering a similar product or service. Building a sustainable business that connects with people allows you to stand out and show why you are different to other brands.
how to make your sustainable branding stand out
Coffee shops understand how to build a strong business perfectly as they are all selling the same thing ultimately. But their branding – right down to the menu design, fonts used, signs on the toilets gives you a ‘vibe’ about the place. If most of your sustainable business happens online or via social media then your website or social pages act as your business space and if they are brilliantly branded then immediately people will want to stop, enjoy your virtual space and take in what you have to offer.
If something feels slightly ‘off’ within your branding, from an amateur logo to colours that don’t fit with what you are offering people will click off and look for something else.
when building a sustainable brand remember…
IT’s NOT What you do, it’s how you do it.
How to build a sustainable branding buzz
Often branding really elevates your brand, builds a buzz and exudes the quality and uniqueness that your products have. I see lots of amazing sustainable businesses and products being let down by their overall branding and aesthetics. You may get excited by a product but then see the packaging or website and get a sense that it’s a little amateur feeling so choose something more mainstream. I am so passionate about independent, sustainable and ethical brands that I hate to see this happen!
I’ve worked on a couple of sustainable brand re-freshes recently and you can see below how the branding gives the business and product a unique personality that draws you in, evokes emotions and visually demonstrates the essence of this brand. Although the products and the business are the same as before, through these examples you can see the big difference building a brand that connects has on both of these…
Lucky Cloud BEFORE
Lucky Cloud AFTER
Zero Waste Path BEFORE
Zero Waste Path AFTER
communicate your sustainable brand values
As small sustainable brand, I can guess price isn’t your key selling point (let’s leave that to the big corporations who can fight over the exploitative contracts) so you need to build a brand that clearly communicates your uniqueness and use your personal touch to connect and encourage people to spend their money mindfully with a sustainable business like yours.
When building a sustainable brand we can sometimes stop ourselves before even starting, especially when we think it’s been done before. I like to remember the phrase that “it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it”. Be bold, be unique and be brave when building your brand because that’s what makes brands exciting and joyful to connect with!
Now, take a quick look over your brand, website, social, visuals, photography, copy and ask yourself these three questions:
is your sustainable branding connecting?
1. Does your branding reflect your unique personality and clearly demonstrate this?
2. What sort of feelings do you want to give people when they interact with your sustainable business? Does your brand do this now?
3. Does your sustainable business stand out and show how you are different to your competitors?
If you’ve answered no or just feel a bit frustrated that your sustainable brand doesn’t match your amazing product and passion then I cover how to build an authentic brand in my ‘Brand Builder’ course that you can find out more about here.