Brand is much more than a name or a logo. A brand is everything, and everything is a reflection of your brand. A brand is your message and content. How you write in a consistent manner and tone is a reflection of your brand. How many times have you encountered a product or service that is a disconnect from the company’s performance?
Brand is your customer service
Are your telemarketers experts in their field? How they perform is a reflection of your expertise and the trustworthiness of your company. If your receptionist is filing her nails when customers are present, making personal calls, or wearing provocative outfits, that is a poor reflection of your brand, especially in a financial company.
Brand is how you speak
Are your customers and employees advocating positive things about your company in their everyday conversations? Do employees' voicemails repeat your company’s consistent message? These are effective communication tools and do impact your brand.
Brand is your communication tools
Email signatures and auto-responders that have your company’s logo reinforce your brand. How do you greet your customers when they come into the store? It shows that you care about them. That is good branding.
Brand is your strategy
If you are a consumer brand, the brand is your products and how you tell your story. Gap’s clothes tend to shrink after washing. That is a reflection of poor quality products and a reflection of their brand. There are all kinds of brands out there, successful or not. Bad branding can be reflected in all aspects: people, products, quality, management, message, visuals, business strategy, publicity, promotion, location, shop exterior, facilities, and more. That is why it is important to guard your brand by determining what, why, when, and how you want your brand to reflect.
Brand is your identity and your visuals
Great branding deserves good design. Your company’s identity system and marketing collateral must convey a strong brand that is reflective of a consistent look and feel to let your audience know that it is from the same family. It can make a big difference when the customer is choosing between two brands.
Brand is your people
Brand is your employees and how they represent you. Having a good team starts with good hiring and continues with strong, consistent training and development.
Brand is your facilities
Is the brightness level appropriate for your store’s ambiance? Is your work area clean and uncluttered? Is your signage consistent with your visual brand standards? These are all reflective of your brand.
Brand is your interface
If your website functionality frustrates people, it says that you don’t care about them. Brand extends even to your office e-forms, the contracts you send out, your HR manuals, and more. It is the little details that make your product. In this case, your brand.
Ultimately, branding is about caring about your business in every aspect, from your mission statements to your people, your customers, your visual projections, and your promotions; all have everything to do with your brand essence.
