Let’s get a few things straight. A brand is not a logo. It is not your slogan. It is not the way you describe your mission and vision. Those are tangible representations of your brand and important for a lot of reasons.
Your brand is defined by those who experience your product/service/program/project/performance. In other words – it’s not what you say about you it’s what others say.
I can’t believe I’m saying this as a marketing and PR person, but no amount of publicity, advertising, social media or fabulous design can change how people feel about your organization or product.
You first have to deliver on what is called a brand promise.
Here’s an example: If you’re a restaurant and served up the most fantastic bouillabaisse once to a customer and the waiter and ambience were equally delightful, she will come back to your restaurant again and again and expect it to be just as wonderful every time. If you continue to make good on your promise, she will reward you with loyalty and engagement and share her experience with her friends. This will hold true even if on occasion she got a funky mussel in the batch and the waiter took care of it immediately. Because she’s come to know and trust your brand—and you routinely deliver on that promise—she will continue to come back. Same holds if you’re a corporation, a university, or a theater company. In fact, this holds true for every enterprise.
The logo design, the publicity and the advertising are simply representations and extensions of your brand that remind the universe you deserve attention. Hopefully, the mere sight of your logo makes potential customers long for your seafood -- or your equivalent! :)
So what exactly is a “brand promise”? Imagine it as a handshake you make with your employees and your customers about every interaction they will have with your brand. Internally, it is your organization’s manifesto and rallying cry. Externally, it sums up your value proposition.
They can vary widely in tone and structure depending on your industry and need, but a few things are constant:
a “brand promise” is simple and clear. It’s a cross between your weighty mission statement and your lightweight tagline. Short, sweet and not vague. Think of Geico’s “15 minutes could save you 15%.”
a “brand promise” is believable. Hype can be inauthentic. If you are not genuine, your brand will have no value. Think of FedEx’s “Your package will get there overnight. Guaranteed.”
a “brand promise” is distinct and often memorable. What can you say about your product or service that is uniquely yours? Think of Apple’s “Think different.”
There’s nothing worse in marketing than having the hype not live up to the customer’s experience. Remember, it’s their perception of their experience that will define your brand.
So the first order of business is ensuring that your employees on the front lines—the ones who interact with the customers directly—have the greatest responsibilities to securing your reputation. Then build out your brand by sharing their authentic stories.
The bottom line is this: the last place people want to go for trusted information about an organization, product or service—is the company’s own brochure (print or digital). Sure, you can (and you must) lay out the facts and put your spin on things, but what they really want to hear is what others who’ve used or experienced what you’re selling have to say. Customers trust peer-to-peer more than they do authority.
This is where enabling active engagement with your customers comes in. Give them room to tell their stories (and be prepared immediately to respond should a story start spinning negatively). That changes perception and that perception becomes your brand.
Happy to chat with you further about this. Find me at nancy@nancydonner.com.