Behind the design: The Power of the Brand Resonance Model

Introduction

Relationships are a key component in developing a strong brand and building connections with customers. The relationship between a brand and its target consumers represents the highest level of success in brand building, fostering a lasting impact. The Brand Resonance Model is a method that helps companies build relationships with customers, creating loyalty, community, engagement, and attachment. We use this model to monitor overall perceptions of a brand and assess the strength of its community.

The Challenge of Building Brand Loyalty

This may seem like a concept that is easy for brands to adopt, right? Well, unfortunately, it’s not as simple as it seems. Thousands of companies have failed at building strong relationships with customers. Many companies lack crucial components when developing their brands, which leads to a decline in loyalty and community.

Success Story: RX Bar

Companies like Rx Bar were successful in creating strong relationships with their customers after a setback with their original brand. The image on the left shows how the original packaging of the protein bar was ineffective due to poor design, lack of transparency, and misleading packaging. The company decided that a change was necessary.

Rx Bar rebranded its entire look, adding honest, clear, and minimal details that captured the attention of its target audience. Zach Stevens, author for Medium, goes into great detail about how Rx Bar made a complete turnaround with their rebrand. Click here to read more details about RX Bar.

RX Bar is a brand that initially struggled but managed to rise by using the Brand Resonance Model to build clear connections with its target audience. The brand was able to identify its needs and learn from its mistakes. The decline of many brands is often due to their inability to adapt to new trends and develop emotional connections with their communities.

The Decline of J.C. Penney

J.C. Penney is one company that experienced a complete decline and was never able to recover after the pandemic. After facing significant financial issues post-pandemic, the brand decided to eliminate its loyalty and coupon programs, which ultimately led to the loss of its target customer base.

J.C. Penney’s main audience relied on its original model of “everyday low prices.” This quickly changed when coupons became less common, and the price of goods increased. The removal of the loyalty program deterred customers from shopping at the store and severed any attachment they had to the brand. The department store also had trouble establishing clear target audiences since they had a variety of products from all sectors. With the influx of other stores that built emotional connections with their customers, J.C. Penney had no chance in today’s emerging market. They failed to grow for many reasons and have taken a hit in sales, according to Daphne Howland, Senior Reporter at Retail Dive. According to her article in Q2 of 2024, J.C. Penney had a decrease in total revenues of 9.2% and a drop in credit income of 16.9%. The failure to accept current trends and customer needs is what is holding back the department store. To get more insight in the decline read more here.

Conclusion

Whether you are starting a new business or trying to rebrand an existing one, customers are still the most important aspect that needs to be studied and monitored. The emotions and attachment customers have to your brand will lead to your success and strong brand resonance.

For more insights on how innovation and loyalty drive growth, be sure to read my last article on the topic here.