Your environment directly impacts how you think, feel, and behave. Imagine you are walking along the beach. How would you feel? Refreshed? Peaceful? You will definitely get all the positive vibes from ocean air and exposure to the sun. Even this blue space improves your mindfulness, and you can make better decisions. On the other hand, the clutter in space will make you feel gloomy. Businesses apply the same concept to create an environment that positively impacts the target consumer’s purchase behavior. Offices, stores, restaurants, and hotels use environmental branding to reflect their brand personality and influence consumers.

In this way, the business’s physical space creates a connection that leaves an everlasting impression on the audience. Let’s explore the ins and outs of environmental branding so you can also create an irresistible environment for your workspace to build a good reputation for your brand.

What is environmental branding?

Environment branding is the process of integrating design features in a physical location to create a cohesive branded atmosphere. The design features that make up an environment’s branding include architecture, graphics, colors, interior design, landscape, wayfinding, furniture, and lighting. Together, these elements build a memorable image for a brand. 

However, it depends on the brand to create an impactful branded environment that appeals to consumers rather than pulling them off the brand. Environmental branding agencies help businesses create a unified and appealing atmosphere for workers and customers to make them stick to the company.

Why it matters

When a company executes environmental branding correctly, it makes the brand unforgettable. The visual components show the company’s values, mission, and personality. Let’s go over some of the benefits of environmental branding.

1. Builds brand recognition

Environmental branding is a cornerstone of creating a space that makes your brand recognizable. When consumers visit your workspace, they first see the visual elements of the surroundings. How it makes them feel can increase your brand recognition. Meanwhile, the cohesive brand visuals at every touchpoint boost the chances of being in the consumer’s mind.

2. Improves customer experience

Let’s say you go to the local bakery for the first time. You are greeted by a cozy atmosphere. You see clear and appealing signage to choose from easily, and you meet friendly staff. The colors, interior, and design quickly connect you with the bakery. And that thoughtful design and coherent branded environment experience craves you to return for more.

That mesmerizing impression improves your experience while building your trust in the brand and influencing purchasing decisions. You are also more likely to recommend a bakery to friends and family, so environmental branding also fosters word-of-mouth referrals.

3. Increases employee engagement and loyalty

Your employees are your company’s frontline warriors, pushing your business forward. A positive branded environment makes them more creative and productive.

When an environment meets and fulfills employees’ needs, it creates a positive emotion that increases their performance and satisfaction with the company. Studies also revealed that more than 50% of the workers felt more creative and productive in the newly designed workspace.

What Are the Best Practices for Environmental Branding?

1. The customer experience must be your priority.

Fostering the customer experience in your space can only generate revenue and grow your brand. So, understand your target customers when designing your space.

You have to build an environment that is comforting and functional, from signage to sitting, colors to fonts, and complements your brand identity. If you have a workplace in different regions, then make sure to add a cultural touch to resonate with the local community.

2-Align Design with Brand Values and Sustainability

Every design in your space must reflect your brand’s core values, such as sustainability and energy-saving initiatives. Consumers prefer brands that work for the environment to make it a better place. Therefore, use eco-friendly materials to design a space to build credibility.

3-Use Storytelling

Your brand story can genuinely build an emotional connection with consumers, making them loyal to your business. So, bring your brand story to life in your physical space. As you probably heard, a picture speaks a thousand words. Thus, tell a story from visual artwork that connects with your consumer and builds an engaging environment.

4-Tap into the Consumer Senses

Beyond visuals, integrate elements that engage with all five senses. This can contribute to creating a distinct and memorable brand. From background music to aroma, lighting to texture, tap into the multi-sensory elements that align with your brand identity.

5-Think about employee experience.

Your employees are no less important than customers, so you must consider creating a branded environment that inspires them. This will increase their productivity and help you improve your brand reputation.

6-Consistency is Key

Consistency in the brand personality across all your locations is the primary driver that leads you to build an unforgettable brand. As consistency in your brand message, visual elements like logos, color schemes, and typography strengthen your brand image and recognition.

7-Create an adaptable environment.

Consumer preferences and trends change with time, so you must build a flexible brand space. This allows you to easily adjust design elements over time to stay relevant without overwhelming.

3 Top Environmental Branding Examples

1-Apple

Walking at an Apple store is just another level of experience customers get compared to other tech stores. No one has mastered environmental branding like Apple. The store’s minimalist design with large glass facades, open spaces, and minimal distractions reflects the company’s core values of innovation, simplicity, and elegance.

They mainly focus on educating customers on the products, with large tables that allow customers to interact with devices. Architecture and design are carefully crafted to improve the customer experience.

Premium materials used in stores, such as polished glass, aluminum, and natural wood, create a classy look. The brand colors, white, gray, and natural tones, create a solid brand experience at every touchpoint. 

In addition, Apple flagship stores merge local cultural elements into their design, connecting them to the local community while maintaining brand identity.

2-Starbucks

Starbucks’ environmental branding revolves around sustainability and positively impacting the earth. From design to landscape, eco-friendly materials, lighting, and architecture, Starbucks displays a welcoming, tempting, and friendly place for customers to connect. 

Meanwhile, the modern and ethical design reflects familiarity with a consistent path for customers. Starbucks significantly adds a cultural touch to coffeehouses in different regions to inspire and nurture the community with a branded environment.

3-IKEA

IKEA, the giant furniture retailer, is known for its engaging store experience. The store design drives visitors to overdrive emotions, triggering customer purchase impulses.

IKEA uses a “fixed path” showroom layout, which guides customers to the store in one direction. That intuitive design propels customers through a wide range of products.

They create an informative, innovative, and friendly environment using eco-conscious design and architecture that improve the customer experience. IKEA uses energy-efficient design and solar-powered lighting that align with their goals.

Takeaway

You can’t just open a workspace and start grinding; you need to add environmental branding to your area to impact consumers positively. The surroundings you create can inspire consumers or discourage them.

Therefore, adapt all the above best practices of environmental branding to create a welcoming atmosphere to develop your brand. Also, make sure to use sustainable materials to influence consumer minds that mostly prefer eco-friendly brands.