EXPLAINER: DETAILS
This is part three of a MultiVerse special series on branding, ahead of our own brand refresh out in the upcoming weeks.
Branding is all about the details. Everywhere a consumer encounters a brand, companies must be hyper attentive to what is being communicated.
For our own brand refresh, attention to detail meant looking at all aspects of production, and how we could use them to convey our brand’s story and perspective. On the most micro levels, this meant choosing eyeshadows and makeup designs that emphasized our brand story.
We’ve included some other brands with an impeccably strong focus on the details, to help you think about small ways to communicate with your own customers. Small changes can yield big results, and set up a unique culture in your own business.
British Airways
Instead of traditional computer generated wifi keys, British Airways uses passwords as an opportunity for advertisement. Wifi password for the brand’s Club World Lounges feature a rotating list of some of BA’s most exotic destinations. Though a small detail, British Airways’ competitors use generic phrases or airplane details for the same purpose. What’s more, the destination passwords emphasize BA’s international orientation to flyers and get lounge visitors thinking about their next adventure.
Apple
From store interior to product design, Apple has a commitment to quality. One of the most underrated ways Apple follows through on this commitment is through packaging. Unboxing an Apple product is like opening a Porsche, and sets products apart from the tech giant’s competitors before they’re even turned on.
Lydmar Hotel Stockholm
A boutique hotel in Stockholm that brands itself as a hospitality experience “liberated from formalities and conservative stiffness,” the Lydmar Hotel in Stockholm takes every opportunity to provide guests with uncommon offerings. Staff are encouraged to wear attire that expresses their unique styles, and the first floor lounge plays host to some of Stockholm’s most creative thinkers in media and music. But the all-time guest favorite detail are the Lydmar’s elevators, which let visitors pick the music (from soul to reggae) they ride with.
Virgin America
Another airline with great attention to detail, Virgin Atlantic includes mesh seat pockets as well as traditional leather seat pockets on their airplanes. It helps accommodate items that are too big for the traditional leather pockets, and best of all the mesh is see-through – meaning flyers are less likely to leave important items behind. These small details convey Virgin’s disruptive and funky brand personality, which results in unique offerings for their customers.
Wrapping Up
It’s hard to imagine details like mesh pockets making or breaking an airline’s success. In fact, there was likely someone (or several people) on the business side of Virgin America worried about the cost associated with perfecting a seemingly meaningless detail in the brand’s offering. But the details matter, and Virgin America gained an impressive following in the entrenched American airline industry.