Branding Without The Iron

What Makes a Strong Brand?

According to Casey, a company with strong brands began by examining the proposition or promise it gives its customers, investors, employees,  and community. Specifically, it looked at the organization’s mission, vision, and values. It’s necessary—however painful it might be—because the company’s leaders must understand what’s in the minds and hearts of the people who are important to their company’s success, she says. 

According to Casey, brands have four components:

1)  What you say

2)  How you look

3)  How you communicate

4)  What you do

The communication component, Casey says, is about being consistent, communicating in bad times as well as the good, and using straightforward language. “In this era of greater transparency, walking the talk becomes the most essential part of the brand,” she says. “It requires a lot of discipline throughout the organization. It requires everyone in the organization to understand what the company stands for, and how they should live the brand.”

Hopkins offers the example of the JetBlue Airways debacle last year, in which passengers sat in an airplane on the tarmac at the JFK airport in New York for about 10 hours due in part to bad weather. JetBlue had built a strong brand with thousands of airline passengers, but one day of poor judgment by a few people led to the worst day in the airline’s history.

Almost immediately, JetBlue’s then-CEO David Neeleman issued a public, heartfelt apology, and the corporation has since issued an industry-leading Passenger’s Bill of Rights. These actions have helped repair JetBlue's brand, but it will take a long time to build it back to the strength it had previously.

So who should be concerned with branding? Based on my own experiences, what I've read, and what my branding  guru friends say, I think it should be a high priority for all corner-office folks. Everyone takes note of the things that are important to the senior business leaders. As the saying goes, "It takes a village" to build a brand and keep promises that your ogranization makes to its customers.

And if you still think that branding is something that cowboys do, then maybe you'll understand it at your next job!