By Scott M. Davis
Guest Columnist
Refreshing your brand perspective is as simple as stepping outside. In the era of constant connectivity, we face more daily distractions than ever before. The average person receives roughly twice as many emails as they know what to do with—at home, at the office, even on vacation, where we supposedly go to escape such distractions. Thanks to their constantly diverted attention, it’s no surprise that marketers are finding themselves losing touch with the big-picture focus that drives successful brands forward from year to year.
As a branding agency, we come face-to-face with this challenge on a daily basis. Sometimes our clients realize they are too caught up in the daily grind, other times they’re so completely engrossed they cannot perceive the brand drift that is taking place all around them. It’s typically our job to help steer the brand back on course. The following brand-perspective refreshers can also help. Designed to be accomplished in one hour or less, use them to help you and your team get a fresh take on your brand.
Go mystery shopping. Leave the office for an hour. Get in the mindset of your prospect or customer and mystery-shop your own organization. If your products are sold at retail, this is easy: go shopping where your product is sold. As you shop, consider the following: how would someone find your product? Is it presented in the best possible way? Does the packaging grab your attention? Would a passer-by notice it? Is there someone to help you? Are they delivering the best messages about your products? How does the delivery of your product compare to that of your closest competitor?
For B2B or non-retail organizations, you will have to get a little trickier. Call the office and ask to speak to someone about your product or service. Is the phone answered appropriately? Do you reach the right person on the first try? How do you feel about your interactions? Does the encounter live up to your expectations? Does your interaction align with the organization’s personality and key messages? How could your brand experience be improved?
Take a field trip. Whether your brand is meant for a consumer or B2B audience, head to the nearest mall and experience someone else’s brand. Pick the most compelling brand experience you can find and take it all in. What sets this particular experience apart? How could your brand deliver such an experience? Quick: jot down your thoughts on similarities (real or potential) between your brand and the one you just experienced.
Jump in a time machine. Find a quiet place and challenge yourself to describe what your organization’s ideal brand experience might look like in 10-20 years. Capture your thoughts. Have your customers changed? Have your products or services changed? How are your customers interacting with you, and with your products? Have your customers created a community around you? How are you attracting new customers? How are your customers supported after they have purchased? Describe the culture of your organization and note what have been its constants all these years. Keep these notes safe (but handy) and revisit them periodically. They will provide a simple set of goals to consider as you manage for the future.
Scott M. Davis is a senior brand strategist at ID Branding in Portland, Oregon.
