Is brand experience the future of branding?

Is ‘brand experience’ just a buzz word, or is it really the future of branding?

I would argue that experience is everything when it comes to your brand and building a strong one. But why is experience so important?

Think about a great experience that you’ve had lately.

How did you feel?

I’m thinking, snorkelling in the Whitsundays, climbing a mountain, maybe even hugging someone after not seeing them for 6 months?

What is going on in that moment.

There is a chemical reaction happening in your body. Maybe an adrenaline rush. Or a hit of endorphins.

There’s emotion and feeling.

There’s also a shift in your brain in how you think about things, maybe more than just about that experience.

Good design has the power to create experiences that do this. That move people and shift their thinking, about a brand or a place, and more so about how they see themselves and the world.

If we can do that, we have connected with them on a deeper human level.

We have made an impact in their day or their life.

And at the same time we’re building value in the brand or place.

What do you think? Philosophical idea or game changer?