The Eyelet.

A few months back I was leading a brand workshop for one of our clients as part of a corporate rebranding program. This particular workshop involved associates directly at the front of the client relationship: folks who either directly faced the client or provided work product for those who did. After moving through about half of our planned exercises, one of the participants remarked, “Management can do whatever they want, this won’t change my job.”

After removing my jaw from the floor, I realized how much work we had to do in building a compelling brand experience for this particular client. And, yet it reminded me that one of the larger misconceptions of branding is that it starts and stops with the marketing department. At Mlicki, we can’t think of any bigger misunderstanding than that.

For service brands, brand perception is built on the collective set of experiences the customer has with the brand’s service providers. That perception is enhanced or broken with every single customer interaction. This makes the brand the responsibility of anyone who touches the customer in any way. This includes both those with direct customer contact and those in the background that the customer relies on to make sure the brand promise is delivered on everyday.

So, where does marketing and leadership fit in all this? The marketing and leadership team is responsible for defining the organization’s brand belief system, reinforcing those beliefs through regular communications internally and externally, setting expectations and guidance for brand experience and service delivery, and constantly rewarding and reinforcing the importance of that brand experience with all associates.

Since that time, this client has included a “brand moment” in all their monthly company meetings. Management uses that time to recognize employees that are best delivering on the desired brand experience and building brand perception through client interactions. In just a few short months, the members of that skeptical group have done almost a complete 180. Now, they’re at the forefront of discussions around the organization’s brand.