May 06 in Branding, Business, Uncategorized
Written by: Heather Rast
Success comes from a deep understanding of your (your brand’s) unique offering and the position you hold in the minds of those most vital to your livelihood. When you know where you are in relation to how they think of you, well let’s just say that can make all the difference.
Consider these examples –
- A service provider bungled his first meet&greet with a case of verbal diahrrea. The pitch was entirely about him. He didn’t ask critical questions necessary to draw connections between your company’s needs and his services. To top things off, in an effort to put a shine on his lean approach (presumably to engender your admiration for fiscal consciousness), he bad-mouthed the traditional multi-disciplinary agency structure. Which, as it may happen, you spent 20 years in. And would have surfaced if he’d ever stopped to ask (listen) rather than talk.
What’s at risk? More than a first impression. A personal assessment that he’s full of rhetoric and lacks an awareness of others. His insensitivity cost him the gig and a referral. A total brand bust.
- Brand A is stabilizing, having met a couple of key milestones. Many opportunities exist for refining, testing, and growing line extensions to capture more share. Surprisingly, rather than focusing resources to push the brand to the next stages, stakeholders splinter team energy off to pursue some other interests. Potential for Brand A remains unrealized, at least in terms of measurable installments.
What’s at risk? A customer base that yearns for more from the brand and is forced to distribute their equipment purchases among vendors (one of whom might capitalize on a distracted Brand A), exposing the brand to vulnerabilities. An internal team growing uncomfortable with what seems a conflict of business priorities. Individuals feeling frustrated and unappreciated for their efforts thanks to the next shiny object. A brand unrealized.
- The personality profile that affirmed your relative “match” for a firm creates the lens through which you’re viewed within your job. Only the profile wasn’t taken in context with a specific role, responsibilities, or objectives, so gross generalization of “your kind” is only the beginning. The real groan comes when every choice you make, every action you take is bumped up against the generalizations, effectively typecasting you in a role from which there is no escape. “You’re cream cheese,” says the boss. “You couldn’t possibly be used in dessert. You belong on bagels. Everybody says so.”
What’s at risk? Opinions can be very difficult to change, so an employee pegged as short on XYZ skills may find themselves bumping against a wall, whether the wall takes the form of a closed-door meeting (and no invitation) or an oblivious supervisor incapable of acknowledging her own limitations and poor capacity for independent assessment. The employee with so much to offer may feel misunderstood, their voice unheard. A definite mis-brand.
Give me your take on other bound brands. And note that as usual for my writing here, the concept of “brand” could apply to a tangible product, a service, or even a person (think ‘personal brand,’ just don’t say it out loud. Ewwwww!).
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