316 / COMMUNICATING EXTERNALLY
Building brands
Winning hearts and minds
A brand is, first of all, a promise of an
experience. It is what a product, service,
or company stands for in the minds of
customers and prospects. At its very
core, a brand is a perception or a feeling.
It’s the feeling evoked when we think
about a product or the company that
delivers it. And, of course, a brand
is the basis for differentiation in the
marketplace—a way to separate
yourself from all other competitors in
the hearts and minds of your customers.
Communicating the essence of a brand is more than simply using
words and visuals to convey an image. This is because a brand is both
a process and a product. It’s a living, breathing organism that must be
nurtured and protected if it is to survive and thrive.
Defining the brand
The most crucial characteristics of
a brand are content and consistency.
To succeed, a brand must make a clear
Empower your
entire organization
to get behind the
brand. Give them the
authority, responsibility,
resources, and training
to satisfy customer
expectations.
Be certain that one
consistent, strategic
vision drives your goals
for the brand. Prioritize
your plan to deliver on
the promise (what is most
important and why?).
Align all stakeholders
behind the vision.
CULTURE
VISION
Communicating brand image
and unambiguous promise to its
stakeholders (customers, employees,
investors, suppliers, creditors, and
others) and then deliver on that promise.
The Starbucks brand, for example,
is clearly aligned with the customer
experience. When regulars in Starbucks’
coffee shops began to complain about
the smell of hot breakfast sandwiches,
the company’s CEO Howard Schultz
decided to focus on the core experience
(and aromas) of freshly ground coffee,
and the relaxing experience of visiting
a Starbucks. Retail giant Wal-Mart’s
brand promise is “Everyday low prices.”
It makes no promises about customer
service, brand-name products, or the
shopping experience.
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BUILDING BRANDS / 317
In focus
BRAND VALUE
Brands that have a clear
sense of themselves and have
worked diligently to deliver on
their promises are often quite
durable, withstanding economic
downturns, changes in customer
preferences, and game-changing
innovations in their product
category. The value of developing
brands is highlighted in two
quotes. John Stuart, former CEO
of Quaker Oats Company, said: “If
this company were split up, I
would gladly give you the property,
plant, and equipment, and I would
take the brands and trademarks…
and I would fare better than you.”
Carlton Curtis, VP of Corporate
Communication at Coca-Cola,
stated: “If all of Coca-Cola’s
assets were destroyed overnight,
whoever owned the Coca-Cola
name could walk into a bank the
next morning and get a loan to
rebuild everything.”
You cannot stand still; you
must continually innovate
to stay ahead of the demands
of the marketplace and the
shifts in everything from
demographics to target-
group tastes and preferences.
Demonstrate that you are
both innovative and protective
of the brand experience.
Consistently and
continually measure
results. Show your
investors, associates, and
business partners what
you’ve accomplished and
what improvements you
have yet to make.
Specify and communicate
those actions that are
essential to brand
success to those within
the organization who
must deliver on the
promise.
INNOVATION
ACTION
VALUE
A brand helps
separate you from
your competitors
in the hearts
and minds of
your customers
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