"Getting your name out" isn't worth much when there's no mental image attached
to your name. Unaided recall and top-of-mind awareness are excellent ways to
measure name recognition, but they don't tell you anything about the strength of
a brand.
York, Lennox, Rheem, RUUD, Carrier, Bryant, Trane, Armstrong, Friedrich and
Fedders are leading brands of air conditioners; you've probably heard of some of
them. But do you have significant feelings about any of these companies?
Although their executives would never believe it and their advertising
agencies would violently deny it, these companies' branding initiatives have
failed.
But each of them thinks they have a strong brand.
Branding is much more than name recognition, a color scheme, a logo and a
slogan. Brand essence is the complex mental image summoned by a name, even when
that name is heard only silently in the mind. (Unlike a mere visual image, a mental
image is a complex composite of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, opinion and
mood.) Brand essence is everything a brand stands for in the heart of the
customer.
What does your brand stand for in the heart of your customer?
Don't mistake company size for brand strength. Wal-Mart and Dell are big,
profitable companies but neither of them is a particularly strong brand. (Low
prices and quick delivery measure only operational excellence; they tell us
nothing about the heart of the company or the devotion of its customers.)
Conversely, Starbucks and Apple are smaller companies, but stronger brands.
The best branding campaigns ripple outward from a company's core culture and
non-negotiable standards. This brand essence is then transmitted through every
contact point with the customer: advertising, merchandising, décor, staffing and
policies. The degree to which your corporate values resonate in the heart of
your customer is the measurement of the strength of your brand.
Your brand must be anchored to
core values
buried deep in the heart of your customer. To what values is your brand linked?
The powerful Harley-Davidson brand wasn't built on the motorcycle itself, but on the values of nonconformity and the freedom of the open road. Owning a Harley is a statement of rebelliousness and self-determination. It is a magical talisman
that grants you entrance to the Island of Pirates.
Has there ever been a boy that didn't dream of being a pirate?
Would you like to know what your brand stands for in the heart of your customer?
Are you sure? The truth can be painful.
There's only one way to accurately measure the essence and strength of a brand.
If you'd like to know how to do it, just look for How to Measure the Strength of
a Brand in the
Freebies section at WizardAcademyPress.com. It's just one more gift from
your friends at Wizard Academy.
Roy H. Williams
PS – If you need help applying what the Wizard teaches about branding campaigns,
take a look at the new
Secret Formulas
advertising workshop at wizardacademy.org. While you're browsing, you might take
a look at the updated and expanded
Magical Worlds
creative communications workshop as well. Don't feel like sitting through 3 days
of training? Want a private day of the wizard's time? You can schedule that
through me, Corrine Taylor, at (800) 425-4769 or email
Corrine@wizardacademy.org .
