Brand engagement is the strategy of cultivating and maintaining a sense of attachment between the consumer and the specific brand of product. This attachment is one that normally appeals to the intellect of the consumer as well as the emotions. A number of different approaches are utilized in the effort to create this type of connection between buyer and seller, and to keep it strong and viable. The strategy of brand engagement is considered important to the overall process of brand management, and thus often yields important data in how companies market and package the products they offer.
Creating a useful brand engagement with the consumer requires that the manufacturer create a detailed profile of the typical customer who is likely to buy the products sold under the brand. This includes understanding how factors such as age, gender, economic status, religion and educational background impact the perception of those consumers. By finding ways to convince consumers that the product line is capable of meeting their needs, the process of engagement begins.
At this juncture, the process of brand engagement may be solely on an emotional response by the consumer, or by an appeal to the logical thought processes of the consumer. Once this initial connection is made, it is possible to expand that appeal so it encompasses both aspects of the consumer response. This assumes that the consumer’s initial perceptions of the brand do turn out to be true. For example, if the connection begins due to consumer belief that a laundry detergent will clean clothing better than the brand currently used, and that proves to be true, this intellectual connection is then augmented by the positive emotions that the consumer associates with the product.
Cultivating this level of brand engagement involves using a wide range of tools to reach, educate, and ultimately appeal to the consumer on all levels. To this end, media communication is vital to the process. Businesses will make use of all sorts of marketing approaches, including the use of print advertising, radio ads, and television commercials. Many businesses also make use of newer advertising options, such as banner advertising on web sites, and establishing web sites for the products themselves. Some companies will make use of a social media approach by operating forums where consumers can discuss the brand and its products. By using these strategies to create and strengthen the ties that consumers feel with the brand, the potential for competitors to lure those customers away is minimized, at least for as long as the brand is able to maintain its appeal.
