Branding 101 Inject Personality; Avoid Mid-life Crisis By Michaline Pavnica
What does it mean to brand your company? The word gets thrown around in every industry. How do we get consumers to “buy into our brand”? Can we improve our “brand loyalty”? The idea of re-branding or establishing brand recognition requires more than a simple brainstorming session and a month of new graphic design. It requires observation, understanding, design and personality.
Imagine that a friend of yours decides that he or she is going to recreate themselves. Normally, they pull up in their modern day family truckster wearing a navy blue suit or sweater set and making the usual 8:50 a.m. appearance with travel mug and briefcase in tow. But after 17 years, the person decides that today is going to be different. Today, your friend pulls up in a brand new, ruby red Porsche wearing ripped jeans, a ribbed tank top, full sleeve tribal tattoo and at the fashionably late time of 11:30 a.m. Without much thought they have re-branded themselves, right? Wrong.
Now, they may have fact created an effective buzz around the office and it will certainly get people talking. But, it will not create a lasting image of cool, nor is it very believable. More than likely this attempt at a re-brand will be chalked up as a short-lived publicity stunt, maybe even a mid-life crisis. When you step back to look at your company’s re-branding or the creation of a totally new company, there are many aspects to consider before making your grand entrance. After all, your reputation and your popularity depend on it.
Do your homework
First, observe. Know the habits and patterns of your current audience or the audience that you will draw. You want your audience to believe and relate to the new you. Note their expectations and what role you play in their experience. Observe the people in your company that have the ability to affect the experience and begin to map out all of your customer touch points. Begin by listening to how your customer is greeted and even how the phone is being answered.
Know what your customer expects on a second, third or 100th visit. Be the customer and the employee. Find reasons for both of them to consistently learn, discover and delight.
Understand the standards of your industry. Are the areas of your brand or market growing stale and what elements are in most need of improvement? Research and listen to employees and decision-makers. Each and every one of your ambassadors has the power to bring your company to life. It is often the least paid employee that is in the position to make the first impression or the final send off of every customer experience.
If they do not understand your vision and company style, customers won’t either. If you do not know what the personality of your company should be, create a character and personality by combining the thoughts and standards of your most effective people and elements. It’s better to be a company with a personality that gets better over time than a company with no personality at all.
Focus on solutions
Prescribe ongoing solutions. Take your vision from point A to point B with believability. Define specific positions within your company that impact the customer experience or quality of the product. Management and labor – bring these pivotal people around the table for a focus session. Sometimes, it is necessary to bring in a consultant or mediator to confront the questions that managers or employees are afraid to ask among peers. In a group setting it is essential to walk through the entire company process and customer experience. Allow people to listen, critique and give constructive criticism in order to identify symptoms that hold the company back from improvement.
Begin your design. Not only should you design your new look, colors and visual impact, but you should make sure that it is purposeful. Write and create a story about your company so that everyone implements with the same tone and standards in mind. Design your vision. Your story is your point A; your vision is your point B.
Make sure that your training, greeting, presentation, marketing and environment managers all filter this personality through their objectives. Your image is made up of more than just your outfit for the day. Decide who you are and be that, all of the time. Allow your community to discover that you are a believable and reliable friend, not a company that’s simply going through its mid-life crisis.
Author: Michaline Pavnica is the principal and founder of Mixdesign, a strategic branding company with a focus on the retail, restaurant and service industries. The company, located in Schererville, combines brand auditing, graphic design and interior design to create the ultimate customer experience. Learn more at www.mixedupworld.com
Branding 101