Table of contents
Brand rituals: your gateway to an unforgettable brand legacy.
They're not just strategies, but powerful narratives, allowing your brand to shine uniquely amidst competitors.
Through them, you gift consumers with unmatched joy and habits that echo solely your brand's essence.
In today's bustling market, it's about creating a lasting imprint.
Discover how brand rituals can be your signature tune.
What is a brand ritual?
Close your eyes and think about eating an Oreo.
If you eat it like a normal cookie, you’re a weirdo (I’m kidding, of course).
But if you really eat it like a normal cookie, imagine how the happy kids eat it on TV commercials.
This is a whole big ceremony with that pulling apart each cookie half, licking the icing, and dunking it into milk.
That’s the joy of eating an Oreo.
No other cookie can be eaten this way (it’s not true).
This is exactly what brand ritual is.
It’s all the behaviors, habits, and ceremonies that are associated with a brand.
But how to create and implement a successful brand ritual when you’re not a favorite cookie of children and milk?
Harness Authenticity: Keep It Natural
Think about how your consumers perceive your brand and how they use your products on a daily basis.
Maybe an unofficial ritual already exists, but you didn’t notice it yet?
Talk to your customers - sometimes the best ideas are close to us.
If there is no such ritual that’s good too.
Create your own, but based on how you use the product by yourself.
Think about how could it make people’s life easier or more pleasant.
What ritual would work in your industry best?
Do not try to completely reverse its meaning by forcing customers to drink beer from wine glasses.
It’s not natural.
Consider how different people can interpret your brand.
And finally the most important piece of advice: listen to people.
In the end, whether the ritual will be accepted or you will be laughed at, depends on them.
Ritual is about the people, not the brand.
Simplicity is Key: Craft with Ease
People like to make their life easier.
This is nothing new.
No new ritual would work if it is difficult, long, or unsatisfying.
Hardness is an effective barrier to entry.
If you show the audience a very complicated process of using your product that won’t bring them any profits, you can even lose some potential customers.
If your brand is associated with a long and unnecessary process, they would prefer to avoid it.
And finally, you want your brand to be associated with something other than escaping clients, right?
Align with Your Brand's Core Essence
It may seem easy but it’s not.
Presenting your brand rituals requires analyzing not only how you would like to be perceived by the audience and how you create yourself in clients’ minds, but also what they really think about your brand.
It’s a perfect time for you to consider if the brand’s philosophy is perceived correctly by the public.
If it’s not – your made-up ritual won’t work at all.
People will just think it’s weird.
You can meet a similar situation by trying to fit your product into clients’ own, long-existing rituals they already have.
It’s like forcing football fans to drink cocoa while watching the game.
Certain rituals are deeply embedded in society’s life and nobody could ever change them.
So don’t even try. Please.
Tailor to Your Target Audience's Heartbeat
Rituals are for people, not the opposite.
Always have in mind that one specific customer.
How could he benefit from the ritual?
How it will make him feel about himself?
How it will change his status and self-esteem?
Don’t reduce your consumer to some number.
Many brands, especially big ones treat people like numbers.
They don’t perceive them as individuals with natural rituals, social interactions, and habits.
Think about your consumer as if he were your friend – the person who’s intelligent has his own opinion and free will.
If your ritual makes no sense, your friend will laugh at you and choose the competition.
Delight & Elevate: Joy, Humor, and Prestige
A brand ritual must be pleasant and give consumers fun.
It’s perfect when it’s possible to perform solo and with the group.
If it gives people some kind of joy – it will be accepted.
Some rituals may also make consumers feel better about themselves.
Make it prestigious if you want your brand to be associated with something more exclusive.
Maybe a special event, outfit, or specific situation would work well?
Clarity Above All: Ensure Easy Grasp
No ritual will be accepted by customers if they don’t understand it.
Explain what it is the purpose of it, but leave some space for their own interpretation.
Demonstrate how customers should interact with your products.
Remember to specify what pleasure people can derive from it and what are the real benefits.
Seeing the process will make it easier for them to re-enact the ritual.
This is crucial for introducing a new concept.
Weave Rituals into Your Marketing Tapestry
There is no better way to show people how to use the product than advertising and demonstrating it often enough.
It works best when you use many media formats and platforms to be sure that you will reach the widest group of people possible.
While the ritual is the key to the campaign, your brand is the star of this show.
Make sure that your logo is clearly visible and easy to recognize by the audience.
Take a moment to highlight the product.
If they’re not interested in the product itself, how would they become curious about any ritual?
Narrate with Impact: Your Ritual's Story
It’s a moment for storytelling.
Thanks to telling a good story connected with your ritual, the emotional aspect comes.
The brand, the product, and the way of using it are remembered better when they are some elements of the emotion-provoking story.
Storytelling is an excellent way to explain to customers how the ritual should look.
The Viral Potential: Strategies to Ignite Buzz
There is no effective ritual without sharing and spreading.
The ritual must be easy to repeat and give customers pleasure and fun.
Now, when we have social media it’s a lot easier.
If you can make a brand ritual go viral, you’ll attract new long-term clients.
Encouraging behavior through social media will capitalize.
Empower and Involve: Engaging the Consumer Directly
If people don’t share the ritual, stop panicking.
Sometimes, a little help is enough to push it and make it viral.
Create an internet contest that will encourage the audience to demonstrate their ingenuity and show different ways to perform the ritual or usage of your products.
It’s a great advertisement and a perfect way to reach new customers, but also a brilliant method to “force” the audience to try out the ritual.
If they repeat it and like it - you can be sure that they will stick to it.
Now use your imagination and talk to your clients.
The best brand ritual ideas come by themselves.
When you have it, it’s time to make it even more suitable for your brand.