Branding is the Experience

In the marketing industry, the word BRAND is thrown around daily. Does this or that relate to our brand? Don't worry, this is part of our branding process. We need to freshen up our brand. What the heck is our brand?

The terminology may be one of the most over-used words in the marketing world, and it is often mis-used. A brand is not a logo, which is a graphical representation of your business and your brand. A brand is not a marketing tactic or an advertising campaign. A brand is not a slogan or a happy jingle.

A brand IS an experience! It is how the customer interacts with your business; how your business responds to customer needs and demands; the perspectives the public or target audiences have of your business, products and services. True, a slogan and advertising campaign may help build a brand, but the brand itself is representative of everything your business embodies.

The worst mistake a business can make is to "brand" itself one way -- run an advertising and PR campaign that promotes its superior customer service -- and then have a reputation that completely counters that brand --cranky store reps, exhaustingly long wait times at their help desks, and scores of disgruntled customers spreading negative customer services experiences by the truckloads!

Case in point: US Airways
Marc Brownstein from Advertising Age wrote an eloquent saga of just this sort of branding hardship. His objective is to explain brand loyalty and how customers, understandably, will only take so much before they seek a competitor.

Case 2 in point: Starbucks
Although still somewhat delivering on its brand promise, some -- including Adverting Age columnist Lenore Skenazy -- question whether Starbucks is letting things slide. Mostly, Skenazy argues, there's no better competitor for Starbucks, so they're still a viable outlet for what they do offer.

Part of protecting your brand is to follow through on what your brand promises. Even better, deliver MORE than your brand promises! This will intern amplify the efforts of your brand.