By Clive Siachiyako
Branding is about creating an identity associated with a set of values valuable to the consumer; a process by which a sustainable relationship is built between the customer and the organisation – based upon a deep understanding of customer needs, motivations, perceptions and values. It is also a promise that creates a bond of trust between the brand owner and the user of the brand. Thus, the institution Chief Executive Officer (CEO) should spearhead it.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
WHY the CEO? Corporate branding is a strong tool for aligning (and realigning) a corporate strategy. It ensures that the institution is leveraging adequately on the untapped internal and external resources to position your institution where it visible and memorable. Therefore, a strong CEO and a dedicated management team are always essential in raising their own bar and be change agents for their institutions backed by a strong corporate branding strategy. A well-drafted and professionally managed corporate branding strategy and implementation plan can be a powerful component of the board room work.
Secondly, the CEO needs to lead the branding of your institution because the starting point for corporate branding is from the board room. The CEO must be personally involved in the brand strategy work. S/he must be passionate and fully buy into the idea of branding. To ensure success, despite the daily and stressful routine involving multiple duties; the CEO must be backed by a strong brand management team of senior contributors, who can facilitate continuous development and integration of the new strategy. It is for these reasons that for decades CEOs have been allocated resources to manage the corporate brands which are one intangible marketing asset that drive billions associate with a product/service.
MANAGEMENT
Decisions made in management meetings have a telling on the image of the institution. They either improve it or damage it. The decision on delivery, service provision, payments of clients, handling of queries, the appearance of the building and its surrounding, decisions on the kind of furniture you use, the receptionist you employ and how your reception looks etc. have a bearing on your corporate standing in the eyes of your stakeholders. Thus management is part of branding an institution from decision making point of view to pioneering delivery and efficiency of the institutional operations.
OTHER STAFF/EMPLOYEES
Your staff carries your institution on their shoulders. What they do outside the office have an effect on the institution and its standing before the public. They are your vision careers; they carry the image of your institution everywhere they go. Their good and bad deeds positively or negatively affect the standing of your institution.
For instance, when your staff does something, be it bad or good; the media will trace them to their place of work. They will relate their action to WHAT they do and WHERE they do it from. In the process, your institution gets a good or bad name depending on the type of news about your staff. That is why some institutions write disclaimers to disassociate themselves with staff involved in some ‘damaging activities’ because such actions affect their reputation and their ‘sales’. A staff involved in criminal activities may make your customers associate your institution to some similar vices. This shows the gravity of your staff’s role in institution branding.
Your staff should support your values and principles in the way they conduct their daily work. Their attitude towards work and clients should be resonating with your values and principles. Motivating them, walking the talk with them is thus very pertinent in corporate branding. They are your brand managers; you should thus walk the journey with them. Your staff should put into practice your vision, mission and business philosophy. If you say; “we offer quality training” but your staff’s culture is negating your promise; then you are failing placing your institution where you want it to be. Your words; your promise should be matched by action by your staff.
HOW TO WALK THE TALK OF CORPORATE BRANDING
Develop your own branding model.
Build your own model of branding. Not Every Model Suits All. You need your own specific requirements, set your own business values and a unique way of doing things. The CEO, management and staff should be vision carriers of those requirements, values and ways of doing things. They should interpret them to their personal, divisional/departmental work which should reflect your identity in your area of ‘business.’ Without the support of your staff on the good corporate brand you want to be identified with, you may remain in the ‘dust’ of others’ successful foothold in their specialty.
Therefore, even the best and most comprehensive branding models have to be tailored to these needs (your business values and way of doing things) and requirements. You can make necessary adjustments with other similar business models and strategies in the company to create a simplified toolbox for corporate branding. i.e. you can align your Client Charter to your delivery systems of services or products. If you promise clients that you offer “quality skills training;” then the quality of your graduates should have characteristics of that quality. They are the yardstick of what you promised your clients.
Remember that branding is the face of a business strategy so these two areas must go together. You cannot successfully implement a business strategy without a viable corporate branding because your public standing has a bearing on the viability of your business.
Exploit New Technology
Modern technology plays a part in a successful corporate branding strategy. Technology helps to gain effectiveness and improve the competitive edge of the corporation. A company website is not only a MUST, but rather a vital channel for any modern corporation regardless of size. “If your institution is not accessible on the Internet, it does not exist!” it is said. The more professional the website, the better the perception among the Internet savvy modern customer. With the advances in social media, it is also a must that your company has a strategy for how to utilise the huge number of tools and resources.
Remember that ignoring social media makes you mute – not invisible. Facebook alone hosts about 1.0 billion people. You can benefit from that population and sell your products/services at a much cheaper rate. You can tell this audience who you are, what you do, where you do it from and put testimonies (mini-videos) from graduates as market points on the video window on the social media.
Create the right delivery system.
The corporate brand is the face of the business strategy and basically it promises what all stakeholders should expect from you. Therefore, the delivery system of the right products/services should be carefully scrutinised and evaluated. Deliver effectively and efficiently on what you promise your clients. They become your life long clients, they will become loyal customers. They are your word of mouth marketing agents. Thus, the way you treat them when they are in contact with you affects your relationship and it affects how they treat your products/services.
Communicate
Bring the corporate brand to life through a range of well-planned and well-executed communication activities. The overall messages should be consistent, clear and relevant to the target audiences. The various messages should be concise and easy to comprehend. Using complicated jargon will just confuse your audience and they may miss your main message. Use simple words, straight forward sentences and precise grammar. Go straight to the point.
Adjust relentlessly and be ready to raise your own bar all the times
The business landscape is changing almost every day in every industry. Hence you need to evaluate and possibly adjust on how you do things on a regular basis. Such changes are part of corporate branding. You are fitting into the needs of the modern market. Your corporate brand should thus stay relevant, distinguished and always consistent. Do not be overtaken by events; move with time. Change your corporate branding according to what is relevant to your clientele.
The basic parts of the corporate branding strategy like vision, identity, personality and values are not to be changed often as they are the basic components. The changes may rather involve the thousands of daily actions and interpersonal behaviors, which you employ as part of the brand marketing efforts. Do not complacent. Strong brands are those driven forward by owners whom never get tired of raising their own bars.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
WHY the CEO? Corporate branding is a strong tool for aligning (and realigning) a corporate strategy. It ensures that the institution is leveraging adequately on the untapped internal and external resources to position your institution where it visible and memorable. Therefore, a strong CEO and a dedicated management team are always essential in raising their own bar and be change agents for their institutions backed by a strong corporate branding strategy. A well-drafted and professionally managed corporate branding strategy and implementation plan can be a powerful component of the board room work.
Secondly, the CEO needs to lead the branding of your institution because the starting point for corporate branding is from the board room. The CEO must be personally involved in the brand strategy work. S/he must be passionate and fully buy into the idea of branding. To ensure success, despite the daily and stressful routine involving multiple duties; the CEO must be backed by a strong brand management team of senior contributors, who can facilitate continuous development and integration of the new strategy. It is for these reasons that for decades CEOs have been allocated resources to manage the corporate brands which are one intangible marketing asset that drive billions associate with a product/service.
MANAGEMENT
Decisions made in management meetings have a telling on the image of the institution. They either improve it or damage it. The decision on delivery, service provision, payments of clients, handling of queries, the appearance of the building and its surrounding, decisions on the kind of furniture you use, the receptionist you employ and how your reception looks etc. have a bearing on your corporate standing in the eyes of your stakeholders. Thus management is part of branding an institution from decision making point of view to pioneering delivery and efficiency of the institutional operations.
OTHER STAFF/EMPLOYEES
Your staff carries your institution on their shoulders. What they do outside the office have an effect on the institution and its standing before the public. They are your vision careers; they carry the image of your institution everywhere they go. Their good and bad deeds positively or negatively affect the standing of your institution.
For instance, when your staff does something, be it bad or good; the media will trace them to their place of work. They will relate their action to WHAT they do and WHERE they do it from. In the process, your institution gets a good or bad name depending on the type of news about your staff. That is why some institutions write disclaimers to disassociate themselves with staff involved in some ‘damaging activities’ because such actions affect their reputation and their ‘sales’. A staff involved in criminal activities may make your customers associate your institution to some similar vices. This shows the gravity of your staff’s role in institution branding.
Your staff should support your values and principles in the way they conduct their daily work. Their attitude towards work and clients should be resonating with your values and principles. Motivating them, walking the talk with them is thus very pertinent in corporate branding. They are your brand managers; you should thus walk the journey with them. Your staff should put into practice your vision, mission and business philosophy. If you say; “we offer quality training” but your staff’s culture is negating your promise; then you are failing placing your institution where you want it to be. Your words; your promise should be matched by action by your staff.
HOW TO WALK THE TALK OF CORPORATE BRANDING
Develop your own branding model.
Build your own model of branding. Not Every Model Suits All. You need your own specific requirements, set your own business values and a unique way of doing things. The CEO, management and staff should be vision carriers of those requirements, values and ways of doing things. They should interpret them to their personal, divisional/departmental work which should reflect your identity in your area of ‘business.’ Without the support of your staff on the good corporate brand you want to be identified with, you may remain in the ‘dust’ of others’ successful foothold in their specialty.
Therefore, even the best and most comprehensive branding models have to be tailored to these needs (your business values and way of doing things) and requirements. You can make necessary adjustments with other similar business models and strategies in the company to create a simplified toolbox for corporate branding. i.e. you can align your Client Charter to your delivery systems of services or products. If you promise clients that you offer “quality skills training;” then the quality of your graduates should have characteristics of that quality. They are the yardstick of what you promised your clients.
Remember that branding is the face of a business strategy so these two areas must go together. You cannot successfully implement a business strategy without a viable corporate branding because your public standing has a bearing on the viability of your business.
Exploit New Technology
Modern technology plays a part in a successful corporate branding strategy. Technology helps to gain effectiveness and improve the competitive edge of the corporation. A company website is not only a MUST, but rather a vital channel for any modern corporation regardless of size. “If your institution is not accessible on the Internet, it does not exist!” it is said. The more professional the website, the better the perception among the Internet savvy modern customer. With the advances in social media, it is also a must that your company has a strategy for how to utilise the huge number of tools and resources.
Remember that ignoring social media makes you mute – not invisible. Facebook alone hosts about 1.0 billion people. You can benefit from that population and sell your products/services at a much cheaper rate. You can tell this audience who you are, what you do, where you do it from and put testimonies (mini-videos) from graduates as market points on the video window on the social media.
Create the right delivery system.
The corporate brand is the face of the business strategy and basically it promises what all stakeholders should expect from you. Therefore, the delivery system of the right products/services should be carefully scrutinised and evaluated. Deliver effectively and efficiently on what you promise your clients. They become your life long clients, they will become loyal customers. They are your word of mouth marketing agents. Thus, the way you treat them when they are in contact with you affects your relationship and it affects how they treat your products/services.
Communicate
Bring the corporate brand to life through a range of well-planned and well-executed communication activities. The overall messages should be consistent, clear and relevant to the target audiences. The various messages should be concise and easy to comprehend. Using complicated jargon will just confuse your audience and they may miss your main message. Use simple words, straight forward sentences and precise grammar. Go straight to the point.
Adjust relentlessly and be ready to raise your own bar all the times
The business landscape is changing almost every day in every industry. Hence you need to evaluate and possibly adjust on how you do things on a regular basis. Such changes are part of corporate branding. You are fitting into the needs of the modern market. Your corporate brand should thus stay relevant, distinguished and always consistent. Do not be overtaken by events; move with time. Change your corporate branding according to what is relevant to your clientele.
The basic parts of the corporate branding strategy like vision, identity, personality and values are not to be changed often as they are the basic components. The changes may rather involve the thousands of daily actions and interpersonal behaviors, which you employ as part of the brand marketing efforts. Do not complacent. Strong brands are those driven forward by owners whom never get tired of raising their own bars.
B2C and B2B refers to business-to-consumer and business-to-business respectively. Their similarity lies in that both consumers and businesses are customers. In short, B2B and B2C Marketing end-customers are businesses while B2C end-customers are consumers who are the general public.
ReplyDelete