(Long) Live the Brand!
June 3rd, 2009 by Randee Gannon
What brands are you loyal to? And why?
That was the ‘elevator’ question (no really, we were in the elevator!) I recently posed to a colleague following a rather insightful meeting with a client about….you guessed it – branding. Corporations today (healthcare or not) are busier defining and protecting their brands than ever before. Social media is in full swing, which means companies are ‘out there,’ for better or worse. Brands are created every day online whether a company participates or not. Heck, personal branding is now exemplified online. But that’s another blog.
Before you answer my question about brand loyalty – I’m guessing you’re still pondering – let’s further muddy the waters by agreeing on the definition of ‘brand.’ I tell clients:
- It’s not what you say, it’s what you do: ‘live the brand’.
- It’s the emotion you want to evoke when a customer experiences your product.
- It’s a concept that lives in the minds of your customers.
- It’s not a logo or a slogan (pleeeeease!).
I call this muddy water because most marketing-types like me agree that there is very little clarity around the conference table on this subject. It’s a complicated concept. We’ve all heard someone say, “I don’t believe in branding.” Or, the old mantra in healthcare, “It sounds too much like advertising.”
I’m loyal to Southwest Airlines – they are almost always on time and are very pragmatic and practical. Their employees live the brand. All without a slogan! I like that. Also, I am in love with the Lucky Brand clothing line. Why? Their ‘peace and love’ concept makes me feel young and carefree – two things I most definitely am not! (But used to be!!) However, I don’t want to wear the logo – the Lucky Brand is all about how I FEEL shopping for and wearing their clothes.
These aren’t very sophisticated examples – and quite frankly, they weren’t very easy to come by either. Which goes to prove how difficult it is to successfully create a brand that is meaningful and memorable.
Your turn! What products, and especially services do you love and why?
