Power to the People Will Build Your Brand

The president of our firm told me an interesting story about one of her shopping experiences last week-end. She and a friend went to Nordstrom's to do some Spring clothes shopping and met a wonderful salesperson who gave them terrific service and made their shopping experience fun and memorable. Not surprising since Nordstrom's brand promise is exceptional customer service - every time.

What did surprise her and her friend was that, after they were done shopping, the salesperson asked if they'd had lunch, and when they said they hadn't, she gave them passes to eat free at the Nordstrom Cafe. Both of the ladies were so impressed and grateful that they sent her an e-mail thank you. And both of them have been talking about it to their friends and colleagues ever since.

What a great brand ambassador that salesperson is for Nordstrom's! And you can bet that those ladies will come back - with more of their friends. Not only did this salesperson deliver on Nordstrom's brand promise, but she also exceeded her clients' expectations. And in the process, enhanced the brand's image and built customer loyalty.

What Nordstrom's will get in terms of brand building is well worth the cost of the two free lunches at their Cafe. But none of this would have happened if Nordstrom's hadn't empowered this employee and given her the tools to deliver the brand promise of exceptional service - in this case, by offering her customers free lunches.

Visionary marketers, like Nordstrom's - and Kraft Foods, XM Satellite and John Deere, to name a few - are building their brands by involving and empowering their employees because they know that brand value, and therefore, increased company value, is created and delivered by employees. How about you?

The #1 Reason to be an "Undercover Boss"

I've watched a few episodes of the reality TV show "Undercover Boss," and one thing about the show rings true. It's critical for the head of a company - and the rest of upper management, for that matter - to understand how their employees deliver the company's brand promise every day.

Why? Because a brand is built from the inside out. Brand value, and therefore the company's value, is created and delivered by employees. They can positively (or negatively) affect your brand's perception and acceptance. One of my favorite stories that illustrates this point comes from a friend who was looking for a conference room at a Ritz-Carlton hotel. A busboy noticed that she needed assistance, put down his tray and led her through the hotel to the right room. When my friend thanked him, he replied, as all Ritz-Carlton employees do when thanked: "My pleasure."

That employee knew exactly how to deliver the Ritz-Carlton promise of anticipatory service - reflected in the hotel's motto: "We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen."

Over and over again on "Undercover Boss," heads of companies discover that there's a disconnect between upper management and the people who deliver the brand promise on a daily basis; that there are some employees who deliver that promise consistently and others who simply don't buy in. And once they gain that understanding, they're in a better position to do something about it.

Employees are your company's brand ambassadors and your best advocates. Their buy-in, cooperation and collaboration with each other and willingness and ability to deliver your company's brand promise can make or break your business.

So whether your company is big or small, get into the trenches and start working on understanding how your employees deliver your company's brand promise. It's the first step in ensuring higher customer advocacy, productivity and profitability for your business.

How Social Media Can Build Your Brand

With more than 74% of the U.S. population using social media,* more and more businesses are coming to the realization that social media can help them build their brands and customer relationships. And that's a good thing. When a customer has a good relationship with your brand, it's an opportunity for predictable and sustainable growth.

But simply using social media isn't enough. Smart businesses view social media as another communications tool in their arsenal and use it to convey messages that support their brand image and promise. The key is consistency. Whether it's a TV spot or a tweet, messages must reflect the core values of the brand, its distinction and brand promise.

An example of a company whose social media messages support its brand image is Whole Foods Market. In addition to offering coupons and deals on natural and organic foods through social media, Whole Foods Market reinforces their brand promise of promoting healthy food and a healthy planet by offering their customers healthy recipes, by providing tips about how to protect the earth and by inviting them to company-sponsored events that support communities where they operate.

Social media can be a great way to build brand awareness and develop long-lasting relationships with customers - as long as you stay true to your brand and think of every brand messaging effort as mutually supportive. This is critical for building trust in your brand, positively influencing consumers' perceptions and awareness and ultimately motivating them to choose your brand - again and again.

*"Using Social Media to Deepen Your Customer Relationships," Infor, 12/08

Top 3 Qualities of a Good Brand Tag Line

The results are in on many of the new brand tag lines - a large number of which were introduced during SuperBowl 44. As expected, there were plenty of good and bad. Brand tag lines are those phrases that summarize your brand (and what makes it distinct) so perfectly that everyone inside and outside your organization can't forget it.

Since brand tag lines carry such serious business weight, it's important to know the three major characteristics of a good one.

So here goes. To be effective, a brand tag line must:

1. Mean something important to your company and your audience. It needs to set you apart from your competitors. In fact, it has to communicate the single most important thing that makes you different.
2. Be memorable. This is achieved by creating an emotional connection with your audience and is sometimes aided by unusual word usage or music. However it is conveyed, it should evoke nearly universal recall and linkage to your brand.
3. Be brief. Some experts believe that an effective brand tag line should be no longer than five words. Whether or not that's the magic number, it should be as concise as possible - without sacrificing meaning or memorability.

If you're thinking about creating a new brand tag line for your business or organization, don't accept a phrase just because it's "catchy". Be serious about identifying your brand distinction, and make sure that it fits the criteria outlined above.

A great brand tag line truly can drive your organization forward (think Nike's "Just do it"). A poor one is a lost opportunity.