With professional products and services, it’s worth thinking about the first few levels of branding. Should we try to move up …and how?
In the recent article ‘The 7 levels of brand engagement’, the Let’s Talk Branding blog classifies a series of levels above ‘unrecognisable’ which illustrate increasing levels of consumer devotion. They are:
- Level 1: “Blanding in” – you have some basic brand elements like a name, logo, but just to blend in and signal you’re a (presumably cheap) option
- Level 2: “Hey, I’m here!” – slightly more defined and professional
- Level 3: “Stand-out” – you are uniquely you; people can spot you in a crowded space
- Level 4: “Brand-building” – you’re no longer just marketing to people who need you, you’re marketing to your future audiences
- Level 5: “Salience” – people are aware of you sufficiently that on some occasions, you’re one of the first names to come to mind
- Level 6: “Lifestyle” – brands that make you feel something, even special, at specific moments
- Level 7: “Fandom” – people think about your brand when they wake up.
As the article concludes, each level is a stepping stone. It takes time and money to reach new levels, and there’s an element of evolution. Of course, with professional products and services, the top one or two levels are unattainable, and probably unwanted, to be honest. But it’s worth us thinking about the first few levels, whether it’s worth trying to move up, and if it is, how we might do so.