Leading brands focus on building community to create customer engagement. Building community around a market niche, through creating customer engagement can also foster future brand innovation Brand innovators like Kyle Hermans has helped hundreds of global, as well as local brands to create evolution and change for the future of their business. Kyle Hermans has a fascinating, and entertaining take on how important building community can be for today’s emerging brands. Since the advent of social media, building community and customer engagement based upon the ideas, and suggestions of passionate members of the brand community can lead to sustained growth and consumer loyalty.

In this episode, Cheryl and Kyle Hermans discuss: 

* The 21st century meaning of the term brand and how branding has broadened to include the entire relationship to the consumer. * The pressures of building a brand in the digital age. * Branding as means of customer engagement by building community and connection. * Kyle’s work in bringing different aspects of an organization together to create collective problem-solving. * Disruptive innovation begins with envisioning a solution to a collective problem or need for change

Key Takeaways: 

* Branding includes creating connection to community, resulting in currency in the form of customer engagement* Currency is the trade agreement you make with your customers which is at the heart of your brand. * Winning brands offer tremendous free value before asking for the sale. * Focus on helping one small, niche group in order to get very clear on your brand positioning and direction.

“Brands need to build a different type of currency and connection point in order to create that community aspect around them.” —  Kyle Hermans 

Connect with Kyle Hermans:   Website: https://www.becourageousinnovation.com/Free Resource: www.becourageousinnovation.com/brandaideEmail:  [email protected]  

Connect with Cheryl Hodgson:  Website: brandaide.comBook: https://registeredtrademarkbook.comTwitter:  twitter.com/brandaideFacebook:  facebook.com/brandaideEmail:  [email protected]Show: brandaidepodcast.comYouTube: youtube.com/user/BrandaideTVLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cherylhodgsonInstagram:  instagram.com/brandaide