Experience-centric branding: challenges and advancing a new mantra for corporate brand governance

Abstract

Branding has long lived on the virtue of consistency, so variable experiences seem anathema to consistency. This paper responds to this challenge and seizes the opportunity to develop a forward thinking brand management model based on the critical concepts of “on-brand experiences,” “amber brand experiences” and “off-brand experiences.” A new model of corporate brand governance is proposed based on these new concepts. The new model is pioneering in that the entire corporate brand can be designed from an experience-centric perspective. Core brand values are seamlessly fused with experiential components. The traffic light system of classifying brand experiences enables greater focus on the brand itself. Ironically, although experiences ostensibly challenge management control of brands, the new experience-centric model of branding suggests scope for a greater degree of management brand control, through a more intimate understanding and insight of brand experiences. Perhaps, the most unexpected discovery in the paper is the opportunity afforded by better managing of “amber brand experiences.” Amber brand experiences risks flipping into “off-brand experiences” like many telecommunication and utilities have done to their detriment. Equally, amber brand experiences can be flipped into “on-brand experiences” through service brand redevelopment, a form of corporate rebranding.