Building a brand is about having a good, holistic perspective on marketing, branding, and sales. How do you diagnose the real problem when there aren’t symptoms and signs that suggest there is one?
Problem Model
Brand solves the problem on how your customers/consumers perceive your business operations, the holistic reputation, achievements and value.
More often than not, in a struggling business there is a brand neglect problem/issue that requires immediate attention impeding the rest of the functions and efforts of the business in trying to appeal and influence its target market and consumers, which acts as a slow cancer to the overall performance of the brand if not given attention for resolve. We created a model in which we have identified the types of problems the brand might encounter at different stages. By examining each step through a series of client consultation, enabling us to pinpoint the root cause of the brand problem.
Marketing Funnel & Problem Stages
After a successful strategy on marketing and your customers have trusted your brand on your offer and solutions; then a new challenge arises.
Your brand is still required to deliver on all its brand promises to ensure a sustainable relationship that retains the trust built over time and the loyalty that can prompt your customers’ positive advocacy of your brand to others, which can also then create a positive impact and influence; the two most essential things your brand needs to grow and aim to achieve as goals.
Managing this effectively using a brand strategy as a solution will solve the problem of misaligned processes and unfulfilled brand promise.
To correctly diagnose the brand problem we need ask the following:
Below are illustrations that clearly show the main source with the brand problem. Identifying a specific issue with your brand, places you in a good positing to draw a brand strategy that resolves the issues.
Brand Problem Defined
Not having loyal clients/customers, also lacking good advocacy from them can be resolved. The illustration below highlights the main parts that require attention and work to get the brand problem fixed.
Brand Problem Solved
With our scenario below, we indicate how the defining of the brand problem helps with drafting the solution (brand strategy):
Dame Security (a business offering security services to its clients)
Value
- No other Value: The Product is the only value offered.
Brand Set-Up Scenario
The outcome that precedes from this value set-up has led the security company to hire a security force that is well experienced but without a model for engaging employees with the brand set-up. As a result, there is a lot of mismanaged conduct by employees in their style of operation and execution.
Employee A: This employee is guided by his own intuition and generally puts human life first in executing his duties as a security armed personnel. His values are pro life in dealing with his subjects and tries to protect the brand’s image by not being careless with his gun and makes sure criminals are brought down correctly according to a general arms and security training.
Employee B: This employee will do whatever it takes to bring his subject(s) down. There are no guidelines or rules when it comes to his duties. He finds it necessary to use all tactics necessary to get the job done, even if it means having to shoot to kill.
Brand Problem
- No Purpose: The clients don’t know what the security brand stands for apart from their product.
- Poor Brand Experience: The clients are having different brand experiences as displayed by Employee A and Employee B. There is no alignment in brand culture and behaviour to the brand values that don’t exist. The poor brand experience impacts both the employees and clients.
- No Values: Not having values in place leads to the confusion and misguided behaviour of the employees.
- No Direction: The lack of values ultimately leads the brand to be directionless.
- Inconsistence: Without policies and a clear brand promise, the inconsistency is more apparent.
- No Impact: The ultimate perceived value is decreased and no impact is made by the brand.
The No Brand Value Outcome
There is a lot of misalignment within the brand and lack of good brand experience for the employees, dismantling brand culture and practice that could serve as guidelines. The outcome or perceived value is left in the hands of the employees with their style of operation and execution as a source of guide. The misaligned brand practices and culture reflects badly on the overall brand and its leadership, and as a result the client’s brand experience is terrible and wouldn’t even think twice of renewing contracts nor recommending the brand to anyone else.
Brand Solution
- Clarity: Purpose, Values and Solution
- Intent: Brand strategy
- Alignment: Business, Brand and Behaviour
- Impact & Growth: Outcome and Goals
- Transformation: The Ultimate Success of A Brand And Business
Sustainable Outcomes
A sustainable approach to get rid of the brand problem is to align the different codes.
- Brand purpose, values and experience
- Brand leadership and employee alignment
- Brand practice, behaviour and engagement
The vision statement also needs to be revised as it will articulate what the brand is aiming for as it also influences the behaviour of the security staff. The questions to always ask when experiencing a brand problem are: What business are we in? and how would the world be or look without us? This is a good starting point in diagnosing the issues and seeking a sustainable resolve.