Hire a policeman. Every brand needs a brand manager who will police the brand on an ongoing to ensure that the brand stays true to its core values and always, unswervingly delivers on its promise.
Most brand managers tend to focus too heavily on the rational, business aspects of the brand. And sure, somebody has got to stay on top of that stuff, too. But a left-brain brand manager must be surrounded with right-brainers who remain true to the brand’s creative and aesthetic vision, and never lose sight of the fact that a brand, in the end, must engage the consumer and stimulate an emotional response.
Your best bet is to hire the best whole-brain thinker you can find.
And hold regular Brand Ideas Meetings every few weeks. Pick a date. And stick to it. Bad things happen to brands when their owners run out of ideas.
Review each of your touchpoints. Streamline your infrastructure so that your delivery becomes automatic. You can always find a new idea to explore, and a new way to boost your emotional bond with customers. You can always find a new way to engage new internal brand champions. Sometimes the best new ideas can come from quiet corners.
Discuss lots of ideas and view them from every possible angle. For fresh perspectives, use different media to present the same idea; for example, both large-screen video and physical 3-D models. Repurpose old ideas. Seek out innovative, emotion-provocative ways to make old ideas new, while retaining your core brand identity. That’s how you perpetuate emotional bonds with customers and continue to stay relevant in the marketplace.
If your brand does not accomplish all the following, rebrand. Otherwise, your brand will fade away.
Brand Audit Checklist:
• Does your brand convey instantly your unique purchase proposition?
• Is your unique purchase proposition viable and able to thrive in the current market climate?
• How deep and how broad is your brand awareness? Does your brand inspire instant recall and recognition in the customer’s mind?
• Are all your touchpoints integrated? Compelling? Authentic?
• Have you identified the market obstacles that are impeding your growth? Have you got an action plan to remove those obstacles?
• Is your brand returning a satisfactory profit?
• Does it continue to build value and equity?