WHAT IS A BRAND?
{ BY DAVE HILE, PRESIDENT }
Can the essence of a brand be summed up in a
single sentence? That's a tough task, but Marty
Neumier, branding guru and author of The Brand Gap,
does it beautifully:
A BRAND IS A PERSON’S GUT FEELING ABOUT A PRODUCT, SERVICE, OR ORGANIZATION.
We like to think that the products, companies, and charities we identify with and support are the result of our analytical,
left-brain scrutiny. But in reality, at least during our initial contact, we use our intuition and emotion to judge the people
we meet and the products and companies we patronize.
FOR EXAMPLE…
Say you walk into a meeting with four strangers: 1) a well-dressed woman with a pen and notepad 2) a young man slouched in his
chair with a skull and crossbones tattooed on his forehead 3) a woman who is slumped over and has a bored expression on her face
4) a man donning horn-rimmed glasses, an earring, and contemporary clothing.
Boom! Instantly, you’ve analyzed them (hey, you can’t help it) … 1) Organized 2) Untrustworthy 3) Apathetic 4) Creative
Consumers judge brands in much the same way. According to recent
web-user research*, organizations have up to 10 seconds to either gain or
lose the attention (and the potential business) of prospective customers.
I’m referring to web statistics here because an organization’s website
should represent the fullest embodiment of their brand.
With people, we make these microsecond judgments based primarily on
physical appearance. For companies, we take a bit more into account —
their name, logo, tagline, overall look and feel, and the content and tone
of their messaging (mainly headlines). Perhaps taking in all these factors is
why we are willing to grant them up to ten seconds of our attention. If we
like what we see and give them more of our time, we also consider other
factors, including their corporate values, social responsibility, and the
reviews of others. Mr. Neumeier says — and I agree — that what we are
really looking for in a brand is a company or product that we can trust.
That’s why major brands spend so much money communicating their
product attributes, corporate messaging, values, and culture.
*www.nngroup.com/articles/how-long-do-users-stay-on-web-pages
BIG BRANDS, BIG MONEY
Let’s make a game of it — can you match each
brand with its advertising budget?
AT&T
Apple
Home Depot
Chevrolet
Verizon
Target
Pfizer
A) $662 million
B) $958 million
C) $1.59 billion
D) $659 million
E) $1.43 billion
F) $762 million
G) $468 million
Yowza! That’s
$5.05 for every
person in America.
Successful companies understand the immense
power of branding, so they’re willing to shell out
big … but their returns on investment are really big.
AT&T: C Apple: A Home Depot: G Chevrolet: B Verizon: E Target: D
Pfizer: F Amounts are based on 2012 data. Source: adage.com
4844 Jackson Rd, Ste 125 /// Ann Arbor, MI 48103 /// phone 734.995.1245 /// fax 734.995.5173 /// hilecreative.com
NEWSFLASH!
YOU ALREADY HAVE A BRAND
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
The truth is, all companies and organizations have a brand.
If you’re thinking, “Gotcha Hile! We’ve never spent any
significant amount on our branding and we’re doing OK,” I
would say you have an accidental brand, or a brand by
default (and if you’re doing OK, you’ve been lucky so far).
Just like you expect your friends to be honest with you, your
customers expect that the brand you present to them is
authentic from the inside out. Again, I’ll tip my hat to Marty
Neumier: “It’s not what you say it is. It’s what they (your
customers) say it is.”
If company leaders don’t invest in creating a unified,
authentic brand — one that is consistent across all customer
touch points — then they’re confusing everyone, including
their own staff. They’re also neglecting the most important
aspect of what brands do: they offer a clear choice. Many
companies fail to clearly define how they’re different from
competitors, and don’t offer people a reason for engaging
with them. It’s like choosing between vanilla ice cream and
vanilla ice cream … what’s the difference? Consumers are
too impatient and have way too many other options.
Today’s customers are perceptive. They can sniff out a phony
in an instant, and are more than willing to either praise your
company (and its affiliated services and products) or stomp
on it. It’s always been the case that word of mouth is
important to businesses, but with social media, the ability to
share an opinion with tens of thousands of people is but a
few keystrokes away. That’s why having a clear social media
strategy for your brand is so important — it allows you to
monitor feedback, stay fresh in customers’ minds, and
reinforce the positive qualities of your business.
Here are some well-defined brands. When you hear their names, you get a gut feeling about them. Do people get a gut feeling
about your brand? Do you know what that feeling is? With strong branding, you can provide the clarity and consistency that
customers crave.
IF YOU BRAND IT, THEY WILL COME
By now, you know what a successful brand is and why it matters. But what
about your brand? As you work to create or refine it, keep these things in mind:
BE AUTHENTIC: Develop and advocate corporate self-awareness, which lays the groundwork for an honest, purposeful brand.
DEFINE YOURSELF: Clearly define internally — and then communicate externally — how your company, service, or product is
different from its competitors.
STAY CONSISTENT: Build consistency throughout all customer touch points, including your name, logo, identity, messaging and tone,
website, social media, videos, brick-and-mortar facilities, and anything else that portrays corporate culture and values.
When your brand is authentic, clearly defined, and consistent, you’ll make a great first impression. People will stick around to find
out more about you, and then do business with you, tell others how great you are, and grow to trust you — which is every
business’ dream come true.
Want more information about what it takes to build a great brand?
Go to hilecreative.com/brand to learn about Key Discovery, our in-depth branding process.
4844 Jackson Rd, Ste 125 /// Ann Arbor, MI 48103 /// phone 734.995.1245 /// fax 734.995.5173 /// hilecreative.com