This article is 1 year old but still valid today.
.The inside outs of building a brand's promise
Thursday, October 7, 2004 The Halifax Herald Limited
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Sobey School of Business
Telus claims that "the future is friendly." Last year, when the CRTC received thousands of complaints from irate Telus customers who couldn't get proper service, the company's response wasn't all that friendly. According to a CBC Marketplace investigative report in December 2003, internal memos at Telus from senior management to front-line employees provided tips on how to make excuses and fend off angry customers. This is not the only company with a gap between the internal view and the external view of the brand.
Brand-building exercises seem to focus exclusively on the customer. Customer focus groups are commissioned to figure out how the brand is perceived or whether their perceptions can be changed. The customer should be a central and significant focus in any branding exercise, but not the sole focus if a company wants to build a successful brand.
The employee focus is often the missing ingredient. Very few organizations commit the effort and resources required to align internal values, culture and communication with external brand identity and brand messages.
A brand is a promise. In the case of Delta Hotels, part of the brand promise is that the Delta brand is "a hotel that has warm, friendly, sincere, customer-focused employees." CanJet is a "friendly airline with everyday low unrestricted one-way fares and personnel who will always make you feel welcome." A brand's reputation and longevity depends on whether the company is able to consistently keep the brand promise. This is where the employees come into play. They play a critical role in meeting the brand promise.
When a brand claims to be friendly and sincere, every contact point with the customers in every channel must meet that commitment. In the case of Delta Hotels, the company is saying we not only deliver a quality service, but also do it with friendliness and sincerity. Translating such qualitative brand values into meaningful experiences for the customer requires that employees fully understand the brand values and promise and employees "live the brand" with full support from senior management.
Staying true to the brand promise, especially in service industries, is easier said than done. The branding strategy - the identity of the brand, the value proposition and differentiation - is decided by senior management.
The actual brand experience (that is, interaction of the customer with the brand) is in the hands of front-line service personnel. These are often the lowest-paid employees. The turnover in these jobs is high in some cases, and employer commitment to these employees is low. If a brand promises friendliness, an employee having a bad day is all it takes to create a service failure.
When the employee is not properly schooled in what the brand really represents or does not subscribe to the brand values, there's a gap between customer expectations and perceived quality of service, leading to customer dissatisfaction.
Companies in turmoil have a greater challenge in ensuring consistency between internal and external branding. Aliant, where thousands of workers are just back from a lengthy strike, will have to ensure that its employees deliver on its brand promise: "You can depend on us to make it easy to do what you want." As a reborn Air Canada struggles with its identity in the marketplace, the brand value proposition and differentiation from WestJet or CanJet has to be articulated. Internally, employees have not had an easy time and have made significant concessions to keep Air Canada flying. The company has to create an internal culture and brand message that can successfully extend outward.
Cultural change is never easy. Companies that start with the premise that satisfied employees make satisfied customers have it right. Companies that build the brand internally first and then extend it externally to customers tend to have both employee and customer loyalty. Westjet in Canada has a team of employees called Care Team who are responsible for helping managers care for employees.
Maritime Life underwent a brand renewal two years ago in which the focus was on building a strong internal brand. It is not surprising that this company is rated as a top 50 employer in Canada by ROB Magazine.
Internal branding is not about T-shirts, caps with corporate logos, fancy brochures or newsletters. It is a process whereby the company:
*Recruits and retains employees who believe in the core values of the company and its brand;
*Enables employees to "live the brand" through training, support and rewards;
*Ensures consistency between external and internal brand messages (such as shared brand promise).
What can we learn from these successful brands?
First, build the brand inside. Then extend the brand outward to customers with consistent brand elements and messages. There's your formula for a brand that will live up to its promise.
Ramesh Venkat is an associate professor of marketing and associate dean of master's programs at the Sobey School of Business. His teaching, research and consulting focus on brand management, customer satisfaction, CRM and Internet marketing.
