I’ve written in the past about pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase brand touchpoints — all those interactions that take place between the customer and your brand before, during, and after the sale.  

In the world of brand touchpoints, there’s a special category of equally important interactions, although they’re less direct.  Influencing touchpoints are the interactions with your brand that indirectly drive business to or away. 

An annual report usually isn’t used as a tool directly in the sales process, but prospects might review this document to gain a sense of stability, progress, leadership, etc.  Or not.

Referrals, reviews, testimonials, and other word of mouth and social media interactions are influencing touchpoints.  So are your event sponsorships, speaking engagements, community involvement, and goodwill. 

Each of these touchpoints — and more — are indirect brand interactions that don’t actively promote your brand messaging, but still serve a vital role in supporting your brand identity and pushing the formation of a brand image.  And, in many instances, these interactions are not something that can be effectively controlled or managed.

What you can do, however, is carefully craft your brand identity (which includes identifying the standard by which all of the brand brand touchpoints you identify should be delivered) and then actively manage this brand identity to promote the formation of the desired brand image by your target audiences. 

For example, by providing the level of service, product quality, pricing, product features and benefits, warranty service, packaging, etc. that is prescribed within your brand identity platform, you cultivate positive associations that will carry over into your influencing brand touchpoints like consumer reviews, event sponsorships, community involvement, and the others you’ve defined in your touchpoint management list. 

You wouldn’t stand up and actively discuss why one should buy your brand during a local United Way fundraiser, but the associations listeners have about your brand will follow you up to the podium.

The prevalence of social media tools widely being used now enables customers to become active brand advocates — for or against – with non-users.  Product reviews, user testimonials and recommendations, forums and blogs: each and all have become major elements of the indirect selling process for b-to-c and b-to-b brands. 

Each and all are driven by how the brand performs on its other touchpoints.

Identifying, prioritizing, and managing all of your brand touchpoints is simply the best way to stay on top of things, whether you have direct control or not.