What is brand heritage

The brand Heritage (brand legacy) is literally the brand's heritage applied to marketing.

Specifically, these are all the values that the brand carries with itself over time, created by its history and the characters who have contributed to making a particular brand what it is.

Heritage marketing as an engagement strategy

Heritage marketing is, therefore, the marketing strategy that emphasizes the history of the brand.

Moreover, there is a subtle distinction between brand heritage and corporate heritage:

If the former term represents the history of the brand as a value, corporate heritage is instead about the narrative of the company's history and its key figures.

Creating brand heritage campaigns means highlighting the historical value of the company.

In fact, there are advertising campaigns defined as:

• On retro-branding: those campaigns, including social ones, with an old-time flavor that are becoming increasingly popular, featuring old photos or animated intros that summarize the brand's evolution over the years.
• On corporate storytelling: telling the stories of the characters who have made a brand famous.

How to create a brand heritage campaign

The most used tools to create brand heritage campaigns through retro-branding and corporate storytelling are:

• Corporate storytelling on social media and company websites.
• Opening archives and creating themed events.
• Including historical photos and documents related to the brand in museums and places where they can have more appeal.

Characteristics of brand heritage

The brand heritage is part of the brand identity and contributes to creating and reinforcing the brand's values, to create a """ brand image solid in the eyes of users. 

It is also important to define the so-called track record to calculate brand heritage, which are the important milestones in the brand's history, highlighted by stakeholders.

Examples of retro-branding

Many brands manage to use their history to strengthen their web presence and place in the collective imagination, but Bulgari and Alfa Romeo are two particularly significant examples. 

• Bulgari, how to leverage testimonials to become a legend: with over 130 years of history, it's easy to use global icons like Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Anita Ekberg, just to name a few, who contribute to reinforcing, if it were still necessary, their own brand heritage.
• Alfa Romeo, Continuity and Transformation: unforgettable models that tell stories and reflect society since 1910. This signifies belonging to Italy and its historical heritage. On the YouTube channel, alongside the new super-technological models, there are entire playlists dedicated to the history of the cars from this timeless brand.

The heritage brand thus represents a great asset for those managing the communication of a particular brand, and leveraging it is an excellent way to consolidate market positioning.