‘Stay at home’ is the new rule for us all.  We were told that social distancing was the only way to contain the virus, but in the end, we had to be shown the rule book before we changed our behaviour. 

 

Sticking to the rules can be repetitive, frustrating and dull, but it’s often the only way to deliver the right outcomes – from running a successful school to running a big match or a profitable company.

Running a successful brand is no different.   ‘Stay on brand’ is the rule here. This may seem counter intuitive when so many high-profile brands appear to be spontaneous.  However, no matter how innovative or creative a brand appears, it’s sticking to the ground rules that ensure success; by success I mean brands which add value both to society and to the company balance sheet.

“For most of the largest global companies, more than 15% of their market capitalisation is in their brand value”.

 

Stay On Brand To Achieve Optimum ROI

Adding value on all fronts is made possible when brands focus on delivering a specific purpose or vision in tandem with delivery of business goals. Invariably, the brands which increase in value consistently are those with a strong purpose and set of principles which are embedded in company activity at every touch point.

For example, in the personal care sector, Dove’s purpose or social mission to raise self-esteem in the next generation of women is a great example of higher purpose that pays dividends.  Likewise, in the service sector, Six Senses Hotels & Resorts has long pursued a philosophy of sustainability, wellness and responsible practice, resulting in enviable levels of recognition and a base of loyal customers more than happy to pay a premium.

Both these businesses remain on brand and driven by their brand purpose, which makes success easier to achieve in day to day operations as well as in innovations and extensions, from strategy through to the customer experience.

 

The Best Way To Stay On Brand

Brand rules or guidelines to keep the business ‘on brand’ can be simple in themselves.  Making the rules understood, appreciated and deliverable at every brand touch point is not so simple.

First the simple part.  A Brand Book or Brand Guidelines should include 5 key elements:

  • Brand purpose
  • Brand vision & story
  • Customer experience
  • Employee experience
  • Brand Identity & communication style

The harder part is making the Brand Book appealing, accessible and engaging throughout the business in order to change behaviour.

For your workforce to deliver the brand experience that customers expect, the Brand Book must come alive at every point in their journey – from recruitment, onboarding and training through to service delivery, measurement and feedback, career development, events and reward.

Making the ‘on brand’ rules easy for your teams to understand and engage with will facilitate their day to day interaction with customers and speed up your approach to brand innovation and development; both of these are essential to gain competitive edge now and in the longer term.

There has never been a greater need for brands to be agile and capable of change than right now.

 

The innovations themselves will be just as spectacular – and getting them to market faster and more efficiently than competitors will mean the difference between success or loss of market share now.  The ‘on brand’ rule can be your win-win.

For a free consultation on how to stay on brand now and how to ensure your business is a winner when we emerge into a changing marketplace, we’re here to help. Get in touch here or by dropping us an email!

Let's TAlk