In a world of constant change and innovation, with a drip feed of information and ever-changing platforms for marketing, one thing a brand can do to make themselves stand out is to create a ‘sentimental brand’.

Sentimental branding works around the abstracts of time, longevity, nostalgia, family and stability. It sounds easy, but in practice positioning your brand on the right side of sickly sweet nostalgia and out-and-out romanticism is not as simple as it seems.

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Another huge hurdle is the fact that most brands that have successfully earned a place in the nation’s heart as ‘sentimental’ have been around for a long time.

Creating a sentimental brand is a long-term strategy and not a short-term tactic, and if you are thinking about a brand renovation, then you might want to speak to an established brand expert such as those at http://www.blondideasgroup.com/.

A Family Narrative and Stability

Ensure your marketing campaign has a strong narrative – ideally, one that focuses on family or tradition. So your company has only been running for two years? But perhaps you grandmother was doing something similar many moons ago. Can you create a solid narrative from this? A solid, family-oriented narrative hits on another note: stability. Your brand needs to be seen as one that will withstand the test of time.

Subtle Changes

Whilst appearing to ‘stay the same’ may seem an obvious tenet of becoming a sentimental brand, it needs to be a little more nuanced than this. Nostalgia for better days doesn’t actually mean customers want to live back then; they just want to feel like they do in the ways that it suits them. Brands that refuse to budge an inch in terms of their product line and marketing will eventually lose out. Brands that ‘appear’ unchanged but actually change with the times are far more likely to succeed. Your story and product could even stay the same, but you can change the platform you use to send your message.

Building a sentimental brand is about three key areas: family, stability and time. If you haven’t got time on your brand’s side, then create a good story, preferably one with a familial thread, to create a sense of time. And most importantly, make sure your customers know that you’re not going anywhere fast.