Why Shopping Centers Need Branding

Branding a shopping center can be an important element of success. As the retail market continues to focus on experience, creating a brand and brand characteristics can create value for stakeholders and attract new consumers. It is a way to stand out in an increasingly competitive retail market.

“A brand is much more than just a logo. The branding process is intentional and can be broken down into a few phases; strategy and positioning, placemaking, design, and execution,” Matt Dean, creative director at Beta, tells GlobeSt.com. “Each one of these components is a necessary element in creating a project that has a thoughtful and consistent brand.”

Shopping center branding will follow a similar strategy as corporate and personal brands. The goal is always the same. “A brand is a person’s emotional feeling toward a place, product, or service,” says Dean. “For shopping center branding, this is the core principle that the attributes of a center all come together to create the projects brand. Attributes may include visual design and branding, verbal branding, on-site amenities and placemaking initiatives, the retailers at the center and a series of additional brand touchpoints.”