Remember, You Are the Brand

When a person starts a new position there is a natural orientation period. Management wants to allow the new employee to become familiar with the company's people, philosophy, systems and everything that makes the organization work. Smart companies know how important this initial period is. By giving the employee time to learn what everyone’s positions require, they make the new employee feel confident in theirs.

Branding and brand strategy works identically. First there is an orientation period when the product or services are “launched.” There is excitement and fun associated with this part, particularly if there has been real synergy between the sales, management and marketing groups. Hopefully there are some positive bumps in sales right after the launch is deployed.

What happens next depends less on the brand and more on the organization’s understanding and implementation of the brand story. What I mean is, the total success of a brand has much more to do with the internal workings of a company and its people than it does with its products or services. Why? Because the greatest asset of any company is its people and what they think about the brand can make or break any brand marketing launch.

The more each person in an organization understands they are the brand, the more success the organization will achieve. Just look at the worldʼs leading brands and you will conclude, aside from a great product, they have great people who are fully vested, excited and confident in their company. Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Starbuck’s. Disney. How did they become so well known for such great “brand marketing?”

It all started during those first days that allowed the new employee to become a part of something great and it was allowed and encouraged to keep growing each and every day. This excitement started with understanding what the company was about and that allowed new employees to figure out their place, which made them want to tell the brand story too. Thatʼs what being great does. It creates more greatness. Same with branding.

Tom Wants to Hear Your Branding Issues:
If you are a printing company, or product/services company serving the industry, and would like to be considered for a feature in this blog, please contact Tom Marin for an interview.