Beyond the Logo
Your brand...
...What your organisation means to your clients is so much
more than the logo and set of associated images you use
to represent the products and services you sell. It’s about
everything you do, that connects in any way with the client.
Think about it, you could have the most expertly designed
logo that transcends all media and wins design awards,
but it won’t mean a thing if the clients who buy from you
associate it with bad service or faulty products.
Your brand should communicate your values, your beliefs
and the real personality of your organisation. So that no
matter which angle your organisation, products and
services are viewed from they provide a consistent
message to the client.
Your shop window
Imagine if a client found your company via the back door,
another route other than the normal sales channels?
♦ Would your stock room look as impressive and tidy as
your shop front?
♦ Would the people working there be courteous and
helpful?
♦ How would the employees speak about your
organisation?
♦ Would they recognise your organisation? Would there be
a disconnect between what they knew about you and
what they found in the stock room?
This shop analogy is a useful one to think about, no matter
what your organisation does. It demonstrates that although it
is important to develop a positive image to your clients and
potential clients through consistent branding on your
website, company literature etc there are other factors to
consider. This includes the way employees speak, the way
they dress, the state of your offices or distribution centres,
they all have an impact on the perception of your brand.
Where is my brand?
No matter what the size of your organisation, spending time
on your brand – not just your logo – will pay dividends in the
future. So take some time to answer the following questions
which will help you form a clearer picture of where your brand
is now and where ultimately you want it to be.
Have a long hard think about what your organisation does?
You may think you just sell widgets to the power boat
industry, but when you really think about it you do much
more, don’t you?. Perhaps you:
♦ Save your clients time because your widgets can be
assembled quickly
♦ Reduce their costs because your widgets are made out
of a cost effective steel alloy
♦ Enable them to manufacture the fastest speedboats in
the industry because your widget provides an essential
part to the engine
No matter what you do, really think about what your product
or service means to the client, as it will help you understand
what your brand represents to them. You could find out you
are much more than a widget supplier to them, you are
integral to the success of their organisation..
Does our logo work?
Although your logo is not your company brand, it is
important to ensure that you have a logo and associated
imagery that is used consistently throughout all
organisational literature from letterhead through to the
uniforms your employees wear. Ask yourself the following
questions:
♦ Are your proud of your logo and company image?
Does it work for, or against you?
♦ Is the logo and company image used consistently
throughout the organisation? Is the same logo used on
the website that is used on marketing literature for
example?
♦ If it is used electronically is it of a good quality?
♦ Can your logo be used in colour, grey scale and black
and white?
♦ Can it scale easily from a pen to an exhibition stand
and still be recognisable?
♦ Is it memorable?
If you answered no to any of these then have a real think
about what your logo says about your organisation and
what you do. If it isn’t doing the job then take action now to
ensure that you are proud of how your company looks to
potential clients.
What do we look like?
You may think this is all to do with your logo, but it isn’t. It
means, what does your organisation looks like to your
clients. What perception do they form of your company
through visiting your offices or interacting with your
employees?
Have you mystery shopped your own company recently? Try
it and see what views you form? Here are a sample of
questions you could ask yourself;
♦ How do employees interact with clients?
♦ How are the employees dressed when they meet
clients?
♦ How are the phones answered and queries dealt with?
♦ What do the offices or factory look like? Are they
appealing and what impression do they give to potential
clients?
♦ How are clients greeted when they visit your offices?
♦ What do employees look like, bright, happy etc? There
aren’t many organisations out there with unhappy
employees and happy clients.
♦ Is the promotion of the brand omnipresent throughout the
organisation?
What is your personality?
All brands have a personality, it may be that you are
associated with quality or that that when clients see your
logo they think of the integrity of your sales force. Think
about those people with strong personalities and how easily
you are drawn towards them. Think about those friends that
you have known for years and those that have come and
gone, why are you still friends with some and not with
others? They probably have qualities you identify with and
appreciate, such as not letting you down in times of need or
they are good fun to be around.
It’s important to note that this doesn’t really change just
because this personality is encapsulated within an
organisation. By striving to be friendly, open and honest,
clients will be attracted to you and feel good about working
with you. So take some time to think about your brand’s
personality?
♦ Do you make it easy for clients to do business with you?
♦ What does your brand stand for? Innovation, creativity,
quality, integrity etc
♦ What do people think when they see your brand?
♦ What are the key attributes that will attract potential
clients to your organisation and secondly make them
stay loyal?
♦ What personality do you want your organisation to have
that connects with your target audience and draws them
to you?
Shoes
Working in your organisation can give you a clouded view of
what your brand represents to clients. You make
assumptions about what clients want or need and what they
think about your organisation. Some of the largest
companies in the world have had their market share eroded
because they refused to wear the client’s shoes once in a
while and experience the brand for themselves.
Think about it, mystery shopping companies exist for a
reason and they can often provide some powerful
intelligence on how your brand is perceived in the market
place. Even if you don’t use them…
…Try being a client for a day. It can reveal some pretty
important things about your brand and the way you work
with clients.
What happens inside?
We have touched on what happens inside your organisation
and how we can reflect on the brand as a whole. The look
and feel of a great logo can be completely eroded away by
bad client service or faulty products. So take some time to
consider how the brand is promoted internally.
The most successful companies are focused on promoting
the brand to their employees and ensuring that they reflect
this in all aspects of their work. Whether they are answering
telephones or at the forefront of the sales force they are
representing your brand and should have a clear idea of
what it represents for the clients.
The internal marketing of your brand should not be forgotten,
if employees don’t know what the brand stands for, how can
you expect them to promote it at all times. It is really
important to make sure that your organisational culture
reflects your brand personality and values.
♦ Make sure that you communicate the brand and its value
at every opportunity. This can be through internal
newsletters, monthly meetings or through awards for
excellence.
♦ Don’t force the brand onto your employees, work the
brand and its values into all aspects of working life. From
the uniforms they wear to the training they undertake for
client service etc. By drip feeding rather than forcing they
can move from unconscious incompetence to
unconscious competence over time.
What do clients see?
Clients don’t just see a brand on its own, their mind is
unconsciously processing a range of feelings, emotions and
experiences from a perception of your organisation.
Consistency of message, logo and values are key to ensure
that all the elements of your brand work together to form a
positive and cohesive brand.
A final thought?
The following is a classic story, but so clearly demonstrates
how the brand is more than just a logo and how easily it can
be eroded overnight.
April 1991 – Annual Convention of the Institute of Directors
Gerald Ratner made a presentation on the cost effectiveness a pair of
earrings.
“People say how can you sell this for such a low price
I say because it’s total c**p…”
“…We even sell a pair of earrings for under £1, which is
cheaper than a prawn sandwich from Marks and Spencer,
but I have to say the earrings probably won’t last as long”
These comments were to signal the demise of Ratners, as its
brand was effectively demolished overnight. Prior to Ratner’s
comments, the shares were trading at 189p. By Christmas,
they had dropped to 27p; down 86 per cent.
Ultimately,
Ratner was forced to resign and the firm was renamed Signet.
Their logo looked great, their shop assistants were friendly
and although they weren’t, Tiffany & Co, the general public
associated them with quality, affordable jewellery. The whole
brand was eroded with two statements, yet they still looked
the same, their employees acted the same and their shop
fronts didn’t change. However what did was people’s
perception, which ultimately led to their demise.
Take a look at more of our marketing articles
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