DNVB Brands: How to Create a Strong Brand Identity?

Today, consumers no longer just buy products or services but also the image of the brand and the company. Consumers look for brands they identify with, whose story and values they share. While brand image can take time to build, with social media and online reviews, it can also deteriorate very quickly. No company is immune to bad publicity. It is therefore necessary to continuously monitor, have a strong presence on the web, and an engaged community in order to thwart potential detractors of your company.

So, what strategy should be adopted to create a strong brand identity for DNVB brands whose e-reputation is the key to success? Find in this article our advice for creating a strong brand image.

Brand Identity: Definition

Brand identity, also called brand image (of a product or company) corresponds to how it is perceived by consumers. This perception can be based on objective criteria (price positioning) or subjective (visual identity, graphics, logo, design, colors). The brand image is influenced by various factors, notably by marketing and communication actions that convey the brand’s values and positioning. For DNVB (Digital Native Vertical Brand) brands, exclusively present on the web, we also speak of e-reputation. The brand image has a significant impact on SEO, through the reviews that are issued about the company and its products.

Communicating the ‘Why’ of Your Brand

In the digital age, consumers no longer just buy a product but also and especially what it represents: its values (moral and social) which must be reflected in the brand’s identity and image.

In this pursuit of authenticity and trust, DNVBs – which operate exclusively in the digital world – very often create a unique and direct relationship between their products and their customers. By openly advocating their reason for being in their communication strategy, they highlight the ‘why’ of their brand. And to do this, what better than to add humanity and emotion to the connection that exists with their community?

Creating a strong brand identity means building a unique proximity with your customer that leads to a sense of belonging: the brand then becomes the spokesperson for the values of the person who has decided to buy from it.

The consumer-centric strategy of DNVBs allows them to be more attentive to what the consumer wants by offering quality and often ethical products. Thus, by taking responsibility for strong social and societal issues (ecology, vegan, environmental protection…), these DNVBs embody the change ardently expected by consumers.

Integrating an Ambassador Program on Your Site to Strengthen Your Brand Image

An ambassador program is a marketing device that puts customer reviews at the center of the product promotion strategy on the Internet. Did you know that 92% of buyers no longer trust advertising, but rely on recommendations from online users to make their purchases (Nielsen)? As a DNVB brand, it is therefore essential to have quality reviews on your product web pages. These reviews have a direct effect on your sales but also on your brand branding and reputation.

Implementing an ambassador program on your e-commerce site can be done by installing a module, such as the one from Trustt. It allows you to select the most relevant ambassadors (customers and influencers), organize multiple product campaigns, and disseminate authentic content generated by the ambassadors. Their feedback provides you with free resources and content for your marketing and communication actions, usable on social networks, your blog, or product pages. By highlighting this content (photos, videos, articles, product usage guides…), beyond strengthening your connection with these customers, you convey your brand values, which has a beneficial effect on strengthening your image, awareness, and reputation on the Internet. The ambassador program is a powerful marketing lever to promote your brand to your target audience, in your market, through the industrialization of word-of-mouth 2.0.

Collaborate with well-chosen influencers, in line with your brand values

Influencer marketing has developed considerably with social networks. It is now impossible as a DNVB brand not to communicate on these social platforms. You must be present with a company page and use this communication lever to create a strong brand identity (visual and content). However, consumers will be even more receptive to your messages if they are conveyed by a trusted third party: influencers. If customers are no longer convinced by brand messages, they are, however, convinced by the discourse of influencers with whom they have a relationship of trust. Thus, consumers, especially those aged 18-35, are very sensitive to influence campaigns, and they don’t hesitate to follow recommendations pushed by their favorite influencers.

By collaborating with influencers, you benefit from exposure to their community, which increases your visibility, the reach of your message, and your online reputation. You also benefit from their experience in creating quality content that you can then use for your communication campaigns. Make sure to select only influencers who share your company values to avoid harming your brand image. A well-chosen influencer who shares their experience with your brand’s product or service will give more weight to your commercial message and contribute to the development of your brand image and awareness.

Thanks to SophIA®, a smart matching technology, Trustt pre-selects the best ambassadors for you based on their affinities with your brand and products, and on their potential to engage, contribute, and talk about it in an authentic and relevant way.

Of course, this can be a double-edged sword for your branding, hence the importance of carefully selecting your influencers. For example, if you are an ethical brand, select your influencers based on this characteristic. 65% of French consumers choose to buy, or boycott a brand, based on its positions (Earned Brand 2018 study). More than just a product, these consumers expect brands to commit to environmental, societal, or ideological issues to engage alongside them.

Focusing on Community Marketing to Strengthen Your Brand Image

In the same vein, use the power of your existing community to establish your brand image in your market. Don’t forget that your satisfied customers (as well as your employees) are your best ambassadors for building a community on the Internet.

With social networks, many virtual communities are developing. Internet users with common interests share their experiences, both positive and negative, and their recommendations. Draw inspiration from these communities to build your own and reinvent the relationship with your customers and target audience. Consumers like to feel like actors and listened to by the brands whose values they share. This strengthens your brand image with your “promoter” customers. These customers are the ones who speak positively about your company and actively participate in improving your online reputation.

Building a community and creating engagement requires involvement as a brand, but it is now a strategic issue for companies on the web. The community is a powerful marketing tool for building a strong brand image and standing out from the competition on the internet.