The Best Things In Life Are Free

The following is a guest blog from Sue Reninger, a brand strategist for RMD Advertising…

Keep Your Brand’s Promise and Earn Lifelong Trust.

The rules have changed. The true new economy unveils itself to us every day. Resources are constrained, profitability is being challenged and is more critical than ever, energy is often limited and ROI is no longer a question of if … but when. New rules require us all to think differently. And it’s never been more important to rethink your personal and professional brand than now.

Your brand is really a promise. It’s a set of expectations you communicate to various individuals regarding the benefits that investing in or experiencing your product will bring. Disney is family fun. Nike is empowerment. RMD is creative logic. What’s your brand? And are you prepared to keep your promise?

Being able to trust in the promises you make is important in any relationship, but in a business relationship it’s king. And, loyalty and trust drive up to 70% of all purchase decisions.

The good news? The best things in life really are free.

Though the investment in living your brand’s promise may not always show up on your balance sheet, it does yield an unprecedented ROI in terms of customer and stakeholder commitments, loyalty and dedication. Integrity and authenticity are in, and a strong brand will build both of these attributes with every move you make.

So here are 3 foolproof steps you can take today to ensure your brand can build credibility and magnetism by keeping you top of mind at every opportunity, and at every point of contact.

Dialogue
You, your employees and your associates are not just walking, talking billboards, they’re your strongest resource. Engage anyone that surrounds you in a deep conversation about your brand’s essence. I bet you’ll find that there’s as much sense of ownership in building the brand as building an asset.

Position
Clearly define your brand’s unique positioning in terms of the five W’s. Creatively craft it as well. Solid positioning statements are believable yet reflect your brand’s ambition. It’s not just about who you are and the niche you hold, but who you aspire to become. Successful positioning statements help everyone involved raise the bar and rise to a new level of expectations.

Without a solid positioning, employees and stakeholders tend to flounder like ships on a rough sea – and external audience perceptions are left to chance. And where your brand lands is dependent on which way the wind is blowing.

Reinforce
Give yourself or your internal team plenty of opportunities to remind themselves of the brand and its promise. Celebrate a refreshed logo or a new advertising campaign. Demonstrate your unwavering commitment to the brand by launching the campaign internally – create screen savers, signage, sportswear, corporate challenges and emarketing campaigns to remind your internal army of the promise they’ve made.

Utilize as many of the sense as possible, making your efforts something they can see and feel; something they can smell and touch; something they can hear.
Remember, it takes 30 days to make a habit. How will you ensure that you/your internal brand team is living the brand essence before engaging with a member of your external audience?

Empower
Most internal communication campaigns start out with a great idea, but lack of follow through and post campaign efforts leave the promise to fail. Create a team of brand champions – team leaders that will challenge their colleagues to walk the brand walk and talk the brand talk. Empower these brand champions to lead the internal campaign charge, long-term, sharing creative email signatures, voicemail messages, day-to-day conversations and more.

Leave nothing to chance. Have your champions think first about possible points of brand contact, and then about optimum ways to build the brand at that opportunity. Before long, your internal campaign efforts will yield an army of brand builders, armed with motivational peer pressure and an undying effort to keep the brand promise.

About the Author:
Sue Reninger is a brand strategist for RMD Advertising, a central Ohio-based advertising agency that works primarily with growing and emerging food brands. Sue has a specific passion for success and helping her family brands grow their business in an often turbulent environment. You can contact Sue at reninger@RMDAdvertising.com or by calling 614.794.2008, or check out www.RMDadvertising.com.