The_Essential_Manager_s_Handbook

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.

VISION^ CULTURE

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.

US_316-317_Building_Brands.indd 316 30/05/16 3:05 pm