Designing Physical Touchpoints That Strengthen Brand Recognition

A visitor may be impressed by a spectacular space, but not by the company that goes with it. This is what physical brand design needs to overcome. A strong touchpoint goes beyond just grabbing attention, it helps to reinforce that one brand is associated with a color, shape, message, product or interaction. That’s important because Nielsen research determined that brand recall was the most significant factor in increasing brand lift in a large study of over 1,000 campaigns. Physical touch points provide companies with a direct avenue to create that recall by repetition and clear brand cues. The objective is quite simple; to facilitate recognition before, during and after contact.

Build a Clear Visual System Across the Space

A physical space should look like the brand before a visitor reads its name. That requires a small, consistent set of visual cues rather than a collection of unrelated graphics.

For trade show booths, start with the elements people can recognize quickly:

Color: Use the main brand colors in key areas such as walls, counters, signs, and product displays.
Logo: Place it where visitors can see it from common approach paths. Don’t hide it behind furniture or screens.
Type: Use the same type styles across wall graphics, signs, handouts, and screens.
Shapes: Repeat distinctive brand shapes or graphic forms where they support the layout.
Images: Use a consistent image style so photos and illustrations feel part of one system.

Nielsen research supports the use of consistent brand icons and repeated visual cues to improve recognition. Its advertising research also recommends showing brand cues early and often rather than waiting until the end of an experience.

The key is restraint. If every surface uses a different color, image, or message, none becomes a strong memory cue. A visitor should be able to remove the logo mentally and still sense whose space it is.

Design the Physical Space Around the Visitor

The first question to ask when creating good spatial design is what does a visitor see, understand, and do next? In a booth or branded environment, those questions should be answered without the audience having to do the computation of the layout.

Start at the first sight. The primary brand name, product or message should be seen from the walkways that people use to reach the space. Next, draw a straight line from the most important experience. A product company, for instance, could use this order:

Establish a brand cue — establish the company.
Product view — display company’s products.
Giving visitors access to demo area to experience how it works.
Conversation area — provide staff with an area to answer questions.
Takeaway point — reiterate the key brand message before leaving.

Space also influences the experiences of people within the environment. Furniture that is too close to each other can obstruct the view and impede flow. Large signs can be a competitor to the product. Having too many screens can distract staff and physical displays.

This is particularly important at exhibitions where they could see numerous companies in a short time. According to CEIR, 74% of the respondents to its survey of event attendees had more favorable perceptions about the company, brand, product or service promoted after an event.

The strongest physical touchpoints, then, are a unified system. The visitor sees the brand, understands the offer, interacts with it and leaves with a clear memory of who was the experience provider.

Add Physical and Sensory Cues That People Can Recall

A strong physical brand experience should give visitors more than something attractive to look at. It should give them cues they can connect with the brand later. Research on sensory brand experience shows that sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste can all shape how people respond to a brand.

For trade show backdrop ideas, this means looking beyond a printed logo. A useful system can include:

A repeatable color or shape
A distinctive material or texture
Product samples people can handle
A consistent sound or short audio cue
Carefully chosen lighting
A product-related scent where appropriate

Color can be especially useful when people strongly link it to one brand. A study of 880 consumers found that brand-color links can be measured by both fame and uniqueness.

The key is consistency. Research on distinctive brand assets notes that colors, logos, shapes, fonts, and sounds become useful recognition cues when people learn to connect them with one brand. Don’t add sensory features simply because they seem impressive. Each one should support the same brand identity.

Connect Brand Messages With Physical Experience

A welcoming area that communicates a brand promise. No longer make a claim on a wall and leave it, but tie in that message to something people can see, touch, test, or talk about.

What if a technology firm claims that their product is easy? The area needs to be conducive to making that claim test easy. A brief product demo, an intuitive layout, and straightforward navigation through the presentation can yield tangible evidence. Visitors may actually touch the product and look at the materials that the company uses, rather than just reading the specifications if the company has a quality focus.

It also helps to maintain the physical experience consistent with the overall brand image. According to research, brand experience is the set of responses elicited by interactions directly and indirectly involving brand-related elements such as names, logos, packaging, communications, stores and events.

Use this check:

Does the physical feature support the main message?
Is the purpose clear to visitors in a matter of seconds?
Is the experience as described by the brand?
Will the same cue be present in other brand related communications?

When the message meets with the physical experience, visitors don’t need to just take the visitors on a slogan alone. Evidence is provided in this space.

Make Staff and Visitor Interaction Part of the Brand

Staff are another touch point of the brand as well. Their words, looks, product expertise and demeanor can either help to support the space or make it clear that they don’t fit.

Provide staff with a few simple rules, rather than a script. They should be familiar with the brand message, the product and what they should ask the visitors. The physical organization should also facilitate conversations, provide space for demonstrations and private conversations. It’s not about getting all employees to behave the same. That’s to ensure every interaction represents the same brand promise. As long as the space, product, message, and staff all convey the same message, the visitor will get a more consistent brand experience.

Author Profile

Adam Regan: Deputy Editor

Features and account management. 7 years media experience. Previously covered features for online and print editions.

Email Adam@MarkMeets.com