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Flanke 7 GmbH: Jamstack Websites + Performance Marketing

Welcome to part 3 of our series of articles on relationship marketing. In Part 1, we introduced what this actually is, why values are so important, and what value-based interaction between people and brands is all about. You can read part 1 

In Part 2, we turned the spotlight on the exciting topic of brand personality. Again, we explained what it is exactly and how it relates to relationship marketing. You can find that part 

And again we redirect our spotlight and in part 3 on: Corporate Design! We address the question of what that is exactly and of course: what does it actually have to do with relationship marketing? Here we go.


Just as you don't know Max without Moritz, Mickie without Minnie, and even Dick & Doof (Stan and Olli) only meet in a double pack, the same is true in marketing: a professional brand appearance is only possible in combination with corporate design. 

The comparison with famous couples in history gives an idea of what this is all about: a professional brand cannot be recognized and referred to as such if it does not have a uniform public appearance. And this is exactly what corporate design is all about. 

Corporate design - CD for short - is the conceptualized, uniform 

 of a company or brand that is perceived as such both internally and externally. Corporate design can be understood as a kind of map that describes who you (the company) are, where and what you stand for, and where you want to go. 

 of a company. And ideally, this should be reflected in everything: The packaging of the products, in the logo, in the interior design of your own offices, posters, social media postings, online marketing to the letterhead. Corporate design includes all selected design elements such as colors, fonts, font sizes, etc., which enable the uniform presentation. 

Above the CD is the corporate identity - also called corporate identity or CI for short. Here, companies and brands define how the communication style should be, how public behaviors are designed, values, corporate philosophy and so on. 


Finding and defining a corporate design is not difficult in its basic features. It is important that there is a well thought-out concept from the beginning and that the focus is on recognition. 

The corporate design is reflected in these elements: 

Once the design is defined, it should be reflected in all of these elements. If the logo is designed as being in a shade of yellow, that should naturally appear on the company T-shirts in the same shade of yellow as well. 

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A corporate design concept can have a positive effect on sales, because it makes the company or brand more visible to interested parties and potential customers. A clear assignment to a brand is possible in the case of a presented offer, and if there are already positive experiences, companies can benefit from a leap of faith. 

This benefit arises in detail for companies:

Of course, corporate design has several other advantages. However, it is clear that a uniform appearance is important. 


Relationship marketing and corporate design 

So what is the connection between corporate design and relationship marketing? And is there also one to brand personalities? 

In Part 2, we learned that identification can be improved with the human characteristics that are assigned to a brand in the context of a brand personality. So people no longer identify with price or a product. No - identification takes place through a brand being perceived, for example, as the caregiver who always has good advice and can help with any problem. Or with the jester who always brings a smile through his appearance (as a brand). 

The connection between corporate design, relationship marketing and the brand personality lies in what we see -  the face to the personality, the image in front of your eye in a relationship, the visual appearance to the outside. 

One advantage of an elaborated corporate design concept is that, among other things, trust can be built up through recognition. Trust is also a decisive force for a relationship - both between people and between people and brands. 

It can also be classified as follows: building a consistent relationship is the goal, corporate design is a means of defining the identity of a company or brand, and this identity consists, among other things, of the brand personality. 


We have now reached the end of our series of articles on relationship marketing. What is clear is that relationships are highly significant in all phases, roles and situations of people and are co-created by both participating parties. 

When shaping the relationship between a brand or company and a person or consumer, companies should keep a number of things in mind so that an initial contact can grow into a relationship and subsequently a long-term bond. 

The possibilities are great, but it is crucial that the implementation is both consistent and documented accordingly. Because only a documented guideline can be understood, followed up and implemented by all those involved in the company. 

So much to read and still not enough? No problem, our 

Part 3: What is corporate design?

In the first part of our series on relationship marketing, we looked at how important relationships are for people. This is not just about relationships between people, but also between people and brands or people and companies. 
⁠Positioning oneself and communicating values that a brand stands for is an important part of the interaction. 
⁠What a brand personality is and what it has to do with what role values play here is what we will cover in the second part of our article series. So - let's go. 


Brands, like people, can have personality traits. The personification of a brand is intended to evoke selected emotions in customers, communicate brand value, and build loyalty and bonding. In short, a brand personality is the totality of all human characteristics that are associated with a brand. The brand personality is part of the identity of a brand or a company (corporate identity).

Building a brand personality can be used as a technique by companies to make their brands more accessible, tangible and tangible. This applies equally to large, medium-sized and small companies. 

So if you take the time to document what a brand stands for and what personal characteristics and values should be associated with it, you can benefit from the following aspects: 

In summary, a Brand Personality is a technique that helps make a brand more human and approachable. So, if a relationship is built here that has led to trust through sufficient transparency, people feel connected primarily to human characteristics represented by a brand. So how do you go about it? 

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Psychology (among other fields) deals a lot with the experience and behavior of people as well as different patterns of imagination and action. For this purpose there are certain basic structures (also called archetypes), which go back to the investigations of C.G. Jung. Archetypes are a concept from psychology, which have an influence on human behavior and perception as unconscious or not actively perceived active factors. Simply put: archetypes that have been linked to similar or even the same emotions and associations for generations.  

Archetypes can also be used in marketing and communication, for example to position oneself or to produce social media content. This is then about playing the human being in a different "role". 

Economic psychology deals with the subjective experience and behavior of people in an economic context, i.e. also with the "role" of a person as a consumer. And how a person in his role as a consumer perceives a brand or a company is also a part of economic psychology. So if you want a brand to appear and be perceived like an archetype, you have to look at people as consumers. 

Which archetypes are there? 
⁠Basically, 

 different archetypes are distinguished: the child, the wise man, the discoverer, the rebel, the magician, the hero, the lover, the fool, the down-to-earth, the caretaker, the ruler and the creator. 

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These 12 types have different characteristics: The explorer is, among other things, freedom-loving, while the down-to-earth person tends to be more adapted, the creator lives from his wealth of ideas, and the magician scores points via enthusiasm. 

So if you want to create a brand personality, you would be well advised to orient yourself on the archetypes. It provides a good starting point for defining the human characteristics that a brand should stand for and be perceived as by consumers. 

 has created a good overview of how brands have used the 12 archetypes. For example, 

 appears particularly creative and innovative, has revolutionized the household market with its products, and would thus be assigned to the Magician.  

 is the type "down-to-earth" and strives to reach the middle of society. The ruler is the archetype of the 

 brand wants to be associated with the lover.

So as a brand, you can basically orient yourself to the archetypes and refine that in combination with your own values and use it for communication. However, it is also quite possible to combine several archetypes and appear as a creator and a rebel at the same time. The respective characteristics should complement each other or build on each other. 

Brand personality and relationship marketing  

At its core, relationship marketing is about building a long-term, sustainable relationship with the customer and creating loyalty through targeted interaction. When creating a brand personality, the focus is on "humanizing" a brand in order, among other things, to create the possibility of identification for potential customers and also to generate a bond in this way. 
⁠Building a brand personality can therefore be used as a qualitative means of strengthening loyalty through identification with human characteristics of a brand. 
⁠Similar to interpersonal relationships, in which the weaknesses of the counterpart are also accepted, this is also quite possible in a connection between a person and a brand or company.


In the second part of our series of articles, we looked at what a brand personality actually is, how it can be created on the basis of archetypes, and how it relates to relationship marketing. 

In our third and final part, we will cover another very important topic: corporate design. In the next part you will learn what exactly corporate design is and how it relates to relationship marketing. 

! 
⁠But would you rather learn more about Jamstack websites, Google Ads and Co.? No problem - please click 

Part 2: What is a brand personality?

The human beings around us inspire us and give us new ideas. Interpersonal relationships give pleasure, are a point of orientation, offer support and create variety in everyday life. People are not made to go through the world alone. We are looking for a helping hand and relationships that help shape our lives.

Is it different for a relationship between a person and a company or a brand? How is this used in marketing? What role do transparency and values play? 

If you are looking for answers to these questions, you should continue reading.

Relationship marketing is a long-term strategy that places the relationship with the customer at the center of all actions, with less focus on promoting individual transactions. It is therefore a 

 that seeks to build and shape a relationship with the customer, loyalty and the perception of certain values. 
⁠In this context, the company itself is a decisive factor within the relationship. So it also needs to take a look at itself and not just learn more about the customer. 


These four phases are the theoretical basis for understanding what relationship marketing is fundamentally about. In practice, it is more complex, because just as every customer is an individual, a company should make every effort to be perceived as equally individual. 
⁠After all, a relationship is based on a connection, which in turn is created by emotions, is characterized by a reciprocal relationship, and has values such as reliability, transparency, trust, and respect as its essential basis. 



Relationship marketing focuses on building long-term customer relationships in order to develop brand loyalty. So what are the advantages of relationship marketing? 

In addition to these 3 aspects, relationship marketing can also have a positive effect on sales. But even detached from purely monetary aspects, the potential of relationship marketing is great.

 world. This acronym stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. The acronym originated at the end of the Cold War to describe the state of the world. Today, it is mainly used to classify the difficult market environment in which executives operate. 

But it is not only executives who face this uncertainty, ambiguity, complexity and volatility. Consumers and potential customers move in the same market environment. Relationship marketing can be used as a means to create orientation for customers. After all, it is transparency and consistency that can counteract the feeling of uncertainty. 

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A connection between human being and brand 

Ultimately, the same is crucial for a good relationship between people and a brand or company as for an interpersonal relationship: reliability, transparency, shared values, exchange, respect, trust.
⁠We need transparency to build trust. We place trust in people we can rely on and whose ideas and ways of acting are at least similar to ours. We treat people with respect who also treat us with respect. 
⁠And it's the same way as in the interaction between a company or brand and a person. As a consumer, potential customer or interested party, we start to build trust when we have the opportunity to learn more. This is another reason why content marketing is a very important part of brand management today. You can find our article on it here. 
⁠Trust persists when brands deliver what was promised to the consumer. And it is reinforced when the ideas and values a brand espouses match or resemble what we ourselves find good. 


Shared values can create a bond. The results of the 2021 "

 of respondents say that brands must act for the good of society and the planet. 

 believe that brands should support people in times of crisis.
⁠At the same time, the desire for helpful content is increasing, because it's not only in times of crisis that people are looking for guidance. And about 

 of the content provided by brands is not meaningful from the consumers' point of view.
⁠Values create connection and orientation. This connection must be built and maintained over the long term. It is more important than ever for companies and brands to position themselves clearly and to keep their brand and value promises. 


A value based interaction between human and brand 

The fact that 73% of respondents expect brands to commit and act for the good of society and the planet is a clear call for an opinion and stance on social issues and the associated values. 
⁠In the long term, therefore, companies must clearly acknowledge what contribution they are making to protecting the environment and where clear deficits can be identified. 
⁠In the relationship between people and brands, it is therefore crucial that brand values are made transparent and communicated in a way that can be experienced. If a company is committed to producing little CO2, this must be made clear and comprehensible to consumers through appropriate information. 
⁠If a brand is committed to reducing production through child labor, this must be made transparent. 
⁠There are numerous "if-then" chains that would clarify this wish of consumers. However, the message is clear: what a brand or company stands for must be communicated and adhered to transparently. 
⁠This value-based interaction can also take place via social media. The 

 on TikTok, for example, shows how this can be implemented. The brand consciously takes a stand against homophobia and also chooses its brand ambassadors accordingly. The motto is "We like it colorful" and this is representative of a zero-tolerance approach to racism, homophobia and other forms of discrimination. 



Relationships are important. And not only between people, but also in every other area of our lives. However, relationships need to be built and nurtured so that they are stable and healthy in the long term.  This is just as true for people as it is for the relationship between companies and customers. 

In this article, we have dedicated ourselves to the topic of relationship marketing and values. In part 2 of this series of articles, we will look at the topic of brand personalities to show what role you can have in relationship marketing. 

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Part 3: What is corporate design?

Part 2: What is a brand personality?

Part 1: What is Relationship Marketing?