The Brand Triangle: Part 1
BY MASON THELEN – CEO & CO-FOUNDER
AND CHUCK DENSINGER – COO & CO-FOUNDER
Working recently with the Executive Team of a large, well-known client, we found ourselves in a heated debate about brand strategy and how to help the organization gain traction around brand shift. Brought in to help lead a Customer Centricity Transformation effort, we pressed on the issue: what do they want to stand for? They are a four-decade-old company with a vibrant, dynamic brand known by nearly every American. Yet they were struggling. How do our products reflect the brand platform? Why do we need to focus on a core customer when we’ve served most of America? We give great customer service in every interaction and our net promoter scores are excellent – isn’t that enough?
We jumped to the white board and shared this illustration:
It’s this simple: a Brand Platform cannot be established in isolation. It is one of three pillars – along with Customer Experience and Product Strategy – that are driven from the same understanding of and desire to serve the Customer.
Your Brand Platform needs to articulate how you are meaningfully different in the marketplace – what you do differently from anyone else in your industry, and why it’s better.
Your Customer Experience needs to establish an emotional connection – how do you want your customers to feel whenever and wherever they interact with you?
Your Product Strategy needs to deliver utility and value – what are they actually spending money on? What needs does it meet? Where does it fit on the quality and price dimensions vs. their alternatives? How does it create superior value in the marketplace?
It is the combination of the three – Brand Platform + Customer Experience + Product Strategy – that will enable companies to drive truly differentiated levels of customer engagement.
Check out The Brand Triangle: Part 2
The Brand Triangle: Part 1
BY MASON THELEN – CEO & CO-FOUNDER
AND CHUCK DENSINGER – COO & CO-FOUNDER
Working recently with the Executive Team of a large, well-known client, we found ourselves in a heated debate about brand strategy and how to help the organization gain traction around brand shift. Brought in to help lead a Customer Centricity Transformation effort, we pressed on the issue: what do they want to stand for? They are a four-decade-old company with a vibrant, dynamic brand known by nearly every American. Yet they were struggling. How do our products reflect the brand platform? Why do we need to focus on a core customer when we’ve served most of America? We give great customer service in every interaction and our net promoter scores are excellent – isn’t that enough?
We jumped to the white board and shared this illustration:
It’s this simple: a Brand Platform cannot be established in isolation. It is one of three pillars – along with Customer Experience and Product Strategy – that are driven from the same understanding of and desire to serve the Customer.
Your Brand Platform needs to articulate how you are meaningfully different in the marketplace – what you do differently from anyone else in your industry, and why it’s better.
Your Customer Experience needs to establish an emotional connection – how do you want your customers to feel whenever and wherever they interact with you?
Your Product Strategy needs to deliver utility and value – what are they actually spending money on? What needs does it meet? Where does it fit on the quality and price dimensions vs. their alternatives? How does it create superior value in the marketplace?
It is the combination of the three – Brand Platform + Customer Experience + Product Strategy – that will enable companies to drive truly differentiated levels of customer engagement.
Check out The Brand Triangle: Part 2
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