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2/8/2015 Think Win-Win About Your Brand
https://www.instapaper.com/read/553035418 1/6
Think Win-Win About Your Brandweb.archive.org(http://web.archive.org/web/20060629130858/http://allaboutbranding.com/index.lasso?article=250)
Once upon a time, all you had to do to get customers was. . . SHOUT. The massmedia acted as a one-way microphone and the objective was "awareness".Coca-Cola is a perfect example - a powerful global brand built on clear,unadulterated, awareness. It is difficult to imagine a better recognized brandicon.
Today, however, we have moved toward an Internet-defined model ofcommunication as a two-way conversation. Authority is history and it no longermatters what you say but how your audiences perceive you. To control yourbrand you must understand, integrate, and manage those perceptions.Here,Nike is the example. Battling to keep its cool in the face of negativeperceptions regarding its practices, the website is smothered with messagesabout the brand's sense of corporate social responsibility.
The basis of perception management is credibility. Awareness still matters buteven more important is belief. You cannot tell people how to perceive yourbrand, nor can you control the context in which it competes. But you can controlhow trustworthy your brand is. Brands that make a highly focused and relevantpromise, then deliver on it consistently, are credible.
2/8/2015 Think Win-Win About Your Brand
https://www.instapaper.com/read/553035418 2/6
However, today even credibility is not enough to create a truly powerful brand.Simply to say 'we will do x' and then do it is mediocre. Even brandedexperiences are becoming mediocre. In an interactive society people expectmore, not only a one way promise but a two way promise,to benefit from thebrands that benefit from them. In other words, to be super-credible, super-trustworthy, and ultimately truly commanding of consumer loyalty, brands mustprovide a win-win experience. Here are five ways to do so.
1. Incorporate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into the brand itself.Philanthropy is nice, but brand-building philanthropy communicates yourmessage effectively while giving back to the community. If your brand centreson "fun," for example, you may want to sponsor programs that create funexperiences for those who can't ordinarily afford them.
2. Remember: "Employees Are Brands Too." More and more, organizations arerecognizing the power of their employees (as well as contractors, freelancers,and temps) to build the brand. Successful organizational brands will invest inbuilding the personal brands of the people who are engaged in building them.This can take the form of anything from concierge services, to coursework,customized workshops, and more.
3. Turn Loyal Customers Into "Brand Ambassadors." If you've done a good jobof building customer relationships, there are greater potential benefits to be hadthan just "repeat business." At the simplest level, you can pay customers,clients, or others impressed with your product or service a finder's fee forreferring others to you. If you dig deeper, you will likely find more ways toharness these relationships for mutual benefit. Who knows, today's loyalcustomer might be tomorrow's business partner!
2/8/2015 Think Win-Win About Your Brand
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4. Make Your Own Money. Today's tough economic climate means thatconsumers will need to be more resourceful about obtaining the things theyneed. Why not help them out while promoting your brand at the same time?Using "self-branded currency," you can allow consumers to do anything fromexchanging labour for merchandise, to redeeming credits for customer referrals,to enjoying an incentive toward future purchases at partner brands. Internally,though money for financial bonuses might be tight, you can reward employeesfor outstanding work with non-monetary compensation - how about a couponredeemable toward time off?
5. Connect People To Each Other. Particularly now, confronted with the threatof terrorism, an uncertain economic future, and the continuing automation ofsociety overall, people seek a meaningful connection with others. Brands that gobeyond self-interest to create those connections with learning circles, messageboards, peer-to-peer networking, and more, will be the brands that people trustregardless of their specific product or service needs.
(c) 2002 Dannielle Blumenthal, Ph.D.
Dannielle Blumenthal sees branding as a tool that can be used either ethically orcynically. She favours the former approach, emphasising its potential to makeorganizations healthier and more valuable to the marketplace at the same time.Currently with the U.S. government, Dr. Blumenthal previously served asdirector of the Institute for Brand Leadership and has also held positions at TheBrand Consultancy and Young & Rubicam's futuristic trend consultancy. Dr.Blumenthal is the author of several books and serves on the editorial board ofthe Journal of Brand Management.
2/8/2015 Think Win-Win About Your Brand
https://www.instapaper.com/read/553035418 4/6
Once upon a time, all you had to do to get customers was. . . SHOUT. The massmedia acted as a one-way microphone and the objective was "awareness".Coca-Cola is a perfect example - a powerful global brand built on clear,unadulterated, awareness. It is difficult to imagine a better recognized brandicon.
Today, however, we have moved toward an Internet-defined model ofcommunication as a two-way conversation. Authority is history and it no longermatters what you say but how your audiences perceive you. To control yourbrand you must understand, integrate, and manage those perceptions.Here,Nike is the example. Battling to keep its cool in the face of negativeperceptions regarding its practices, the website is smothered with messagesabout the brand's sense of corporate social responsibility.
The basis of perception management is credibility. Awareness still matters buteven more important is belief. You cannot tell people how to perceive yourbrand, nor can you control the context in which it competes. But you can controlhow trustworthy your brand is. Brands that make a highly focused and relevantpromise, then deliver on it consistently, are credible.
However, today even credibility is not enough to create a truly powerful brand.Simply to say 'we will do x' and then do it is mediocre. Even brandedexperiences are becoming mediocre. In an interactive society people expectmore, not only a one way promise but a two way promise,to benefit from thebrands that benefit from them. In other words, to be super-credible, super-trustworthy, and ultimately truly commanding of consumer loyalty, brands mustprovide a win-win experience. Here are five ways to do so.
1. Incorporate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into the brand itself.Philanthropy is nice, but brand-building philanthropy communicates yourmessage effectively while giving back to the community. If your brand centres
2/8/2015 Think Win-Win About Your Brand
https://www.instapaper.com/read/553035418 5/6
on "fun," for example, you may want to sponsor programs that create funexperiences for those who can't ordinarily afford them.
2. Remember: "Employees Are Brands Too." More and more, organizations arerecognizing the power of their employees (as well as contractors, freelancers,and temps) to build the brand. Successful organizational brands will invest inbuilding the personal brands of the people who are engaged in building them.This can take the form of anything from concierge services, to coursework,customized workshops, and more.
3. Turn Loyal Customers Into "Brand Ambassadors." If you've done a good jobof building customer relationships, there are greater potential benefits to be hadthan just "repeat business." At the simplest level, you can pay customers,clients, or others impressed with your product or service a finder's fee forreferring others to you. If you dig deeper, you will likely find more ways toharness these relationships for mutual benefit. Who knows, today's loyalcustomer might be tomorrow's business partner!
4. Make Your Own Money. Today's tough economic climate means thatconsumers will need to be more resourceful about obtaining the things theyneed. Why not help them out while promoting your brand at the same time?Using "self-branded currency," you can allow consumers to do anything fromexchanging labour for merchandise, to redeeming credits for customer referrals,to enjoying an incentive toward future purchases at partner brands. Internally,though money for financial bonuses might be tight, you can reward employeesfor outstanding work with non-monetary compensation - how about a couponredeemable toward time off?
5. Connect People To Each Other. Particularly now, confronted with the threatof terrorism, an uncertain economic future, and the continuing automation ofsociety overall, people seek a meaningful connection with others. Brands that go
2/8/2015 Think Win-Win About Your Brand
https://www.instapaper.com/read/553035418 6/6
beyond self-interest to create those connections with learning circles, messageboards, peer-to-peer networking, and more, will be the brands that people trustregardless of their specific product or service needs.
(c) 2002 Dannielle Blumenthal, Ph.D.
Dannielle Blumenthal, Ph.D. is a public affairs specialist. Currently with theU.S. government, Dr.Blumenthal previously served as director of the Institutefor Brand Leadership and has also held positions at The Brand Consultancy andYoung & Rubicam's futuristic trend consultancy, The Intelligence Factory. Dr.Blumenthal is the author and co-author of several books and has served on theeditorial board of the Journal of Brand Management.
web.archive.org(http://web.archive.org/web/20060629130858/http://allaboutbranding.com/index.lasso?article=250)
