Branding is not just about the name and logo. It’s also about touchpoints.

Last week, a prospect revealed to me that they met with us only because a former client insisted they get to know us, even though the prospect already had branding offers from agencies abroad and was on the verge of making a decision. This prompted me to write about touchpoints.

A brand’s touchpoints are the tangible and intangible points of contact it has with the public.

There are two categories: controlled and uncontrolled. Uncontrolled ones are more powerful because, being out of your control, your brand is in the hands of others.

Controlled touchpoints are the channels/means that you directly control and manage: the website, social media (#Facebook #Twitter #Instagram #LinkedIn #Pinterest #TikTok), advertising (TV, radio, digital, programmatic), physical presence (stores, offices, showrooms), packaging (its texture and appearance), customer relations (call centers, online chat, email/phone support), brand events (product launches, conferences, presentations).

Uncontrolled touchpoints are points of contact managed by third parties and cannot be directly controlled by you. They include: recommendations of any kind (friends, family, colleagues talking about the brand), social media (discussions on forums, blog comments, reviews on rating sites), mass media (podcasts, press articles, reviews, mentions in TV or radio shows), online reviews and ratings, personal customer experiences.

Regardless of the product/service you bring to the market, the marketing team must allocate time to identify all the touchpoints to use in the communication strategy. All these touchpoints contribute to how the public perceives the brand and build the relationship with it.

The essence lies in the mix of tangible and intangible elements that the brand uses in its evolution. The mix changes as the brand evolves. Some points are important for the launch, others for development. They differ depending on the category the brand belongs to. In the mainstream market, some are more important, while in the premium or high-end segments, others take precedence. They also vary by industry: #FMCG, #accommodation, #restaurants, #retail, #travel, #transport, #consulting.

INOVEO Consultants have a tool that identifies touchpoints during a workshop with the brand’s cross-functional team – marketing, production, procurement, logistics, sales, HR, quality, finance – to capture the essence as accurately as possible.

If we hadn’t had a very satisfied and insistent client, the prospect mentioned earlier would not have met with us.

Careful management of all these touchpoints is essential to create a coherent and valuable experience for customers and to build a strong brand image.

Thanks to our silent ambassadors.