The customer journey is a critical element of creating great customer experiences. From awareness to consideration, purchase, and post-purchase engagement, every touchpoint is an opportunity to engage and build relationships with customers. 

But with an ever-increasing number of touchpoints, it can be challenging to maintain a consistent and engaging brand image, which is crucial for building great customer experiences. 

This is where a Brand Asset Management (BAM) system comes into play. A BAM system is a centralized platform that helps companies manage their digital assets, including logos, images, videos, and other brand-related materials.

It plays a crucial role in improving the customer journey by providing access to approved brand assets, which enable marketing teams to create consistent, high-quality content across all channels.

In this article, we will discuss the importance of a BAM system in creating great customer experiences and explore how BAM systems streamline asset management, ensure brand consistency, and ultimately help businesses build stronger relationships with their customers. Let’s start with understanding the customer journey.

Understanding the customer journey 

The customer journey is the path that a customer takes from their first interaction with a company to their ultimate purchase and beyond. It can be broken down into several stages, each with its own set of needs, expectations, and challenges. 

Understanding the customer journey is critical for creating great customer experiences and building lasting relationships with customers, so here’s a brief overview of each of these stages:

Awareness

The awareness stage is the first step in the customer journey. In this stage, customers are aware that they have a problem and are actively seeking solutions but they aren’t aware about your company and don’t know about your offerings. 

So, you need to focus on educating your customers about the various solutions and building trust with them. 

Consideration

In the consideration stage, customers have identified a need and are now evaluating different options. So, they’re looking for detailed information and product or service comparisons to make an informed decision.

Purchase

The purchase stage is where customers make a decision to buy a product or service. At this stage, customers are looking for a smooth, easy, and convenient transaction.

Retention

The retention stage is where companies work to keep customers engaged and satisfied after the purchase. In this stage, customers are looking for excellent customer service and support and will appreciate a personalized approach that takes into account their needs and preferences.

Advocacy

The advocacy stage is where satisfied customers become advocates for a company, sharing their positive experiences with others. In return for advocating for the brand, customers want to be recognized and rewarded with incentives. 

Understanding the various stages of the customer journey is critical for creating great customer experiences and branding plays an important role in enhancing the customer journey. 

Importance of Branding in the Customer Journey

Branding plays a crucial role in the customer journey by helping businesses to establish a strong and memorable identity that resonates with their target audience. 

It shapes the customer's perception of the brand, builds trust, and fosters a positive relationship, which helps businesses to attract, retain, and delight customers. Here’s how it does this at each stage of the journey:

Awareness

In the awareness stage, branding helps businesses to stand out in a crowded marketplace and attract the attention of potential customers. It creates a lasting impression and piques the interest of consumers, prompting them to learn more about the brand. Effective branding can also communicate the brand's values, mission, and unique selling proposition, which can help to differentiate it from competitors.

Consideration

During the consideration stage, branding  helps establish credibility and build trust. This creates a sense of reliability and professionalism, giving consumers confidence in the brand's ability to deliver on its promises and make it easier for consumers to remember and recognize the brand.

Purchase

When a customer decides to make a purchase, the branding can continue to play a role in shaping the experience. A well-designed product or great packaging design can enhance the perceived value of the product and create a positive emotional connection with the brand. 

An enjoyable unboxing experience, for example, can create a sense of excitement and anticipation, encouraging customers to share their experience on social media and recommend the brand to others.

Retention

 Effective branding helps to create an emotional connection with customers, making them feel invested in the success of the brand. This emotional connection can foster a sense of loyalty and encourage customers to become brand advocates who recommend the brand to others.

Advocacy

The post-purchase follow-up is also an important stage in the customer journey, and branding can help to encourage customer loyalty and advocacy. By maintaining consistent branding across all communications, such as email newsletters and customer service interactions, businesses can reinforce the customer's positive perception of the brand and encourage repeat purchases. 

In short, businesses can turn satisfied customers into brand advocates who recommend the brand to others and help to attract new customers by delivering a great customer experience.

What is a brand asset management software?

Brand Asset Management (BAM) is the process of managing a company's brand assets to ensure they are being used effectively and consistently across all channels. These assets include logos, images, videos, and other brand elements that are used to represent the company's identity and values.

By managing brand assets in a strategic and efficient way, companies can maintain a consistent and strong brand identity that resonates with their target audience. Utilizing Brand Compliance software is instrumental in achieving this goal. This can help to increase brand recognition, build trust and credibility, and ultimately drive sales and revenue.

A Brand Asset Management system typically consists of several key components that work together to help companies manage their brand assets effectively. These components include:

• Brand Strategy: This includes the brand's vision, mission, and values, and outlines the key messaging and positioning that will be used to communicate the brand to the target audience.
• Visual Identity: This component includes the brand's logo, color palette, typography, and other design elements that are used to create a consistent and recognizable visual identity across all channels.
• Messaging: Brand messaging refers to the language and tone of voice that are used to communicate the brand's messaging to the target audience. This includes key messages, taglines, and other copy that help to reinforce the brand's values and positioning.
• Brand Guidelines: This includes outlining the rules and guidelines for how the brand assets should be used, including specific instructions for logo placement, color usage, typography, and other visual elements.
• Digital Asset Management: This component includes the storage and distribution of all brand assets, including logos, images, videos, and other visual elements. A BAM system provides a centralized platform for managing these assets, ensuring that they are always up-to-date and accessible to anyone who needs them.
• Analytics and Reporting: The ability to track and measure the effectiveness of the brand assets across all channels. This includes metrics such as engagement, reach, and conversions, which can help to inform future branding and marketing strategies.

How Brand Asset Management helps with customer journey enhancement 

A Brand Asset Management (BAM) system can play a critical role in improving the customer journey by ensuring that all touchpoints with the brand are consistent and aligned with the brand's overall strategy and messaging. Here are some ways a BAM system can be used to improve the customer journey:

• Brand Consistency: A BAM system provides a centralized platform for managing all brand assets, including logos, images, videos, and other visual elements. This ensures that all assets are consistent across all channels, creating a cohesive brand experience for the customer.

• Personalization: By leveraging the insights and data provided by a BAM system, companies can tailor their messaging and content to the specific needs and preferences of individual customers and create a more personalized and relevant experience.

• Speed and Efficiency: A BAM system can streamline the process of creating and distributing brand assets, allowing companies to respond quickly to customer needs and market changes. This speed and efficiency can enhance the overall customer experience and increase customer satisfaction.

• Brand Guidelines: A BAM system provides clear guidelines for how brand assets should be used, ensuring that they are used consistently and appropriately across all channels. This can help to build trust and loyalty with customers, who value consistency and reliability in their interactions with brands.

Companies that use a BAM system to enhance their customer journey

Many companies across different industries have successfully used a Brand Asset Management (BAM) system to enhance their customer journey. Here are a few examples:

• Coca-Cola: The global beverage giant uses a BAM system to manage its extensive library of brand assets, including logos, packaging designs, and advertising campaigns. This helps ensure that all assets are consistent and aligned with the brand's overall strategy, enhancing the customer experience.

• Nike: The athletic apparel company leverages a BAM system to manage its extensive library of product images, videos, and other digital assets. This allows the company to respond quickly to customer needs and market changes, providing a more personalized and efficient customer experience.

• Airbnb: The online marketplace for vacation rentals uses a BAM system to manage its brand guidelines and creative assets across all channels. This ensures that all brand assets are consistent and aligned with the brand's overall strategy, enhancing the overall customer experience.

• Unilever: The consumer goods company uses a BAM system to manage its extensive library of brand assets, including packaging designs, product images, and advertising campaigns. This helps ensure that all assets are consistent across all channels, creating a cohesive brand experience for customers.

Next, let’s look at how implementing a BAM system can help you enhance your customer journey.

Implementing Brand Asset Management tools for Customer Journey Enhancement

Implementing a Brand Asset Management (BAM) tool can be a complex process that involves several steps. Here are some general steps that can be taken to implement BAM for customer journey enhancement:

• Assess current brand assets: This is the first step and it involves assessing the current state of the brand assets and identifying any gaps or inconsistencies in messaging, visual identity, and brand guidelines.

• Develop a brand strategy: Once you’ve identified gaps and inconsistencies, you need to develop a brand strategy that includes a clear vision, mission, and values. This will help guide the development and management of brand assets going forward.

• Create a centralized asset library: Set up a centralized asset library where all brand assets can be stored, managed, and accessed by relevant stakeholders. This will help ensure that all assets are up-to-date, consistent, and aligned with the brand strategy.

• Develop brand guidelines: Create comprehensive brand guidelines that define the visual identity, messaging, tone of voice, and other key elements of the brand. This will help ensure that all stakeholders understand and adhere to the brand standards.

• Train and educate stakeholders: Train and educate stakeholders on the brand guidelines and how to use the BAM system effectively. This will help ensure that everyone is aligned and using the system properly.

Once you’ve implemented the brand asset management system, you need to assess its effectiveness across the customer journey. Here’s how you can measure its effectiveness:

• Consistency: Measure the consistency of brand assets across all channels, including social media, email marketing, and advertising. A BAM system should help ensure that all assets are consistent and aligned with the brand strategy, creating a more cohesive customer experience.

• Efficiency: Measure the time needed to create and distribute brand assets. Ideally, a BAM system should streamline the process of creating and distributing brand assets and reduce the time to market. 

• Customer feedback: Measure customer feedback through surveys, focus groups, or social media monitoring. This will provide valuable insights into how customers perceive the brand and whether the BAM system is helping to enhance the customer experience and journey.

Challenges and considerations in implementing BAM

Implementing a Brand Asset Management (BAM) system can come with potential challenges for organizations. Some of these challenges include:

• Resistance to change: Implementing a new system can be met with resistance from employees who may be resistant to change or unfamiliar with the new technology.

• Integration issues: If the BAM system is not properly integrated with existing systems, it can cause issues with data transfer and consistency.

• Cost: Implementing a BAM system can be expensive, especially for small businesses.

• Lack of buy-in from leadership: If leadership is not fully supportive of the implementation of a BAM system, it can be difficult to gain traction and achieve success.

To overcome these challenges, organizations can take several steps:

Communicate the benefits: Highlight the benefits of the BAM system to employees, including increased efficiency, consistency, and improved customer experience.

Invest in training: Provide adequate training for employees to ensure they are comfortable with the new system.

Work with experts: Seek the help of experts to ensure the successful integration of the new system with existing technologies.

Start small: Begin by implementing the BAM system in a small area of the organization and gradually expand.

Measure success: Continuously measure the effectiveness of the BAM system in enhancing the customer journey through metrics such as customer satisfaction, retention, and revenue. Use this information to make adjustments and improve the system over time.

Wrapping up 

With the help of a BAM system, organizations can create consistent, high-quality brand assets that can be easily accessed and used by all stakeholders, including marketing and creative teams. 

As a result, customer experiences become more personalized and engaging, leading to higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

For organizations looking to implement a BAM system, Artwork Flow offers a powerful and user-friendly solution specifically designed for marketing and creative teams. 

With its robust features, asset management, collaboration tools, and workflow automation, Artwork Flow streamlines the creation and management of brand assets, helping organizations deliver exceptional customer experiences. To learn more and try Artwork Flow sign up for the free trial or book a demo.