323 105 1MB
English Pages 224 [273] Year 2008
B U S I N E S S
E N T E R P R I S E
S E R I E S
BRANDING YOUR BUSINESS
Branding Your Business Promoting your business, attracting customers and standing out in the market place James Hammond
Branding Your Business
THISPAGEINTENTIONALLY LEFTBLANK ii
Branding Your Business Promoting your business, attracting customers and standing out in the market place
James Hammond
London and Philadelphia
Publisher’snote Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurateatthetimeofgoingtopress,andthepublishersandauthorcannotacceptresponsibility foranyerrorsoromissions,howevercaused.Noresponsibilityforlossordamageoccasionedto anypersonacting,orrefrainingfromaction,asaresultofthematerialinthispublicationcanbe acceptedbytheeditor,thepublisherortheauthor. FirstpublishedinGreatBritainandtheUnitedStatesin2008byKoganPageLimited Apartfromanyfairdealingforthepurposesofresearchorprivatestudy,orcriticismorreview, aspermittedundertheCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988,thispublicationmayonlybe reproduced,storedortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,withthepriorpermissioninwriting ofthepublishers,orinthecaseofreprographicreproductioninaccordancewiththetermsand licencesissuedbytheCLA.Enquiriesconcerningreproductionoutsidethesetermsshouldbesent tothepublishersattheundermentionedaddresses: 120PentonvilleRoad 525South4thStreet,#241 LondonN19JN PhiladelphiaPA19147 UnitedKingdom USA www.koganpage.com ©JamesHammond,2008 TherightofJamesHammondtobeidentifiedastheauthorofthisworkhasbeenassertedbyhim inaccordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988. Theviewsexpressedinthisbookarethoseoftheauthor,andarenotnecessarilythesameasthose ofTimesNewspapersLtd. ISBN9780749450731 BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData ACIPrecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Hammond,James,1952– Brandingyourbusiness:promotingyourbusiness,attractingcustomers,andstanding outinthemarketplace/JamesHammond. p.cm. Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN978-0-7494-5073-1 1.Branding(Marketing)––Management.2.Consumerbehavior.3.Brandname products––Psychologicalaspects.4.Sensesandsensation.5.Communicationin marketing.I.Title. HF5415.1255.H362008 658.8'27––dc22 2007047429 TypesetbyJSTypesettingLtd,Porthcawl,MidGlamorgan PrintedandboundinIndiabyReplikaPressPvtLtd
Contents
Acknowledgements Abouttheauthor
ix xi
Introduction
1
Part1 Nothingbutthebrand
5
1.
7
Justwhatisabrand,andwhoisthecustomer? Justwhatisabrand?7;Peoplearebrands,too8;Don’tgiveme facts...mymind’smadeup9;Brandingbringsbenefits10;A brand?It’snothingbutapaininthebackside11;Anemphasison identity12;Thebrandlandscapeoftoday12;Definingabrand13; Whoisthecustomer?14;Thechangingfaceofthecustomer17; Thetwokeysofbranding18;Theall-encompassingBrand Halo™19;AbrandofEPIC™proportions20;Branding:nota cover-stickforaspottybusiness22
Part2 Understandingemotion
27
2.
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Brandingtheheartaswellasthehead Definingemotions30;Twopathwaystopurchasing31;How manyemotionsarethere?33;Features...35;...andbenefits36; Maslow’sHierarchyofHumanNeeds38;Adaptiveorsupportive emotions–youdecide40;Definingyourproductorservice’s emotionalbenefit43;Supportingyouremotionalbenefit45
vi Contents
Part3 Perceptionisreality
51
3. Howperceptioncreatesemotion Generatingemotions54;Whatisperception?55
53
4.
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Perceptionandlong-termmemory Reception61;Selection63;Understandingtheschemeof things66;Interpretation67;Reaction69;Themythsofemotional branding70;Long-termmemory73;Hereendeththepsychology lesson...75
Part4 Makingsenseofthesenses
77
5. Foregroundandbackground
79
6.
Lookinglikeyourbrand Creatingavisualbrandidentity86;Gooddesign...orbad design?Whochooses?87;Yourreceptionarea93;Youroffice environment95;What’sinaname?96;Usetechnologytoyour advantage96
83
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YourBodyBrandTM Visualcommunication–upcloseandpersonal100;Seeingeyeto eyewithyourcustomers102;Standingup(orsittingdown)for yourbrand103;Handshakesfromhell103;Giveyourselfabody check104;Checklistfornon-verbalcommunication105
99
8.
Talkingthewalk Speech108;Creatingrapportwithyourcustomers108;Listen andrespond110;Thetwoingredientsofacustomer conversation111;Reasonsforcustomercontact113;Customer communicationchecklist115
107
9.
Puttingyourbrandontherighttrack Audiologosandjingles125;Blowyourtrumpet,soundyour horn125;Goodtelephoneetiquette127;Givingcustomersaudio guidance128;Spatialenhancement129;Musicwhileyou work134;Don’tmissaudioopportunities135
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Contents vii
10.
Thesweetsmellofbrandsuccess 137 Smellsevokememories138;TheSingaporeGirlsensory brand140;Definingyourbrand’ssmell141;YourBrandScent environment142;Charityshops–asmellyproblem?143; Scentingtheproductorservice144;Servicewithasmell146; Aromaticpublicityandpromotions147;Containingthesmell149; Yourpersonalscent:goodorbadidea?151;Usescentsandaromas withcare153
11.
Brandingthetastebuds 155 Gettingtheedgeinfoodanddrink155;Atastynon-food business156;Sweetwaystobrandyourbusiness158;Tastebuds andbusinesstie-ins160
12.
Brandtouchandfeel 165 Gettingintouchwithyourbrand166;Addanemotionaltouch toyourproduct168;Bringingyourbrandtothesurface173; Brandingonthecan175;Usingtouchinaservicebusiness175; Charitiescanbenefitfromatactileapproach178;It’syourturnto betactile180;Touchingwhatsurroundsyou182;Asenseof touchontheweb182
Part5 Innovation
185
13.
BuildingyourBrandHalo™ 187 TheideabehindaBrandHalo™188;Therightpartsofyour business–butnotallparts189;Customercontacttimeline190; Determiningyourkeycustomercontactpoints192;Involveyour employees195;CreatingyourBrandReflections195;ABrand Reflectionexample196;Incorporatingthefivesenses197;A completeBrandReflection198;YourBrandHalo™199;Finding outsomecontactpreferences200;Modalities:apreferredsense ofcontact201;Focusonthemajortrends202;Askingthe questions202;Viveladifference206
14.
YourBrandHalo™Handbook Yourchoiceofcontents210;AsamplepagefromtheBrand Halo™Handbook210;AHandbookforyourbusiness–and yourpeople213
209
viii Contents
Part6 Communicatingyourbrand
215
15. YourBrandStorybook™ Theneedforstoriestoday218
217
16.
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CreatingyourBrandStorybook™ Your‘BrandMe™’Story223;Tellyourstoryasthoughyou meanit225;YourBusinessBrand™Story225;Thereasons behindyourbrand226;Takingastandforyourbrand227; Servicewithastance229;YourPeopleBrand™Story229; Attractinggoodcandidates230;Selectingyourpotential employees233;Retainingyourpeople236;Your BrandBite™237;Makeuseofmetaphors239;Creatinga sloganorstrapline241
17. Finalthoughts References Index
245 247 251
Acknowledgements
IfItookthespacetothankallthefriends,colleaguesandassociateswho hadmadeanimpactonmyalmost30yearsintheadvertising,marketingand brandingprofession,itwouldmakeaverylongbookinitself,butaboring timeforthereaders.Instead,I’djustliketoexpressmydeepgratitudetoyou all(youknowwhoyouare)andIhopethatthisbookinsomewayreflectsthe knowledgeandunderstandingIhavegleanedfromyouduringmycareer. Imust,however,singleoutsomespecialpeople,withoutwhosehelpthis bookcouldneverhavegotofftheground.First,thereisthegreatteamatmy publishers,KoganPage,whowereexcitedfromdayoneaboutthesubjectand conceptofthebook.ThanksespeciallytoJuliaSwalesandAnnikaKnight –you’rebothstars. ThanksalsotomygoodfriendandBusinessManager,SarahAnderson, andtoDrMichaelYapko(Michael,youhavehelpedmeinmorewaysthan youknow). Last,butbynomeansleast,averyspecialthankyoumustgotomywife, Mary, herself a successful marketing and public relations consultant, for putting up with a grumpy old man for months on end as he struggled to completethemanuscriptwithinthedeadline. (Iwouldhavementionedmycats,MrGeorgeandTibbles,butthey’retoo busyeatingorsleepingtocareeitherway.)
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Abouttheauthor
JamesHammondhasspentalmost30yearsinadvertising,marketing,design and branding. From his initial time as a graphic designer and copywriter, heprogressedtoheadingupbrandconsultanciesresponsibleforthebrand management,salesandmarketing,corporateidentityandadvertisingforTop 100companiesincludingYellowPages,Virgin,NorwichUnion,EMIand BritishTelecom. James has also worked with numerous blue-chip organisations as an independentbrandconsultant,aswellashelpingsmallerbusinessesandnotfor-profitstostrengthentheirbrandingandprofitability.
xii Abouttheauthor
A well-seasoned speaker and presenter, James has conducted branding workshops, seminars and in-house training programmes throughout the UnitedKingdom.In2001hechairedandpresentedtwokeyEuropeanconferencesonCustomerCareandManagingChange,attendedbychiefexecutivesfrommajorUK-basedcorporations. In addition to his brand consultancy work, James is also a qualified psychotherapist.AsJamesputsit,‘Understandinghowpeoplethinkiscrucial tohelpingthemasatherapist.Butit’salsooneofthevitalkeystoknowing howtobrandabusiness.Psychologyisarareingredientinmarketing,butit shouldreallyleadtheway.Myworkasatherapisthasgreatlyinfluencedmy approachtobranding.’ Visittheauthor’swebsiteatwww.brandhalo.co.uk.
Introduction
I don’t know what kind of business you own or manage. It could be that you’reasoleproprietorlookingtoexpand,butcan’tseemtogeneratethe extrasalesyouneedtotakeyourbusinesstothenextlevel.Youmightbethe marketingmanagerofamedium-sizedenterprisethat’sstrugglingtokeepthe competitionatbay,buthaveexhaustedallpromotionalideasanddon’tknow whatelsetodo.Youcouldbeabuddingentrepreneur,keentoestablishyour ownbusiness–anykindofbusiness–butdon’tknowhowtodifferentiateit fromalltheother,similarbusinessesoutthere.Perhapsyouareafundraiser inanot-for-profitorganisationfightingforattention–maybeevensurvival –amongtheother200,000-pluscharitiesintheUnitedKingdomalone. WhatIdoknowisthatatsomestageyou’llprobablyhaveheardaboutthe subjectofbranding.Giventhatmostsmallbusinessoperatorsspendmore timeworkingintheirbusinessthanonit,youmightnothaverealisedjust howcriticalbrandingistobusinesssuccess,butyouknewthatitwarranted furtherinvestigation.So,likemostsmallormedium-sizedenterpriseowners ormanagers,youventuredouttothebookstorereadytoscourtheshelvesfor helpfulbooksonbranding.Whatasurpriseyoumayhavemetwith. Itprobablydidn’ttakeyoulongtorealisethattherearequiteafewbooks outtherethatdealwiththesubject.Theproblemis,they’renottalkingto you.They’retalkingacademically.Ortheoretically.Orthey’retalkingabout specifics,likecorporateidentity,orwebsitedesign,orhowtowritea‘killer’ missionstatement.Somemightevenventuretotellyouthatyouneedto‘get abrand’–butthechancesare,theydon’ttellyouhowtodoit. Most of the time, the plethora of branding books are giving in-depth analyses of huge globe-circling conglomerates that make more money in onedaythanyourcurrentsetup’sbeenmakinginayear–perhaps10years.
2 Brandingyourbusiness
Theproblemis,whatworksinmega-companiesdoesn’toftentranslatewell intothesmallbusinessarena.Blue-chiptomesonstrategicplanningmodels alongwithcorridorsofbrandresearchgurus–andthegiga-budgetstogo withthem–arenotthestuffsmallerbusinessescanlaytheirhandson.(A smallcaveathere,though.Inthisbook,Idorefertosomebigcorporationsby wayofdescribinggoodbrands.Butnotasamodelfor‘howtodoit’;merely toshowthatithasbeendone.) Yetit’sthesmalltomedium-sizedbusinessoperatorwhoneedsbrandhelp morethantherest.IntheUnitedKingdomthereareatthetimeofwriting around5millionsmallbusinessesinexistence(definedashavingupto49 employees). In the United States, according to the 2005 figures from the OfficeofAdvocacytherewerenearly30millionbusinessesinoperationwith upto500employees.Acrosstheglobe,smallbusinessesarethelifebloodof theeconomy.Sohowcomemostofthebrandingbooksouttherejustdon’t addresstheproblem,ormakeitmorecomplicatedthanitneedstobe? Well,thisbookisdifferent.It’swrittenwiththesmalltomedium-sized organisationinmind.Thewholebookisbasedonapractical,no-nonsense, down-to-earth approach to a subject that is greatly misunderstood by the majority of businesses – especially the ones that think a brand is created behind closed doors in some navel-gazing brainstorming session. Or the unfortunatebusinessownersdupedintospendinghard-earnedcashtopay foranewlogoor‘identityoverhaul’beforeunderstandingthatlogosalone willnotdothetrick. Brandingisoneofthehottesttrendsinbusiness–andoneofthemost misunderstood. (WallStreetJournal)
Thisbookwillexplain,usingaminimumoftechnicaljargon,howtobuilda powerfulbrandbycreatingaBrandHalo™.It’stheencapsulationofnearly 30years’experienceinthebrandbusiness,workingwithsomeofthebiggest blue-chiporganisationsaswellasthesmallestofcompaniesandcharities, downtotheone-personstart-up.Bytheendofthisbookyouwillnotonly havetheblueprintforasuccessfulbrandbutwillbeabletoidentifyareas ofyourbusinesswhereyoucanbeginimmediatelytoputinnovative,brandbuildingideasintopractice. This is not a ‘dip in, dip out’ book.You need to start at the beginning andgothrougheverychapterinturnsystematicallyifyouwanttoreapthe benefitsthisbookcanbring.Thisisespeciallytrueifyouhavelittleorno
Introduction 3
understandingofthepsychologyofhumanbehaviour,because,asyou’llsee, thatisoneofthemostfundamentalpartsofbuildingabrand.That’swhya significantpartofthisbookisdevotedtoexplaininghowcustomersthink, andhowtheybuy. Buthere’sapieceoffriendlyadvice.Readthisbookassoonasyoucan. Doitbeforeyourcompetitordoes.Anddoitbeforesomedesignconsultancy, advertisingagencyormarketingconsultantcomesalongandpersuadesyou thatyourbrandneedsaredesign,oranewadvertisingcampaign,oranew marketingstrategy.Don’tmisunderstand;alloftheseelementsmaywellbe verynecessaryinyourbusiness–butnotuntilyoufullyappreciatewhata brandis,andhowtocreateyourown. In times past, marketing gurus would warn business owners like you andmethat‘nocustomersmeansnobusiness’.Thatstatementisfastbeing replacedby‘nobrandmeansnobusiness’,forthesimplereasonthatifyou don’thaveabrand,allyouhaveisacommodity.Andcommoditiesdon’t commandloyalty;theyonlyfocusonprice.WithEasterncountrieslikeChina andIndiabecomingmajorplayersintheworld’seconomy,businessesinthe Westernworldarealreadyfindingithardtocompeteinapurelyprice-based market. Theartofmarketingislargelybrandbuilding.Ifnotabrand,itwillbe viewedasacommodity. (PhilipKotler)
Yourbusinessneednotbeconcernedaboutcompetingonpriceifithasa strong brand. Research has consistently shown that customers will pay a premiumfortheirpreferredbrand,especiallyifthatbrandhassuccessfully gainedtheirlong-termloyalty. Inthisbrand-drivenclimate,traditionalmarketingtechniquesarenolonger sufficienttocreatebusinesssuccess.Advertisingislosingitspullingpower. Moredirectmailisgoingstraightinthewaste-paperbasketthaneverbefore, andiftraditionalsellingwasonlyevera‘numbersgame’,withoutabrandfor support,itsdaysaredefinitelynumbered.Eventheriseoftechnology-based customer care approaches, such as the once-hailed customer relationship management(CRM)systems,callcentresandthelike,havedonelittleto aidbusinessdevelopment.(Let’sfaceit.Whenyou’renumber23inacallwaitingqueueandhavebeenheldtherefor20minutes,occasionallyspoken tobysomedistorted,pre-recorded,unemotionalvoicetellingyouthat‘your call is important to us’, you get the feeling that someone somewhere has
4 Brandingyourbusiness
completelylosttheplot,andhasthrownanyconceptofbuildingastrong brandoutofthewindow.) Yes,it’sascarytimeforyourbusinessifit’sperceivedmoreasblandthan asbrand.Butthisbookcanchangeallthatforyourbusiness.Andyoudon’t needthedeeppocketsandhugeresourcesoftheblue-chipcorporationsto doit.Inthefollowingchaptersyou’lllearnhowtosurroundyourbusiness with a Brand Halo™ that will determine how every customer is treated, consistentlyandpurposefully.You’lldiscoverhowamixtureofpsychology andmarketingcanlaythefoundationsofabrandthattrulyexistsintheonly placewhereabrandcanexist:inthemindofthecustomer. Unlikemanyotherbooksonbranding,thisonedoesn’tstartbyaskingyou whereyouarenowwithyourbrandanditsvariousdynamics.Thechances are,youdon’treallyknow.You’rejustawarethatsomethingneedstobedone butyou’renotsurewhatitis.Wehaveafairbittolearnandunderstandfirst. Then,andonlythen,canweaddresswhatyourbrandneedstostandfor,and howtocommunicatethattothecustomer.You’llneedtoensurethatsome essentialsareinplace–suchasmakingsurethatyourproductorservicehas aclearlydefinedmarket.Orthatyouhavetheresources(oraimtoacquire theresources)toseeabrand-buildingexercisethrough.Evenifyouareonly averysmalloperationatthemoment,you’llneedtospendtime,effortand evensomemoneyonbuildingyourbrand. Ofcourse,justhowmuchyouneedtospendissomethingthatIcan’ttell you,becauseitwillvaryconsiderably,dependingonthekindofbusinessyou operateandwhatmarketyouareaddressing.Ithinkyou’dagreethatifyour brandismeanttoconveyprofessionalismandapowerfulimage,usingscrap paperforyourletterheadandthecutendofapotatotostampyournameand addressonit(usingsomepaintleftoverfromredecoratingthegardenshed) probablywon’tbeuptothemark. I’vereadagreatdealaboutbootstrapping–settingupyourbusinesswith littleornomoney.Idon’thaveaproblemwiththat,especiallyifyouarelow onfundsandyouareaimingatacommoditymarketwhereabrandisoflittle value.However,ifyouwanttocreateasustainableandprofitablebrand,you needtoappreciatethis:youmightbeabletobootstrapyourstart-upbusiness, butyoucan’tbootstrapyourbrand. Ontheotherhand,there’slittlepointinpouringmoneydownthedrainin advertisingandsalespromotiongimmicksorexpensivecollateralmaterials iftheyarenotpartofanoverallbrandapproach. Withthesethingsinmind,let’sbegintheprocessofcreatingapowerful brandforyourbusiness.
1
Nothingbutthe brand Productsaremadeinthefactory,butbrandsarecreatedinthe mind. WalterLandor
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1
Justwhatisabrand, andwhoisthe customer?
JUSTWHATISABRAND? It’s8.30amandI’mlacingupmyNiketrainersreadyforthemorningjog. MyAppleiPodisprimedwithastashofMadonnatracksandthere’sacan ofCokeatthereadyforwhenthethirsthits. InhalfanhourI’llbeback.WithmynewGilletteshaverattheready,I’ll showerandthenheadfortown.I’vegotsomeshoppingtodobeforeIboard theVirginplanetakingmetomyholidaydestinationthatIbookedthrough lastminute.com.I’llgrababurgerforlunchinMcDonald’sormaybejust enjoyacoffeeinStarbucksandeatlaterinPizzaExpress. Onething’sforcertain:bytheendoftheday,I’llbeexposedtoamultitude ofcompaniesandcelebrities,eachonevyingforattentionandyellinginmy ear,‘Chooseme,nother;chooseus,notthem.’Slogans,oldandnew,will tellmeto‘justdoit’asIrunroundthefield,that‘I’mlovin’it’asIeatmy burgerorthatthedrinkI’vejustdownedis‘therealthing’. Whatisitaboutthesebusinessesthatgrabsmyattention?Isitjustthe priceoftheirgoodsorservices?Isittheproductsthemselves?Theanswer isaresounding‘no’onbothcounts.Someofthesecompaniescommanda muchhigherpricethantheirrivals,yetstilloutsellthemeveryday.Andthe productsarenotalwaysbetterquality–oftenit’sthesameproductwithjust
8 Nothingbutthebrand
adifferentlabel,gluedorstitchedinplacewhenthefactorybellringsand theassemblylinechanges.IsthereamassivedifferencebetweenaniPod and every other MP3 player on sale? Not if it’s just down to playing an MP3track.HowcanStarbuckschargesomuchforcoffeewhenifit’sthirst you’relookingtoquench,youcanbuyacupofteaorcoffeeatmostpetrol stations?
Peoplearebrands,too AndwhataboutpeoplelikeMadonna,Beckhamandahostofothersingers, sportingstarsormediapersonalities?Isitjustthattheyaregreatatwhatthey do?Again,theymaybegood,butitwouldbefoolishtothinkthatthere’s neveranyonewithbetterskillsorabilitiesoutthere.IsMadonnareallythe bestsingerinthewholewideworld?No,butthen,itdoesn’treallymatter whethersheisorsheisn’t. The simple fact is, what makes them successful is not really down to tangiblequalitiesatall.It’snotwhat’sinthecan,orbottle,orcup.It’snotthe song,orhowwellit’ssung.It’snottheshoeandit’snottheplane.Ofcourse, everyproductorservicemustoffersomekindofbenefit,asweshalldiscover later. But benefits alone, in the way traditional marketing has understood them,arenolongersufficienttomakesomethingorsomeonestandoutfrom thecrowd.Whatmakesthesebusinessesandpeoplepowerfulisthattheyare outstandingbrands. Bedistinctorextinct. (TomPeters,InSearchofExcellence)
Brandsrepresentmuchmorethanafactual,rationalconnectiontotheproduct orservice.Theygobeyondtheboundariesofreasonandextendintoemotion. In2003,researchersconductedalaboratoryexperimentbasedonthefamous ‘PepsiChallenge’,along-runningblindtastetestwhererespondentswere showntopreferthetasteofPepsitothatofitsrival,Coke.Whenaskedto tastebothCoca-ColaandPepsiwithoutthetastersknowingwhichbrandwas which,preferenceforthePepsitastescoredhigherthanthatforCoke.Yet whenthetastersweretoldbeforehandwhichonewasCoca-Colaandwhich onewasPepsi,guesswhathappened?Three-quartersofthetastersdeclared theirpreferenceforCoca-Cola.
Justwhatisabrand? 9
Logical? Reasonable? No way. But who said brands were about logic and rationality?Through magnetic brain scans,researchersfoundthatthe awarenessofCokeasthedrinktheyweretastingstimulatedapartofthe brainthathadlittletodowithtasteandalottodowithmemoryandselfimage.Quiteliterally,theCokebrandtriggeredabehaviourandresponse waybeyondanythingtodowiththedrinkinthecan. Doestheaveragepersoninthestreetreallycarethatmuchaboutasoft drink?Considerthis.In1985,Cokedecidedtointroduceasweeterformula, called‘NewCoke’,toreplaceitstriedandtestedrecipe.Onewouldhave expectedconsumerstogreetthenewswithinterest.Instead,publicoutrage attheveryideaofchangingCoke’sformulabecamethesubjectofnational debate. Less than 90 days after New Coke’s multi-million-dollar launch, it was pulled off the shelves. Television programmes were interrupted to bringviewersthenews,andintheUSSenate,noless,Democraticsenator DavidPryordescribeditas‘ameaningfulmomentinUShistory’.Coke’s capitulation was seen as a victory against those who wanted to destroy a nationalinstitution. Allthatforacanofdrink.Areyoukidding?Well,forthesakeofemphasis, letmerepeat:ithasnotsomuchtodowiththetasteandalottodowiththe brand.
Don’tgivemefacts...mymind’smadeup Butwhataboutotherpurchaseswheretasteisn’tinvolved?Surelywhenwe buy items such as cars, computers and clothes we’re a little more logical andrational?Don’twerelyonfactsandfigurestoinformourpurchasing habits? Thetruthis,wemightthinkthatwebuygoodsorservicesonlyonthebasisof dataandinformation,butwe’dbewrong.Weareoverloadedwithinformation. Wearegivenconflictingopinionsfromeventhemostdistinguishedexperts onanalmostdailybasis.Ourhomesaretherecipientsofseveralhundred televisionandradiochannels,theinternetisheadingrapidlytosomewhere intheregionof50billionwebpagesandournewsagentswillhaveachoice ofover8,000magazinetitleswithwhichtotemptus. Inourfast-paced,hectic,stress-filledlives,howcanwepossiblymakeany kindoflogicaldecisionsaboutanything?Wecan’t.Wewerestrickenwith ‘analysisparalysis’sometimeago,andnowweexhibittheuncomfortable after-effects of absorbing information and data that are in conflict. Is red
10 Nothingbutthebrand
winegoodforyourheartifyoudrinkitregularly...orisitbad?(Replacethe drinkingofwinewiththeeatingofchocolateandaskthesamequestion.)Is depressioncausedbyachemicalimbalanceorisitaboutlifemanagement? Isahigh-fatdietbad,orshouldweactuallyeatmoreprotein?Howmuch liquid should we drink each day, and does it have to be water? Is global warming a reality or just an opinion from some alarmists? Can you trust anyinformation?WithscandalssuchasEnronstillringinginourears,cana businessbereliedupontoprovidetrueaccountsofitsproductorservice? At the end of the day, the frustration, confusion and mistrust people experiencehasledtotheonesinglesourceofdecisionmakingthatcanbe reliedupon:people’sownfeelingsabouttheissue.Itwon’tjustdependon thelatestresearchreportorthepeer-grouprecommendation.Itwon’teven bedoneatatotallyconsciouslevel. Butonethingiscertain.Thebrand–whateveritis,whereverit’sfrom –willbeamajorfactorinthatdecisionprocess. Thebrandiscentrestage.It’stheall-singing,all-dancingsetofemotional characteristics that prod, cajole and play with your senses – repeated, replicated,duplicatedandpushedatyou,determinedtocarveaniche,finda place,openafilingcabinetandcreateaspot,howevertinyitmaybe,inthe partofourneuralnetworkwe’vecometoknowaslong-termmemory.That’s whyabrandresidesinthemind,notinthefactoryorshowroom. Yes, folks, in the society of today it’s the brand, the whole brand and nothingbutthebrand.Inthe21stcentury,justabouteverythingisabrand! Andifyouwanttosurviveinbusiness,orstandanychanceofgrowingyour companytothedizzyheightsofsomeofthecorporatesI’vementioned,you’d bettergetridoftheblandandreplaceitwiththebrand.Because,assureas BeanzMeanzHeinz,withoutastrongbrandyou’redeadinthewater.
Brandingbringsbenefits Getitright,however,andyoucanenjoythetremendousbenefitsthatapowerful brandcanbring:likeincreasedsales(or,inthecaseofacharity,increased donations and gifts from supporters), maximum exposure and awareness of your product or service, a loyal and long-term customer base, perhaps evenpremiumpricing,dependinguponthemarketyou’rein.Andlast,but by no means least, dedicated employees who come to work because they understandthebrand,believeinitandfeelapartofit.(Forexample,many oftheinnovativeelementsofVirgin’soperationshaveoriginatedfromstaff
Justwhatisabrand? 11
conceptsandideas–somethingpositivelyencouragedbytheorganisation andbyfounderRichardBranson,himselfapowerfulbrand.) That’snotall.Whenyourbrandisstrong,it’sactuallyworthsomething andbecomespartoftheintellectualpropertyonyourbalancesheet.Valuation ofbrandsasintangibleassetshasbecomeamajorareaoffocusforinvestors andshareholders.In2005,forexample,Interbrand/BusinessWeekestimated thevalueofCoca-Cola’sbrand(no,notthedrink,orthebottlingplantsor theofficefurniture)tobeastaggering$67.5billion!Bythetimethisbookis published,itmaywellbethatMicrosofthaseasilyexceededthatvaluation. Howonearthdidwearriveatthisspottodaywherethepowerandpotential ofabrandcaneithermakeorbreakabusiness?Let’stakeaquicklookat thedevelopmentofbrandingandrealisethatmuchofwhatcompanieshave claimedastheirbrandhas,infact,beentotallymisunderstood.
Abrand?It’snothingbutapaininthe backside Themeaningoftheword‘brand’canbetracedbacktoancientGreekand Romantimes.Butperhapsthemeaningweknowbestreferstothebranding used by cowboys in the days of the Wild West to denote ownership of livestock. Rancherswouldtakeanironrodwhichhadaffixedtoitatoneendaniron platebearingasymboloftheirranch,ortheinitialsoftheranchowner.They would heat this branding iron in the campfire to glowing point.This iron wouldthenbeappliedontothebacksidehipofarancher’sanimal–literally burnedintotheskin–inordertoaididentificationanddetercattleorhorse rustling. Ineffect,itwasaone-sideddeal.Therancheridentifiedtheanimalashis, butallthecoworhorsegotoutofitwasapaininthebackside.Sadly,if welikenthissituationtothemodernworld,manybusinessesarerepeating thesamerelationship.Companiesoftenthinkofabrandmerelyasawayof showingownershipfromavisualbasis.Vastsumsofmoney–morethan asmallbusinesscanusuallyafford–arewastedonhavingelaboratelogos designedandproduced,ormissionstatementswrittenandplacedinexpensive framesintheboardroom.Atthesametime,thecustomergetspoorservice andpoorvalue–andthecompany’sbrandismerelyapainfulexperiencefor therecipient.It’sthatkindofenterprisethat’sdoomedtofailure.
12 Nothingbutthebrand
Anemphasisonidentity When industrialisation took place in the 19th century, the definition of a brand was still one of identification. Products that had been made in the localcommunities,suchashouseholditemslikedetergents,werenowbeing producedandpackagedbyfactories,yettheywerestilltryingtoselltheir goods to a customer base that had previously purchased the locally made versions. In order to compete against the more familiar local products, companiesstartedapplyingidentifyingsignstothepackaging.Thispractice developed into what we now call trademarks. By the early 20th century theselogoswerebeingaccompaniedbybillboardadvertising,slogansand radiocommercials.Theword‘brand’startedtoencompassbothvisualand promotionalcharacteristics. Whenthefocusshiftedmoretowardsthecustomerinthemid-1990s,the meaningof‘brand’expandedonceagain.Withanemphasison‘delivering thepromisetothecustomer’,companiesbegantodevelopelaborateplans, promisingto‘delight’thecustomer,or‘wow’thecustomer.Companiesdrew upmissionstatementsaimedatshowingtheworldjusthowwonderfuland sinceretheywereintheircommercialobjectives.Marketingconsultancies pushed for what they called ‘integrated communications’, referring to the needforacompany’smarketingcampaignsandcollateraltobecoordinated insuchawaythataseamlesspresentationthroughouteverynookandcranny ofthebusinesswasgenerated.Ohdear,wrongagain.
Thebrandlandscapeoftoday Sowherearewenow?Hastheexpandedmeaningof‘brand’ledtoanew waveofhighlysuccessfulsmallandmedium-sizedbusinesseswithpowerful brands? Sadly, no.At the time of writing, business failures are at an alltimehigh,andwiththeincreasedcompetitionofglobalenterprise,unless theapproachtobuildingabrandisunderstoodfromadifferentperspective, changeisunlikelytooccur. Inthe21stcenturywe’vewitnessedchangeinjustabouteveryaspectof life.Andwhenitcomestoproductsandservices,thefuturelooksgrimfor those businesses hoping to hold on to customers in a commodity market wheretheonlyloyaltyistothevendorwiththelowestprice.Unfortunately, that’swhereagreatmanymarketsareheading.Productsandservicesare oftensosimilarthatthere’snopointinspendingtimereadingspecifications
Justwhatisabrand? 13
in order to decide which one to choose. And don’t expect the customer serviceexperiencebehindthemtobearanyworthwhilefruit.YouandIboth knowthatcustomercareispatheticatthebestoftimes.It’sfrontedeitherby bureaucrats,robotsor,franklymydear,peoplewhodon’tgiveadamn.Well, allIcansayis,theywill.It’sonlyamatterofafewyearsbeforetherealisation thatcustomershavedesertedthesinkingshipandsoughtanotherplacein whichtospendtheirmoneyonthethingstheyenjoy.It’scalledBrandland. Andthey’reheadingforitscitycentre.
Definingabrand So,aswepreparetocreateapowerfulbrandforyourbusiness,let’sbeclear aboutourdefinitionofabrand:
Abrandisnotalogo.Abrandisnotaslogan.Abrandisnotanidentity,corporateorotherwise.Abrandisnotasymbolorashape. It’snotmailshots,missionstatementsormantras.It’snotcolours, credosorcallingcards. Abrandisnotasetofmeaninglessgimmicks,suchaseveryone wearing‘haveaniceday’badgesoransweringcallswithastupid phraseorstatement. It’snotevenabouthaving‘allyourducksinarow’.Theideathat anybusinesshastolookandoperateexactlythesameineverysingle aspectofitsoperationisnotonlyunnecessarybutnighonimpossible. (I’veneverconsultedforabusinesswhereAccountsReceivablehad the remotest interest in what colour the next sales brochure was goingtobe,orwhytheirroomwasgoingtoberepaintedinthe sameshade.) Andcontrarytowhatsomeso-calledbrandexpertstellyou,it’s notapromiseyoumaketoyourcustomer.Atbest,allanycompany candoistry.Butpromise?You’vegottobekidding.Promisescanbe broken;mostofthetimetheyare.Andwhenthathappensregularly, thebrandsuffers,oftenirrevocably.(What’sevencrazieristheidea ofmakingapromiseandthenrewardingthecustomerwhenyou break it. Concepts like ‘we promise to do such and such or your
14 Nothingbutthebrand moneyback’areabasiccontradictioninterms.Ifyoupromisetodo something,youshoulddoit.Andifyoucan’t...thendon’tpromise itinthefirstplace.)
In fact, a brand isn’t even something that you or your business owns! Rather:
Abrandisthetotalsensoryexperienceacustomerhaswithyour companyanditsproductorservice.
Abrandisanexperiencethat’sembeddedinthemindofeverypersonwho hasevercomeintocontactwithyourstaffandyourproductorservice.That, myfriends,ishowitis.Andifthatcustomerexperiencedoesn’tmatchthe wayyourcompanydescribesitsbrand,orthinksaboutitsbrand,thenguess what–youlose! Pleasedon’tmisunderstand.I’mnotsayingthatlogos,advertisingcampaigns,missionstatements,coloursandthelikearen’timportant.Theycan be vital parts of the brand experience your customers have.At the same time,it’simportanttonoticetheemphasisonwhogetstodeterminewhat’s importantandwhatisn’t.That’sright,thecustomer.Putcustomersfirstand workonhowtodevelopthebestrapport;thenyoucangototownoncreating brandimpactwithallthetoolsavailable,fromlogostocolourschemes.The troubleis,mostsmallbusinessesworkthewrongwayround,focusingfirston designingsymbolsorcorporateidentitiesbeforeunderstandingtheirplacein thewholebrandscheme.Icallsuchfolly‘cart-before-horse-ism’(seeFigure 1.1).
WHOISTHECUSTOMER? Allthistalkaboutcustomers.Butwhoarethecustomersoftoday,andhow aretheydifferentfromthoseofbygonedays? Today’scustomerhasbeenthroughanenormouschangeprocessthatbegan atthestartofthe20thcentury.Sincethattime,hugeadvancesintechnology, communicationandinformationhavegiveneveryoneintheWesternworld
IllustrationbyClaireMacdonald
Justwhatisabrand? 15
Figure1.1 Cart-before-horse-ism
avarietyofchoicesandoptionsneverbeforeavailable.Weliveinanageof abundanceandsurplus,atleastintheWesternworld.Butthissupersaturation ofproductshascreatedacommoditisationofmarketsthatonceuponatime could bawl out their claims of ‘differentiation’, whether it be in quality, features,functionalityorbenefits.Today,manymarketsareacollectionof ‘me-too’productsandservices,offeringthesamestuffatthesamepriceby thesamemethodsusingthesametechnology. Surprisingly, most marketing approaches fashioned in another era still continuetobeused,despitetheirout-of-date(andinsomecaseserroneous) reasoning.Inthelate1900s,whendoor-to-doorsalesmanhadtheirheydayin sellingeverythingfromvacuumcleanerstohairrestorers,asalesmanbythe nameofElmoStLouiswroteatheoryonhowadvertisingworked.Thistheory developedovertimeintoasalesapproachknownasthe‘hierarchyofeffects’ –designedtohelpsalespeoplecreateagreaternumberofsalessuccesses.The ideabehindtheapproachwasthatpeoplepurchasedgoodsandservicesina straightforward,linear,thinkingmanner.Thatis,customersbecameawareof thegoodsandwhattheycoulddo,mainlythroughadvertisingorsomeother salescommunication.Thecustomerwouldthenbecomeinterestedinthem, whichinturncreatedadesirefortheproduct,leadingtoapurchase. Simple,eh?Buthopelesslyofftrack.Bytheearly1960s,severaldifferent versionsofthismodelhadbeenconstructed,oneofthemostpopularamong sales and marketing people being theA-I-D-A approach, which stood for
16 Nothingbutthebrand
Attention, Interest, Desire,Action. Other refinements followed, including modifyingthemnemonictobecomeA-I-D-C-A,theadditional‘C’standing forConviction. Theproblemis,thismodel,likeotheroutdatedideas,failstounderstand howthemindworksinmakingdecisions.Aswe’llsee,makingyourmind up about whether or not to buy a product or service is not a simple ‘I’m interestedsoI’llbuy’process.NordoesA-I-D-Atakeintoaccountthevarious psychologicalinfluencersofourdecision-makingprocess–theveryelements thathelpcreatethatpictureofourfavouritebrandsinourmind’seye. Alsointhe1960s,EJeromeMcCarthycameupwiththe‘4Ps’ofmarketing (price,product,promotionandplace).Essentially,thisconceptarguedthat thekeytobusinesssuccesswassimplytosupplytherightproductattheright priceintherightplaceusingtherightpromotion.Itwasamodelthat,during thoseyearsofmassproduction,becameextremelypopular.Overtheyears, more‘Ps’havebeenadded(oneofthefirstbeingpeople,followedbyissues suchasperformance,profitandalmostanyotherwordthatbeginswitha‘P’ thathassomethingtodowithbusiness).Again,thisisanout-of-datemodel because,asGarethMorgan(1988)states,‘itunconsciouslyemphasizesthe inside-outview(lookingfromthecompanyoutwards),whereastheessence ofmarketingshouldbetheoutside-inapproach’.That’swhyIprefertocall the‘4Ps’the‘4RIPs’;they’redead,becausetheysimplydon’tcutitany more. Post-modernistthinkinghaserodedtheformerbeliefsinabsolutes,and societyhasbeenreshapedasaresultintointerpretationsofwhattheworld meanstousonanindividualbasis. Brands are the express checkout for people living their lives at everincreasingspeed. (Brandweek)
Thepaceoflifeismuchquicker,too.AuthorAgnieszkaWinkleremphasised inherbookWarpSpeedBranding:Theimpactoftechnologyonmarketing (1999),‘Wearelivinginasliveroftimeduringwhich10yearshasredefinedthe conceptoffastfoodfromadrive-thruMcDonald’stoa30-secondmicrowave meal;nailpolishdriesin30seconds;photosaredevelopedinonehour;and moneycomesoutofstreetcornermachinesinstantly.’ Thisisa‘need-to-stay-in-touch’society,whereestimatessuggestthatby 2010,90percentoftheworldwillownamobilephone.Already,50percent ofchildrenintheUnitedStateshavemobilephones,afigurethatisalsoset toriserapidlyoverthenextfewyears.
Justwhatisabrand? 17
Weliveonborrowedmoney,withcreditcarddebtatanall-timehigh.In theUnitedKingdom,atthetimeofwriting,therearemorecreditcardsthan people.AstherockgroupQueensang,‘Iwantitall’.Andifthemoneyisn’t there,they’llborrowit,oftenwildlyexceedingtheirabilitytopayitback. Butpayingitbackisabouttomorrow,sowhyworrywhenyoucanhavewhat youwanttoday? Yes, consumers don’t just want it all, they want it now. It’s the age of immediacyandleasteffortformostgain.Witnesstheriseofthehealthand fitnessmarket,wheregymnasiumsandhealthclubswootheiraudiencewith thepromiseofabodytodiefor,ifonlyyoucancommittoaregularworkout. That’softentoomuchtoask.Asignificantnumberofsubscriberstohealth clubmembershipswillmakeonlyafewtripsinanygivenyearandmayeven abandonthehardphysicalactivityafterthefirstsession. Still,ifyoucan’tmanageaworkout,youcanalwaysavailyourselfofevery conceivabletypeofdiet,whetherit’sbasedonfish,meatorsomerareand unpronounceableherb.That’sifyouhavethetimetopreparesuchdishes.If not,don’tworry.Thereisaplethoraoflow-fat,low-caloriemicrowaveable mealsouttheretosaveyouthehassle.Andiftheirsmallportionofferings causeyoutocraveformorefoodthanyourdietsheetallows,therearealways the appetite-depressant pills to help you say ‘no’. Interesting, then, at the sametimeasthebodybeautifulbecomesalmostanobsession,therisein globalobesityhasbeendescribedasa‘timebomb’anda‘globalepidemic’ withseriousconsequencesforworldhealthinthecomingdecade.
Thechangingfaceofthecustomer Yes,agreatdealhaschangedasfarasyourcustomersareconcerned.No longeraretheythestereotypicalfolksthatliveonthehill,womanathome keepingthehouseandlookingafterthekidswhilehubbyisoutworkingina jobhe’llhaveforlife.Instead,single-parentfamilies,same-sexpartnerships andmultiplerelationshipsareoftenthenormofsocietytoday–andwhohasa jobforlifeanymore?What’smore,trustintheonce-held-in-aweinstitutions haslonggone.Authorities,politiciansandevenreligiousfiguresaretreated withsuspicionamidstoriesofsleaze,deceitandbetrayal. Allthishascreateda‘new’customerforwhomtraditionalmarketinghas littleornothingtooffer.Salesandmarketingcommentatorswouldoncestate, ‘thecustomerisking’,asthoughtheworldconsistedofcustomersserved bytheirfavouritecompanyinapleasantlittlerelationshipthatwouldlast
18 Nothingbutthebrand
forever.Today,thecustomerhasmovedwaybeyondthislimitedview.The kinghasbeenjoinedbythequeenandbothhavebecomesupremedictators –demanding,forceful,lowonloyaltyandhighonself. Thepointis,yourcustomertodayiscallingtheshots.Sheorhehasheard itallbeforeanddoesn’tgiveacareaboutyourbanalandtotallydismissive claimof‘exceptionalcustomerservice’,becausethat’sagiventoday,nota bonus–eventhoughveryfewbusinesseseverliveuptotheirself-indulgent assertions. That’swhythecustomerisnolongermovedbymeaninglesssoundbites, straplinesoremptyphrasessuchas‘We’reunique’,‘Ourproduct’sunique’, ‘We’redifferentbecauseofourpeople’,‘Becomeourcustomer...you’llbe gladyoudid’,‘No...wereallyAREdifferent...’,‘Quality,service...and much,much,more’. Blah,blah,blah...
Thetwokeysofbranding Butwaitamoment.Ifthepicturereallyisthatbad(andIsurehopeI’veshown thatitisvery,verybad),andifcustomerscontrolandcreatethebrandthrough theirownexperience,thenwhatcontroldoyouhaveoverensuringthatthey seeyourbusinessinthebestpossiblelight?Ifitisn’tlogos,slogans,adverts orpromises,whatisit? Theanswerisintwoparts.Thefirsthastodowithyou.It’sabouthaving adifferentmindsetaboutyourbusinessandwhatitneedstodotowinand keep customers. It’s about understanding that a brand is not only about customers’headsbutabouttheirheartstoo.Itmeanschangingyourposition fromseeingabrandasacollectionofisolatedactivities,toseeingyourbrand asaholisticexperienceforthecustomer,onebuiltintoalltheimportant placesthecustomerdefinesasreflectionsofyourbusinessandwhatitstands for. In short, it’s about looking through the window as a customer, rather thanlookingoutasabusinessowner.Then,andonlythen,canyoubeginto appreciatethesecondpart:influence. That’s right, influence. Influence your customers’ experiences of your business.Ifyoudon’twanttodrowninacommoditypit,influenceisreally allyouhavetobuildabrand.Butthegoodnewsis,it’sallyouneed.Andit ain’trocketscience.
Justwhatisabrand? 19
Theall-encompassingBrandHalo™ You can have a major influence over your customers’ perception of your brand by creating what I call a Brand Halo™.ABrandHalo™maywell includemostofthecomponentsmentionedearlier:logos,missionstatements, slogansandthelike.Butunlikethefragmented,emptypurposemostofthese elements provide when used in isolation, this time they’ll be a part of an overalldialoguewiththecustomerthatonlystopswhenyoucannolonger bebotheredtohavesomethingtosay.
Inmytimepresentingbrandingseminars,I’vestayedinallkindsof hotels.Sadly,I’veexperiencedmanywhereatonetimetheowners wouldgazeproudlyuponthebeautifuldécorandhighlypolished surroundings, nodding at smiling staff in neatly pressed uniforms ushering people to their rooms with an air of enthusiasm and motivation. I’ve been back five years later, only to find the paint peeling,thecarpetthreadbareandstaffwithanattitudethatsucks. ButIguessyoucan’tblamethem.They’veseenthewritingonthe wall.It’sinhugeboldletteringandthemessageis‘it’sdownhillall theway’,sowhybotherbeingnicetoguests?Forwhateverreason, theownersstoppedtalkingtothecustomers.Ormaybetheystill spoke,buttheonlypointtheymade–repeatedly–is‘wedon’tcare anymore’.
ABrandHalo™fitsrightaroundyourcompanyanddisplayswhatyouhave to offer in the best possible light. If it’s polished correctly, you’ll have a strongbrand.Ifit’starnished,guesswhat...yourdaysinbusinesscouldbe numbered. What’smore,itreallydoesn’tmatterwhetheryoumarketaproductora service;whetheryou’resellingcanneddrinks,runningahairdressingsalon orprovidingfinancialservicestoyourclients.Anymanufacturerorservice providercanbuildastrongbrand.
20 Nothingbutthebrand
Sodium chloride, basic table salt, is a commodity – and one that presumablycan’tbeimproveduponinanymeaningfulway.Soyou’d thinkthere’dbelittlethatcouldbedonetoturnitintoabrand, wouldn’tyou?Wrong.InNorthAmerica,MortonSaltisoneofthe most respected and long-serving brands (it’s been around since 1848).Suchisitsbrandloyaltythatofeverytwopacksofsaltsold, oneistheMortonproduct.Ifthat’snotimpressiveenough,Morton Saltsellsata20percentpricepremiumaboveitscompetition!And allbecauseoftheemotivestorytheycreatedofalittlegirlwalking homefromastoreintherain,holdinganumbrellainonehandand apacketofMortonsaltintheother.Thepackwastiltedbackwith thespoutopenandsaltrunningout.Thevisual,ofcourse,wasto showthatMortonsaltwouldn’tstickinthecontainerinwetweather. Thiswasaccompaniedbytheslogan‘WhenItRains,ItPours.’Today, additives enable all salt brands to flow freely, so you can’t even attributeMorton’smarketsharetoproductdifferentiation.Thefact is,Mortonisthepreferredbrandbecauseofwhatitmeansinthe mindoftheconsumer.
‘But’,youprotest,‘I’minabusiness-to-businessmarket.Idon’tjustsellto oneperson,Ihavetopersuadevariousexecutivesthroughoutanorganisation.’ Sowhat?Allthismeansisthatyouhavetoinfluencemorepeopleatthesame time.Butwhateverpositiontheyoccupyinthatcompanyyou’regoingafter, theyarestillallhumanbeingsinfluencedbyemotions,feelingsandrapport. Believeme,brandingisnotexclusivetothebusiness-to-consumermarket, eventhoughsomeoftheparametersmaybedifferentinthatmarket.Evena not-for-profitorganisationcanconstructapowerfulbrandbyusingtheBrand Halo™approachinthisbook.
AbrandofEPIC™proportions YourBrandHalo™willbebuiltuponfourcorecomponents.They’reeasy torememberifyouusethemnemonicEPIC™(Figure1.2):
Justwhatisabrand? 21
E–standsforEMOTION.Thisisthekeypartofcreatingyourpowerful brand, and on it everything else will be built. If you don’t have emotionasaningredientinyourproductorservice,youdon’thave abrand,youhaveacommodity. P–standsforPERCEPTION.Emotionsaren’tstirredorinfluencedby thin air. They are the result of sensory stimulation arriving at the brainthroughthefivesenses:sight,sound,smell,tasteandtouch. Mostsmallbusinessesfocusonlyonthe‘sight’sense,ignoringthe poweroftheotherfourtoreallybuildastrongperceptionofthe brandinthecustomers’minds. I–standsforINNOVATION.Beingawareofthefivesensesisone thing.Comingupwithnovelwaysofpresentingsensoryinformation is something else. This is where your Brand Halo™ becomes your guidinglight.Alltheimportantprocesses,systemsandprocedures willbedocumentedinyourBrandHalo™manual,andemployeeswill begivenguidanceonhowtomonitorandimproveeachcustomer Brand Reflection. Innovation is what keeps the brand alive and kicking.Itgiveslongevitytoanotherwisestagnantandoutdated brand,andprovidesthefreshnessneededtokeepyourbrand‘topof mind’whenitcomestopurchasingyourtypeofproductorservice. C – stands for COMMUNICATION. Why do you want to create an emotional brand? What is your purpose – and why should your customers or supporters care, anyway? This is where your Brand Storybook™ comes into play. Using narratives that describe your business along with your aims and achievements, you can communicateemotionalmessagestoyourcustomersandyourstaffand usethemtounderpinthewholecustomerexperience.
Brands,likegrowth,arenotstatic.Youcan’tjustcreateyourbrandandleave italone.Peoplechange.Societychanges.Evenculturalbiaseschange.Andif yourbrandistoreflectthekindofimagethatsays,‘weknow,weunderstand, we’rewithyou’,thenitneedstobecontinuallypolished.ThroughyourBrand Halo™,builtonthesolidfoundationsoutlinedinthisbook,youcanbuilda brandofEPIC™proportions.
22 Nothingbutthebrand
Figure1.2 YourEPIC™brand
Branding:notacover-stickforaspotty business A brand is not a short-term solution to building a business; it’s a way of creatinglong-termcompetitiveadvantage.Ifyoucanaddvaluethrougha strongbrand,yourfutureincomestreamswillbemoresecure.Yourcustomers willkeepcomingbackformoreandyoucancapitaliseontheirsupportand theirenthusiasmtobuyfromyouandyourloyalandmotivatedworkforce. Thisinturnmeansthatyoucanprovideasolidstrategicbasefromwhich to develop new products and services, as well as plan for expansion and growth. Thefactthateightoutoftennewbusinessesfailwithinthefirstyearorso indicatesthatthereareoftensomeseriousproblemsarisingwhenwould-be businesspeopleattempttosetupandrunacompany.Whilethisisabook aboutbrandingratherthanbusinessplanning,it’simportantthereforetohave anhonestappraisalofwhereyourbusinessstandsrightnow.
Justwhatisabrand? 23
Myassumptionisthatmostofyoureadingthisbookoperateabusiness thatyouwanttoexpandandgrow.Or,asanentrepreneur,youwanttostart anewenterprisethatisalsodestinedforgrowth.Ifyoursisanot-for-profit organisation, you want to increase the number of supporters (particularly thosewhodonatemoney)sothatyoucanundertakeimportantprojectsthat resourcesdon’tpermitatthismomentintime. Inallofthesecases,asI’vesaid,astrongbrandisessentialforsuccess.But brandingisnotasubstituteforasolidbusinessplan,orsomethingtomask apoorlyrunoperation.Inthehandsofabusinessownerwithoutsufficient businessacumentounderstandtheessentialsofbusiness–finance,planning, management, etc – heading down the branding trail can be a costly and disastrousexercise,andonethatcouldsoeasilyputanumberofnailsinthe businesscoffinwhenfocusonotherfundamentalbusinessareasmighthave savedtheday.Assomeonesoeloquentlysaid,youcanputlipstickonapig... butit’sstillapig. Solet’sestablishakeyprerequisiteofcreatingastrongbrand.
Thereisaclearlydefinedmarketforyourproductorservice.
OK,Iknowthissoundscrazy.Buttoomanybusinessownersfallinlove withtheirproductorserviceofferingandindoingsofailtoappreciatethat the market is either too small to expand in, or it’s misunderstood, in the sensethatit’snotreallywhereyoubelong.Inotherwords,it’sacasenot justofidentifyingamarketopportunitybutalsoofaskingifit’stheright opportunity.Brandinghasn’treplacedtheneedforatargetmarkettoaimat; it’sjustredefinedtheparametersandapproach.Herearesomekeypointsto thinkabout: Isyourproductorservicealreadyindemand?What’sthecurrentstate
ofthemarket:isitindecline,orisitagrowthmarket?Howmuchof itdoyouown?Whatresearchhaveyoucarriedouttohelpindicate whereyourfuturemarketpotentialmightbein,say,fiveortenyears’ time?Abranddoesnotcreateamarket.Abrandgivesyouthemost powerfulweaponavailabletoaddressthemarket–onethatisalready inexistence,oronethatyourdatahaveshownyouisemergingin whichtherewillbesufficientbuyersforyoutoestablishaprofitable business.
24 Nothingbutthebrand Howmanycompetitorsareyouawareofthatprovidethesameservice
orproductasyou?Dotheydominateyourmarket,andifso...why? Whatotherproductsorservicesdotheyoffer?Howmanydoyouoffer andarethey‘me-too’productspitchedagainstthoseofyourcompetitors?Doyourcompetitorsalreadyhaveapowerfulbrand?Iftheydo, chancesareit’sbeenbuiltupoveraperiodoftime.Itdoesn’tmeanyou can’tbuildabetter,strongerbrand.Butitmaymeanthatyourstamina andendurancewillbeputtothelimitasyougopastcatch-upphase andintothelead.Butdon’tgetmewrong.Thefocusshouldn’tjust beonyourcompetition,andsometimessmallbusinessescanbecome paranoidaboutwhattheircompetitorsareupto.Awell-knownsayinginthehorse-racingindustrygivenasadvicetojockeysis‘Keep youreyesonthefinishline,notonthehorseandriderbyyourside.’ Abrandcanhelpyouexploitacompetitor’sweakness–butcanthe competitorexploityoursmore? Ifyouareanentrepreneur,canyoucreateasustainabledemandfor yourproposedoffering?Haveyoupaidattentiontotheshiftingdynamicsofsocietyandculture,andimportanttrendsthatwillhavea significanteffectonthebusinessoftomorrow?Witnessthedemiseof thePolaroidinstantcamera.Inthe1970s,beingabletotakeapicture andhaveitemerge,fullydeveloped,straightoutofthecamerawas somethingquiteinnovative.Butbythe1980s,high-streetprocessing outletswerealreadyofferingone-hourturnaroundonfilmprocessing fromstandard35mmcameras,withbetterquality.Inturn,thearrival ofdigitalcamerasthatcouldtakeexcellentpicturescapableofbeing e-mailedacrosstheglobeseriouslyerodedthefilmprocessingindustry. Now,mostmodernmobilephoneshavetheabilitytotakeapicture (orshortvideo)andsenditviathemobilephonenetwork,dispensing withtheneedtoinvolveaPC.Justbecauseyourideaseemsgreatto you,thatdoesn’tmeansufficientnumbersofpeoplewillthinkthe sameovertime.Youcan’tbuildabrandonadream.Butthenagain, youcan’tbuildabrandwithoutone. Areyouanot-for-profit?Ifso,wheredoesyourorganisationfitinto theneedyouareattemptingtoaddress?Howmanyotherthird-sector playersareinvolvedinthesameissuesasyou?Wherearetheoverlaps andplacesorissuesuponwhichyoumightevencompete?IntheUnited Kingdomtherehavebeeninstancesinthepastwherelackofcooperationbetweensimilarcharitableorganisationsnotonlyledtoduplication butalsocreatedinstancesofindiscriminategiving.Recognisingthis,
Justwhatisabrand? 25
somecharitieshavemerged,theresultbeinganorganisationcapable ofbetterservicedelivery,workingtoamuchmorefocusedpurpose andonethatcanbejustifiedtothetargetaudience.Abrandcannotbe usedtodefendconfusion,fragmentationorunnecessaryoverlapina not-for-profitsector.
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2
Understanding emotion Peopledon’taskforfactsinmakinguptheirminds.Theywould rather have one good, soul-satisfying emotion than a dozen facts. RobertKeithLeavitt
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2
Brandingtheheartas wellasthehead
Ifyou’renotafanofpsychology,thenyoumaystrugglewiththischapter. Buthanginthere,becausethisisthemostimportanttopicinthebook.I’ll trytokeepitsimple,butthefactis,ifyoudon’tunderstandwhat’sbeingsaid here,you’llnevercreateapowerfulbrand. Marketinghasdevelopedasadisciplineovertheyearsbutstilltendsto focus more on the head than on the heart of the customer. In fact, most marketershavelittle,ifany,traininginpsychologyorconsumerbehaviour ofthekindneededtounderstandthecustomeroftoday. Marketersandbusinessownersfailtoappreciatetheonecriticalfactorin buildingabrandtoday,andit’sthis:
Allbrandpurchasesareemotional,becauseallbrandsare emotional.
Now,don’tgetmewrong.I’mnotsayingthatyoucompletelydisregardevery bitofcommonsensewhenyoubuyyournewhigh-definition,flat-screen, surround-soundtelevision.Butifwe’rehonest,lurkingsomewhereinthat brainofyoursareemotionssuchasdesire,want,perhapsevenlust.C’mon, don’tdenyit.Youreallywantedthatall-singing,all-dancingtelevision,didn’t you?Andonceyou’dboughtit,you’dfindanynumberofreasonstojustify whyyoudidit.‘Well,theothersetwasgettingold.Thepicturewasn’tsharp
30 Understandingemotion
anymore.Therewasafunnysmellcomingfromtheback.’Youknowwhat Imean. Thefactis,whetherthepurposeistosupportaworthycauseortobuyyour preferredmakeoftoilettissue,logicdoesn’tdrivethepurchasingprocess. Emotiondoes.MrSpockmighthavelivedhisVulcanlifebyreasonandlogic, butforushumansit’semotionunderpinninganddrivingourdecisionsallthe way. When you are building a brand, emotion needs to be generated in two specificareas.Thefirstisregardingyouractualproductorservice;thesecond isregardingthecustomerexperienceofyourwholeoperation.Inotherwords, it’severythinginyourbusinessthatthecustomerdeemsimportant. Let’sbeclear,though.Sometimesyoumightreadanarticle(orevena book)onbrandingthattalksonlyabouttheemotionalsideofthecompanyas iftherationalorlogicalsidewasn’timportantatall.That’scrazy!Although brands are emotional, logic and rationality still play a part. If I’m buying anewcar,myemotionswillinfluencemetoselectabrandthatmeetsmy emotionalneeds.ButIstillneedtobeassuredthatithasfourwheelsandan engine.Andifthatenginehassomethingspecialaboutit,thenhoweverdata orfactbased,thatfeaturemaywelladdtomyemotionalconnectionwiththe brand.That’swhy,aswe’llseeshortly,weneedtobeclearaboutjustwhat emotionalbenefitwe’regoingtohangourbrandon. ThinkabouttheCoca-ColaandPepsitastetestcoveredearlier.Ifthepart ofthebraincreatingapreferenceforCokewasn’ttheareathatwasconcerned abouttaste–apurelyrationallike/dislikedecision–butwasmoreaboutselfimage,thenwhatwe’rereallysayingisthatthepreferencehasmaterialised outofanemotionaldriver,notjustarationalone.It’sabouthowyouandIfeel aboutsomething,thestructuresweputinplaceinourmindsthatcreatebrand desire.Andit’sallbuiltaroundemotion.Butthatdoesn’tmeanIcompletely disregardthetaste,doesit?Ifadrinktasteslikebilgewater,chancesareI won’twanttoswallowevenadrop.
Definingemotions Whatexactlydowemeanwhenweusetheword‘emotion’andwheredoes itfitintoourdecision-makingprocess? Understandingofhowthebrainworkshasdevelopedinleapsandbounds inthepast50orsoyears,andwiththeadventofsuchthingsasMRIbrain scanningtechnologywearemuchbetterplacedthanformerlytoappreciate howthebrainprocessesbothrationalandemotionalthoughts.
Brandingtheheartaswellasthehead 31
Sufficeittosaythatemotions,asfarasbrandingisconcerned,areasetof psychologicalstructures,orframesofreference,formedandshapedinthe mindandtriggeredbycertainexperiences.Tosomeneuroscientists,emotions are distinct from feelings, in the sense that emotions are the generators forfeelings.Forthepurposesofthisbook,however,I’mgoingtoreferto emotionsandfeelingsasthesamedesiredoutcome.Asweshallsee,oneof thekeyrequirementsforbuildingabrandthat’saheadoftherestistoidentify andinfluenceemotionaltriggersinthepurchasingprocessthatcreatepositive feelingsabouttheproductorservice.
Twopathwaystopurchasing Outofallthecomplexstudiesofneuralpathways,chemicalsandprocessing systemsthebrainconsistsof,onepieceofknowledgeweknowaboutthe brain’sfunctioningisthattherearebasicallytwokindsofinformationbeing processed:rationalandemotional(seeFigure2.1).
Figure2.1 Thetwopathwaysofthinking
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Oldtheoriesdividedtheprocessingofthesedifferentinformationtypesinto a left-brain and a right-brain operation, the left brain being the dominant of the two, responsible for processing language, data, facts and figures – the‘logical’side,ifyoulike–whiletherightbrainwasthemoreintuitive part, processing feelings, emotions and senses. Many neuroscientists now believethatbothtypesofinformationareprocessedsimultaneouslyaspart ofatotalmechanisminvolvinglotsofcrossovernetworksandsharingof information. Buthere’sthekeypointaboutthisprocessingactivity.Therationalpathwaysprogressinformationinalinearmanner,onepieceaftertheother.The emotionalpathways,however,processdatainparallelpaths.So,thisfaster routedoesn’tconnectinformationinalogicalway;itreliesontherational brain parts to do that on its behalf.And, as studies show, the emotional structuresthatmanageouremotionalresponsesandconnectthemtothepart ofthebrainthatcontrolsourthoughtsandultimateactionsarewiderand strongerthanthepathwaysintherationalprocessingsystem.Inotherwords, theemotivepartofthebrainisalwaysonestepaheadofthelogical,rational partinprocessinginformation.Canyouseewherewe’regoingwiththis? Alongwiththisrational/emotionalcircuitry,alittlealmond-shapedcluster (oneoneachsideofthebrain)knownastheamygdalahasahugeroleto playinemotionalprocessing.Notonlydoesitinvolveitselfindetermining howemotionsplayoutphysically(forexample,howwemightrespondtoa threatorevenaveryfunnyjoke)butit’salsoastoragecentreforemotional memories. Research has demonstrated that when high-arousal situations presentthemselves,theamygdalacanliterallybypassthe‘normal’rational/ emotionalbrainfunctionsanddecideuponaresponseallbyitself,calling uponitsmostvividmemoriesaspartofitsowndecision-makingprocess.This alltakesplaceinliterallymilliseconds–withouteveninvolvingtherational partofthebrainandwithoutthepersonhavinganyconsciousawarenessof what’stakenplace! Whatdoesanyofthishavetodowithbranding,youmightask?Justabout everything.Let’sunderstandsomekeypointsrelatingtobrands: Therationalsystemofthebrainisslowerthanitsemotionalcounterpart.
Asaresult,ouractionsaredeterminedbyouremotions.Thatisnotto dismisstherationalmind;itistheconnectionbetweencauseandeffect. Butit’salwaysthesupportsystem,neverthelead.Tobuildastrong brand,don’tcompletelydismissdatasuchasproductfeatures,service optionsand,yes,evenprice.Getyourfunctionalsystemssortedout.
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Justdon’tmaketheirdetailstheonlyaspectofyourbrand.Instead, translatetheirphysicalvaluesintoemotionalconnectionsyoumake withyourcustomers.Peoplebuyonemotionandjustifywithreason. Theemotionalsystemofthebrainismorepowerfulthantherational system.Consciousthoughts,howeverlogicalandrational,willalways leadtoanemotionaloutcome.Thoughtscanalsobeirrational,asinthe caseofphobias,buttheystillleadtostrongemotionaloutcomes–in thiscase,whollynegativeones.Tobuildastrongbrand,youneedto focusyourattentiononinfluencingasmanypositiveemotionsofyour customerasyoucan,asoftenasyoucan. Somepartsoftheemotionalsystemoperatebeneathourconscious awareness,drivenbymemoriesofpastassociationsandexperiences. Theprocessisimmenselypowerful,sometimestriggeringactionsover whichwefeelwehavenocontrol.Tobuildastrongbrand,youneed tocreatecustomerexperiencesthatwillbecomepartofthecustomer’s long-termmemorystore.Putitthisway:ifcustomersaregoingtodo somethingonthespurofthemoment(likebuy1,000widgetsfromyou whentheyonlyplannedtobuy3),letitbebecauseofpriorpositive experiencesyouplantedintheirmemory. Thememorysystemofthebrainrespondsmoretopastexperiencesthat arespecificanddetailedratherthanvagueorfragmented.Thestronger theemotionalmemory,thegreaterjustificationandreasoningwillbe usedbytherationalmindtosupporttheoutcome.Tobuildastrong brand,yourcustomerexperiencesshouldexceedthealready-determinedexpectationsofyourcustomersandevokestrongmemories.Of course,badcustomerexperiences(whichweallhavetolivethrough onaregularbasis,itseems)willalsoresideinmemory.Ifthatnegativememoryisstrong,it’saboutallIneedtodecidenottodobusiness withyou.
Howmanyemotionsarethere? I’veusedtheword‘emotion’manytimesalreadyinthischapter.Howmany emotions exist? Antonio R Damasio MD, a behavioural neurologist and neuroscientist, suggests that there are six universal emotions: happiness, sadness,fear,anger,surpriseanddisgust. Along with these six main feelings are secondary emotions such as embarrassment, jealousy, guilt or pride. Damasio also lists ‘background
34 Understandingemotion
emotions’suchaswell-beingormalaise,beingfullofenergyorbeingdown, being enthusiastic, having anticipation or having dread. Unlike the other emotions,whicharetriggeredbyexternalfactors,thesearegeneratedfrom withinourownminds.Justasourmainemotionscaninfluencewhatwebuy andhowwebuyit,thesecanallhaveasignificanteffectonourpurchasing habits,too.
Afamousadvertisingcopywriter,JerryDellaFemina,oncewrotean advertisementforahaemorrhoidcreamsupplierthatsaid,‘Ifyou’ve gotadollar,andyou’vegotpiles,sendmeyourdollarandwe’llget ridofyourpiles.Or,youcankeepyourdollarandkeepyourpiles.’ Nowthat’swhatIcallblackandwhiteemotionaloptions:pleasure orpain;thechoiceisyours.
When it comes to generating emotions aboutourbusinessandourbrand, weneedtocreatepositivefeelings.Ifacustomerhasexperiencedanegative emotionasaresultofhowshehasbeentreated,orletdownbyaproduct’s performance,thismaybecomeananchorinheremotionalmemorystorethat istriggeredeverytimethebusiness,productorserviceisbeingconsidered. Dependingonhowstrongthatanchoris,itmaytakeconsiderableefforton thepartofthecompanytoturnthisnegativeemotionalanchorintoapositive one.Thatmaysoundlikecommonsense.Buthowmanybusinessowners reallyfocusongeneratingpositiveemotionalexperiencesfortheircustomers –andpotentialcustomers–anddoitregularly?Yetitcan’tbestatedoften enoughthatgainingemotionalcommitmentfromthosewhopurchaseyour goodsorservicesisthecrucialfactorforbuildingastrongbrand–notjust fortodaybutfortheentirefutureofthebrand. Imagine you are at an airport, and over the tannoy system comes the announcement,‘Wearesorrytoannouncethatflight1234toBarbadosis cancelled.’Whatisyourimmediateemotionalreaction?Wouldyouremember thisscenethenexttimeyouplannedtobookaflightwithanairline?Wouldit affectyourdecisionastowhichairlinetoflywithonsubsequenttrips?What doyoumakeoftheword‘sorry’intheannouncement?Doesitsinclusion makeyoufeelemotionallymoreunderstandingtowardstheairline?Ordo youinternaliseitasjustanotheremptywordthatisn’treallymeantbythe companyandcertainlynotbythepersonwhosaidit?Doesitshapehowyou feelaboutflyingingeneral?Doesitcreateinyouanemotionalanchor–a
Brandingtheheartaswellasthehead 35
negativethoughtpattern–aboutthatexperienceandthatparticularairline? Chancesareitwill–andmostlikelybeaddedtothatcutelittleamygdala’s storehouseofretainedmemories. Sohowwillyou,asacustomer,dealwithit?Howdoyouwanttheairline todealwithit?Howcantheyreversethenegativeemotionyou’refeelingand turnitintoapositiveone?Wasthetannoysystemthebestwaytoannounce the cancellation? Should the word ‘sorry’ have been used at all? Would anotherwordhavebeenbetter? Andconsiderthis:whatifitwasyourairlinecompanythatcancelledthe flight,yourmemberofstaffwhohadtobreakthebadnewsandyourscript thatwasbeingreadout?Howwouldyouhavehandledit?Whatwouldyou putinplace–ifanything–totrytowinbacksomeofyourbrandpolish that’sjustbecomemightilytarnished?(Incidentally,here’sonewaythat’s guaranteedtoscrewthesituationupevenmore,alienatepeopleandgivethem indigestionallatthesametime:offerthemadiscountvoucheronadrinkor sandwichwhiletheywaitforthenextflight,ifthereisone.Inthecontextof thescenarioyou’vejustread,wouldn’tthatbethecraziestthingyoucould possiblydotopeople?Itwould?Thenhowcomethat’satypicalresponse madebyairlineswhentheirflightsarecancelled?) Asyoucansee,therearemanyemotionalissuestoconsideraboutbranding thatareusuallytotallyoverlooked,eventhoughtheremaybeapristinecopy ofthecompany’smissionstatementhangingproudlyontheboardroomwall ascustomerchaosensues.
Features... Withemotionbeingsuchavitalelementtobeaddressedandunderstood,it’s unfortunatethatsmallbusinessesregularlymakethemistakeofpromoting theirproduct’sorservice’sfeaturestothecustomer,butleaveouttheemotional benefits. WhatdoImeanby‘features’?MarketingexpertPhilipKotlersaysthat featuresare‘characteristicsthatsupplementtheproduct’sbasicfunction’.In otherwords,featuresareattributesofabusiness,serviceorproduct.They are,inessence,whatathingdoes,ratherthanwhatthecustomerbenefits from.Theywillalsoincludethephysicalcomponents,dimensions,colours andshapesofaproduct.Inthecaseofaservice,theywillincludethe‘hard’ systemsandprocessesusedinthedeliveryoftheservice,suchaslogistics, orderprocessing,invoicingandsoon.
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Formostbusinesses,thisiswheretheirbrandbeginsandends.Dayafter dayweseebrochures,websitesandflyersproudlydisplayingendlesspages offeature-drivencopy,announcingmind-numbingtechnicaldetailsboasting howtheMarkIIIwidgetis‘unique’becauseofitsninge-wheelboggitspring –something,accordingtothecompany’sclaims,thatitscompetitors’products don’thave. Let’stakethecaseofasloganusedforM&Ms(aMarsproduct)inthe UnitedStates,whichwasalsousedformilkchocolateTreetsintheUnited Kingdomformanyyears:‘Meltsinyourmouth,notinyourhands.’Tomany feature-ledmarketers,theemphasiswouldbeontheproduct’scrispcandy shell–thecoveringthatactuallypreventsthechocolatefromleakingout.But inisolation,that’sjustafeature,andaprettyunimportantonetome.That’s whyfeaturesalonearenotenough.
...andbenefits Whenfeaturesbythemselvesnolongerappearedtogeneratesales,thefocus shifted to benefits. In the 1960s, Rosser Reevers, chair of the New York advertisingagencyTedBates&Co,developedtheideaofauniqueselling proposition(sometimescalleduniquesellingpoint).InhisbookRealityin Advertising(1961),ReeveslaiddownthreerulesaboutaUSP: Thepropositiontothecustomershouldbe‘Buythisproduct,andyou
willgetthisspecificbenefit.’ Thepropositionitselfmustbeunique. Thepropositionmustbestrongenoughtopullnewcustomerstothe product.
For several decades, the idea of the USP drove the sales and marketing strategiesofcompanieslargeandsmall.Othermodelsfollowedinthesame path,emphasisingthebenefitoftheproductorserviceoverjustitsphysical attributesandcapabilities. Thisemphasisonthebenefitthatwouldbegainedbythosefeatureswas asignificantstepforwardatthetimeformarketing.DavidOgilvy,thegrandmasterofadvertising,oftenrecitedalittledittytoemphasisethisapproach: Tellmethis,andtellmetrue Orelse,myfriend,tohellwithyou
Brandingtheheartaswellasthehead 37
Lesshowyourproductcametobe Andmoreofwhatitwilldoforme.
Theproblemis,thistypeofbenefitisonlyhalfthestory,andonethatisn’t sufficiently powerful on its own in the 21st century. The type of benefit promised by the USP is essentially a tangible benefit – something that is directlyrelatedtotheproductorservicefeature.Forexample,inthepast, marketerswouldoftenexplainthat‘peopledon’tbuydrillbits,theybuya devicetomakeaholeinthewall’.Theholeinthewallwasperceivedasthe main(andusuallytheonly)benefit. However,thisisalimitedviewofabenefitfortoday’scustomer,because it implies that the benefit is purely in a material form – that is, the hole in the wall. Some marketing professionals would argue that it isn’t even a benefit, merely an advantage! But semantics to one side, benefits today must go beyond a product or service’s basic functions into the realms of emotion.Inotherwords,theholeinthewallhasapurposebeyondjustbeing ahole!Perhapsitistohangapicturethere(seeFigure2.2),apaintingthat givesemotionalpleasuretotheviewer;maybeit’sacertificatethatevokes
Figure2.2 Feature,tangiblebenefitandemotionalbenefit
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emotionsofprideandsatisfactioninhavingattainedsomequalification.It mightevenbetofixanornament,atrophy,afamilyheirloom...something thatdrawsanemotivebenefiteachtimeitisviewed.TheUSPofyesteryear hasbecometheESP(EmotionalSellingPoint)oftoday.
Maslow’sHierarchyofHumanNeeds Whyhastheemphasisshiftedsomuchtowardscreatingemotionalbenefits fortoday’scustomers?In1943thepsychologistAbrahamMaslowproposed atheoryforhumanmotivationandestablishedwhathecalledhis‘Hierarchy of Human Needs’. Maslow believed that, as humans, we seek to satisfy successively‘higher’needsthatoccupyasethierarchy,andusedapyramid (seeFigure2.3)toshowhowtheseneedsareprioritisedintofivedifferent levels:
self-fulfilment
Figure2.3 Feature,tangiblebenefitandemotionalbenefit
Brandingtheheartaswellasthehead 39 physiologicalneeds:basicssuchasfood,drink,shelter,sleepand
sexualactivity; safetyneeds:physicalsecurity,securityofemployment,securityof revenuesandresources,lawandorder(securityofpersonalproperty againstcrime),familysecurityandhealthsecurity; belongingness,loveandsocialneeds:theneedforloveandaffection, relationships,asupportiveandcommunicativefamily,belongingness toagroupandsexualintimacy; esteemneeds:theneedforself-esteem,self-respect,self-masteryand independence,plusdominance,prestige,andtheneedforbothrespect andesteemfromothers; self-actualisationneeds:thedesireforpersonalgrowth,integration, andfindingself-fulfilmentthroughrealisingone’spotential.Maslow statesthatthiswasacontinualdrivethatcouldneverbewhollyfulfilled;rather,eachachievementwouldsimplymotivatetheindividual toreachforevenhighergoals.
How does Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs relate to branding your business today? Well, most people (certainly most of your existing and prospectivecustomers),havealreadymettheirneedsatthelowerlevelsof thepyramid.Theso-calledhigherneedsarethereforegoingtobecomemuch moreafocusoftheirthoughts. Infact,I’dliketoproposemyowntheoryhere:Icontendthatwhenit comestothelowerlevelsofMaslow’shierarchy,thenwe’retalkingabout theplainoldfeaturesandbenefitsmodel.Afterall,ifyoujustwantadrink, youdon’tneedaStarbucksGrande.Maybeyou’llsettlefortapwater.You’re satisfyinganeed.Andthebenefitisstrictlyphysical:yougettoquenchyour thirst.That’sall,nothingelse.Butwhenyouaspiretothosehigherlevels, youmoveintoanemotionalarena.You’vesatisfiedthosetangiblebenefits, sonowyouwantsomethingmore.Youwanttofeelsomething,besomeone, getsomewhere.Feelinggoodaboutyourself,havingstatusandrecognition, andfulfillingyourdesires...nowwe’retalkingemotions.Andifthat’swhere societyisfocusedrightnow,thenyourbusinessoughttoacknowledgethat bybuildingabrandthroughthepowerofemotion. Consider,forinstance,theneedtoconnectwithothers.Aswe’llseein thechapteronstorytelling,oursocietyhasbecomefragmentedandhaslost itstribalorgroupmembershiprootsastechnologyhasreplaceddialogue. Yethumanshaveaninnateneedtobeapartofsomething,tohaveongoing dialogue and communication.That’s why we’ve seen the rapid growth of
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blogs,wikis,chatroomsandsocialnetworkslikeFacebookandMySpacethat attempttobringpeopletogethersothattheycanbondandformrelationships. EvenMcDonald’sandStarbuckshavebecomeplaceswherepeoplegather togethertotalk.Theyareasmuchasocialgatheringasarefuellingstation. Doesyourproductorservicefulfilanyneedsatthislevel? Whataboutesteemneeds?Peoplewanttofeelimportant,haverespectand bemadetofeelspecial.Doesyourproductorservicedothat...andifnot, whatwouldyouneedtochangetomakeithappen?Thenthereareissuesof trustandreliability.Doesyourproductorservicebuildtrust?Isitsomething thatcustomersrelyon?Ifso,howcanyouexpressthesethingsemotionally? Andlast,butbynomeansleast,howcanyourproductorservicehelppeople toself-actualiseanddevelopthemselves?Doesithelpthem,assistthemand supportthem?Doesyourproductorserviceenrichtheirlivesandperhaps thelivesofthosearoundthem,too,suchasfamilyandfriends?Again,how canyouexpressthisinanemotionalway? Remember,it’stheproduct/servicefeatures,tangiblebenefitsandemotional benefitoftheproductorservicealongwiththetotalexperienceofdealing withyourbusinessthatkeepsyourbrandinthemindofthecustomer.Alotof marketing‘gurus’throwthebabyoutwiththebathwaterandfocusattention onlyontheemotionalsideoftheproduct.It’scutetopromotethemessage that‘allyouneedislove’.Butthat’snothowitworks.Soletmeemphasise again:youneedtocommunicatetoyourcustomersallthreeaspects:features, tangiblebenefitsandemotionalbenefits.WecouldevenemulateMaslowby creatingafeaturesandbenefitshierarchyasshowninFigure2.4. AswithMaslow’sHierarchyofNeeds,thelevelsshowhow,whenone aspectoftheproductorserviceissatisfied,thecustomermovestothenext level.It’sstilltrue,however,thatnolevelexistsinisolation.Allthreeare important, and all three work together to give you a powerful product or serviceoffering.
Adaptiveorsupportiveemotions–you decide It’sallwellandgoodtotheoriseabouttheneedtodevelopemotionalbenefits foraproductorservice,buthowcanthisbeachievedinpractice?Toanswer this,let’sbeginbydefiningthetwokindsofemotionalbenefitthatcanbe createdforanyproductorservice,includinganon-profit.
Brandingtheheartaswellasthehead 41
Figure2.4 Featuresandbenefitshierarchy
ThefirstiswhatIcallanadaptiveapproach.Thisiswherethefeaturesand tangiblebenefitsprovidetheplatformonwhichtocreateanemotionalbenefit. Forexample,Volvocarsarebuiltforsafety.So,featuresmightbethesteel safetycageaspectofthecar,orshock-absorbingzones,andtangiblebenefits couldthereforebebuiltaroundtangibleaspectsofpassengerprotection.But thiscouldbetakenmuchfurtherwhenadaptedasanemotionalbenefit.What aboutfeelingsofprideforchoosingacarmoreforthesafetyofpassengers thanyourownpassionfor,say,asportscar?AVolvoownercancomfortably state,‘IfeelgoodasapurchaserofaVolvo,becauseitmakesmearesponsible, goodperson.’ItcertainlyfulfilsMaslow’scriteriaforrespect,bothfromself andfromothers(whomaybeinadmirationofthedecisiontoput,say,family beforeself). Howaboutifyourunadentalpractice?Youmighthavesomeofthelatest X-raymachinery,whichhasfeaturessuchasmicroprocessortechnologyand super-accurateimaging,whichmeansthatthedentaltreatmentisenhanced. Again,youcouldusethedescriptionofthefeaturesandtangiblebenefitsto
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createanemotionalbenefitbasedonanaspectofself-esteem,suchashelping theclienttohaveamovie-starsmile,ortofeelconfidentabouttheirmouth andteethwheninteractingwithothers. Inbothexamplestheemotionalbenefitisdirectlylinkedtothefeaturesand rationalbenefits.Youcouldsayit’ssimplyanemotionalextensiontowhat hasalreadybeendescribedinphysicalterms. Butit’snotalwaysnecessarytobuildtheemotionalbenefitdirectlyfrom thefeaturesandtangiblebenefits.Wecouldsimplyusetheseassupporting detailsforaseparateemotionalbenefit.Remember,noonebuyspurelyon emotionoronlogic.Purchasesareemotionallyled,buttherestillneedsto besomerationalityinvolvedintheprocess. Here’sanexampleofasupportiveapproach.Let’simagineyou’reapaint manufacturer.Youhaveanumberoffeaturesregardingyourpaint.Perhaps therearecertainfeaturesofthepigmentthatmakethepaintthicker,meaning thatfewerapplicationsareneeded.Thepaintcouldalsocontainaspecial ingredient that makes it odour-free. These features could be turned into rationalbenefitssuchasfastercompletionofdecorating,andinacomfortable environment.Butnoneofthesepointsreallyextendintoemotionalbenefits. Inthatcase,weneedtolookatsomeofMaslow’shigherneedlevelsand find out what emotion we could use to drive our paint brand. How about confidenceintheabilitytocreateastunningdécorbyusingthisbrandof paint? Or the pride one can feel when showing off one’s achievement to friendsandworkcolleagues? Inthisscenario,thefeaturesandtangiblebenefitsdon’tdrivetheemotional benefit;it’sastand-aloneaspectofthebrand,createdseparately(anddeliberately)tointroduceanemotionintothemix.Butremember,peoplebuyon emotionandjustifywithlogic.Sotheemotionalbenefitdrivesthepurchase, butit’ssupportedbyalltherationalandtangiblefeaturesandbenefits. Iseitherapproachbetterthantheother?Idon’tbelieveso.It’sreallyjust aquestionofwhat’sappropriate.Sometimes,whenthefeaturesandrational benefits are very strong, the emotional benefit is easy to create.At other times,featuresandbenefitsdon’timmediatelyproduceanemotionalstate, soonehastobecreated.Theimportantpointisthatallthreeelementsare utilised. OK, now it’s your turn. See how well you can create your own emotionalbenefit.I’veprovidedanotherexampleofadaptiveandsupportive approachestohelpyougettogripswithwhatwe’retryingtoachieve.
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Definingyourproductorservice’s emotionalbenefit Theprocessofdefiningyourproductorservice’semotionalbenefitshould bedoneasaworksheetexercise. 1. Listthefeatures(egsize,weight,shape,colour,ingredients,specifications)ofyourproduct/service. 2. Then, describe what those features give the customer in terms of tangible benefits (ie physical, observable advantages of using the productorservice).Thebestwaytodothisistousethephrase‘which meansthat’aftereachfeatureandthenaddastatementdetailingwhat practical benefit that feature will provide. Let’s imagine we run a smallbusinessmanufacturingorretailingsunglasses.Table2.1shows anexampleofpossiblefeaturesandtangiblebenefits. Table2.1 FeaturesandtangiblebenefitsofAcmeXYZsunglasses Feature Extra-powerful photochromaticlenses Sturdyconstruction Lightweightframe
whichmeansthat
Benefit Youhavebetter protectionforyoureyes. Theywon’tbreakifyou accidentallydropthem. Youwon’tfindthem uncomfortabletowear.
Nowthinkthroughallthosetangiblebenefitsandfindoneemotionalbenefit thatcouldsatisfycustomerneedsatoneofMaslow’shigherlevels:esteem, connectionandbelonging,confidence,achievement,etc.Theemotiondoesn’t havetobeanextensionoftheproduct’stangiblebenefits,althoughitcouldif thetangiblebenefitsofferedanemotionalbenefitbydefault. Stuck for some emotional descriptions? Choose an emotion from the followinglistofemotionalwords,butmakesuretheemotionisrelevantto thetangiblebenefitsofyourproductorservice.Anddon’ttrytomuddythe watersbyintroducinglotsofdifferentemotionalbenefits.Oneisallyouneed tobuildtheemotionalpullofyourproductorservice.
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Feelingsyourproductorservicecouldevoke: affection bliss competence coolness devotion elation enthusiasm expectancy friendliness generosity happiness inspiration light-heartedness passion pride respect sadness serenity surprise
amusement caring confidence cordiality eagerness empathy envy faithfulness frivolity gentleness hope interest loving peace relief rest satisfaction sincerity sympathy
amazement cheer contentment curiosity earnest enjoyment excitement fascination fun gratefulness humour joy optimism pleasure resilience romance sensitivity stimulation
Inourexampleabove,thebenefitscentrearoundsafety,durabilityandcomfort.Wecouldfocusouremotionalbenefitontrust,forexample.Wecould emphasise the fact that AcmeXYZ sunglasses won’t let you down when they’re needed. Then we could communicate that emotional message by selectinglifestyleexamplesofpeopleundertakingriskyordaringadventures wherereliabilityoftheglasseswasparamount.Ifrelevant,wecouldeven involvehumour(thoughitmustbetreatedwithcare).Ifyou’veunderstood the previous explanation, you’ll recognise that the features and tangible benefitshereareadaptives;we’veadaptedthemtofitanemotionalbenefit. Let’stakeanexampleofmalesunglasses.ImagineHoratioCaineinCSI Miamireachingforhistrademarksunglassesashepreparestodeliveroneof hiscoolone-liners,onlytowatchthemfalltobitsontheground.Thedirector shouts,‘Cut.’Thescenebecomeschaotic.Studiohandsattempttorepairthe shades,buttonoavail.Horatioturnstofacethecameraandsays,‘Betterget AcmeXYZsunglassesbeforethenextepisode!’Wouldyourememberthat? Woulditmakeyoulaugh?Coulditcreateanemotioninyouthatsuggested AcmeXYZsunglassescouldbetrustedmorethanotherbrands?
Brandingtheheartaswellasthehead 45
Butwaitamoment;aren’twegettingcarriedawayhere?Ifyou’reasmallish businessthatjusthappenstomakeorselleyewear,youmightbethinking,‘How couldIaffordtopaysomeonelikeDavidCarusotoendorsemyproduct?’The answeristhatyoudon’tneedto.Youjustneedtobealittlecreative.Whynot doaspoofofCaineusingsomelow-costactors,orevenoffersomeonefrom thelocaldramaschoolanopportunitytofeatureinapromotionalcampaign? WhynotholdaDavidCarusolookalikecompetition,thewinnertofeature inyourmarketingmaterial?Thatalonewillgeneratepublicityguaranteedto raisetheawarenessofyourcompanyanditsproduct. Withalittlebrainstorming,youcouldhavethemakingsofagreatemotional platformonwhichtobuildyourbrand.Youcouldfeaturetheentireparodyas partofyourpublicrelations,advertisingandpublicitymaterials.Youcould demonstrate the sunglasses in shopping malls and inside stores, using the Horatio lookalike or spoof character as part of the pitch.Again, this will generatespin-offactivitysuchasnewspapersandradiostationspickingup onthewholetheme.AsIsaidearlier,theemotiondoesnotneedtobetied tothefeaturesandtangiblebenefitsasintheadaptiveapproach.Itcouldbe somethingentirelyseparate. Remember(andforgivemeforcontinuallydrivingthishome),customers purchasegoodsandservicesonthebasisofemotion,butuselogicastheir justification.ImightpurchaseanewPCfromDellbecauseIamemotionally tied to that particular brand. However, I’m still impressed by the features andtangiblebenefitsofdual-coreprocessingtechnology,hugeamountsof memory and mega-big hard drives. In this regard, the emotion I feel for thebrandmaynotbebaseduponthetechnologicalbenefits.Afterall,asan averageconsumer,Imaynotevenunderstandthem.
Supportingyouremotionalbenefit Solet’slookatanotherscenarioinvolvingthesupportiveapproach.We’ve alreadyseensomefeaturesandtangiblebenefitsofthesunglasses.Butwhat aboutstyle?Howwouldwearingthemmakemefeel?Whatemotionswould stir inside of me as I donned those shades?As a male, would I suddenly becomeHoratioCaineinmymind’seye?IfI’mafemale,whichrolemodel, mentororfavouritecelebritydoIbecome?AmIsuddenlyastarinSexinthe CityoramItheall-powerfulMirandafromTheDevilWearsPrada?Power, self-esteem,respect...perhapsevensnobbery.Noneoftheseemotionsare adaptationsofthefeaturesandrationalbenefits.Butitdoesn’tmatter.You
46 Understandingemotion
wouldn’tevenbeconsideringpurchasingthesunglassesinthefirstplaceif youdidn’tfeelcomfortableabouttherationalattributes. Howdoyouknowwhethertouseanadaptiveapproachorasupportive approach?Theansweris,itdependsontheproductorserviceyou’reoffering. Products and services that deal directly with self-worth (cosmetics and grooming, healthcare and fitness, holidays and leisure activities, etc) lend themselvestodevelopinggreatemotionalthemeswithouttheneedforcareful scrutinyoftherationalandtangibleaspects,soonlysupportivesareneeded. Not-for-profitswillalsogenerallybedealingwithahighlyemotivesubject bydefault,sosupportivescanbeusedsimplytoenhanceandprovidethe rationaleformakingthepurchaseorgivingadonation.Forinstance,acharity dealingwiththeplightofhomelesspeoplecanraiseemotionsofempathy, angeratinjustice,orsorrowattheirpredicament.This,inturn,cancreatean emotionalbenefitforthedonorsuchthatbygivingtothecharity,theycanfeel goodaboutthemselvesandtheirconcernfortheirfellowhumanbeings. Ontheotherhand,supplyingbagsofcement,sellingindustrialcoatingsor operatingaPCrepairbusinessmaynotprovidethesamelevelofopportunity tocreateapowerful‘stand-alone’emotionalbenefit,inwhichcaseoptforthe adaptiveapproach.
Ioncepresentedaseminaronbrandingwhereamarketingmanager attendeefromasmallwire-makingbusinessaskedhowtocreatean emotionalbenefitforasetofbicyclewheelspokes.Herfrustrations stemmedfromwhatshethoughtwasareallyboringproduct(with littletoshoweveninrationalbenefitterms).Inaddition,herproducts weresoldtobicyclemanufacturerswhothensoldontotheenduser, soshefeltconfusedaboutjustwhooughttobegettingtheemotional benefitanyway–assumingonecouldeventuallybeunearthed.How wouldyouhavecreated(ordiscovered)anemotionalbenefitinthis seeminglydifficultsituation? Ilookedatsomeoftheproduct’sfeatures(whichweretheonly thingmentionedonthetechnicaldatasheetthatwasaboutallthe companyhadbywayofpromotionalliterature).Iknewverylittle aboutbicyclespokes,butlearnedthattherewerespecificgaugesof wirethatproducedoptimumresults.Ilearnedthatthespokesare vitalcomponentsthathavetobecarefullymanufacturedbecause
Brandingtheheartaswellasthehead 47
theyareunderconstanttension,sothewirewasthickernearthe threads, where the stress would be at its highest. These features alone can easily provide tangible benefits of safety and security. Wouldabicyclemanufacturerbeconcernedaboutissuesofsafety andreliabilityinthematerialsusedinitsownbicycleconstruction? Ofcourseitwould.What’smore,anyoneinthebuyingdepartment wantstobereassuredthatthecompanyispurchasingthebest.And whilequalityassurancemarksofonekindoranotherarearational way to show a product’s quality level, it takes the generating of positiveemotionstohelpbuyersfeeltheyaremakingwisepurchasing decisionsandbeconfidentaboutaproduct’sdependability. Intheend,thespokesuppliercreatedanemotionalbenefitof trust, using the features and rational benefits as adaptives. One particular promotional campaign featured a close-up of a bicycle wheel, showing the spokes, with a headline that said, ‘These are thespokesthatholdthehubsthatturnthewheelsthatsteeryour bikesthattakeyourcustomersonanever-endingadventure.’The copywentontocoverallthefeaturesandtangiblebenefitsofthe spokes,thenlinkedtheseemotionallytothetrustthecyclemanufacturer could have in the wire-maker’s product. It could have stoppedthere,butsoimpressedwasonecyclemanufacturerthat itsmarketingdepartmentutilisedthesamethemeaspartofitsown brandcampaign,changingittoasupportiveapproachbycreating theseparateemotionalbenefitoffreedom.Alltheproductfeatures andtangiblebenefitsbecamesupportivesforapowerfulcampaign involvingclose-upshotsofvariouspartsofthebicycleindifferent settings:acity,acountryroad,amountainscene–whereverand wheneverthecyclistswantedtogoto‘getawayfromitall’. The result? Not only did this enhance the wire-maker’s brand but the relationship with that particular cycle manufacturer was deepened–somuchsothatthecyclemanufacturersignedanexclusivefive-yearcontractwiththespokecompany.
So far, we’ve covered the importance of generating an emotional benefit foryourproductorservice.But,ashopefullyyouknowbynow,that’sonly partofthestory.Abrand,remember,isthetotalexperienceacustomerhas
48 Understandingemotion
ofyourcompany–notjustwhatitsells.Thismeansthatallthecustomer servicesurroundingthepre-purchase,purchaseandpost-purchaseactivity mustcarryanemotionalbenefitthatbothsupportsandenhancestheemotions you’vegeneratedforyourproductorservice.
Does the United Kingdom lead the way for appalling customer service? The British Market Research Bureau conducted a survey on behalf of the Abbey National bank. The results revealed that workersinBritainspendatotalof56milliondaysayearwaitingat homefordeliveriesorrepairmenonlytohavemanyofthosedays wastedbecauseasmanyas4outof10workmenneverarrive,while othersturnuplate.Theworstrecordforlatearrivals,accordingto thesurvey,wasforelectricalgoodsdeliveries,withfurniturearrivals inaclosesecondplace.
Thatsaid,customersdon’tnecessarilywanttoexperienceemotionspertaining tofreedom,adventure,personalhealth,intimacyandgrooming,etcaspart of your customer service, even though those emotions may surround the productorserviceitself.Statusandsocialrecognitiongenerallydon’tplay aparteither. Whenotherbrandingbookssuggestthatthecustomerexperienceshouldbe ‘seamlessinitsemotionalofferings’,Idon’tdisagree.Youdo,however,need tobeawareofemotionalbenefitconflicts.Letmeillustratewithanexample. Virginhasaparticularapproachtoitsbrandthatincludesasomewhatirreverent styleofhumour,oftenbeingquitedisrespectfultothemorepompousBritish establishment – a brand strategy that has so far done well for the Virgin empire,andisconsistentwithSirRichard’sown‘rebellious’nature.So,when usingitsvariousproductsandservices,you’dprobablyexpecttoencounter aspectsoffunandfrolics,beitontheairlineorwatchingoneofVirgin’s risqué viral marketing campaigns. But that doesn’t mean that when you telephoneVirgin’sheadofficeyouaretreatedinadisrespectfulway,orthat Virginstaffhavealaughatyourexpense.Likeallpowerfulbrands,Virgin takesitsbrandseriouslyandknowswhenandwheretodrawtheline. Ontheotherhand,afuneralservicethatoffersanemotionalbenefitof empathy, or trust, would need to ensure that this emotion was key to the customer experience in all aspects of its brand. When you are running a
Brandingtheheartaswellasthehead 49
business,myadvicewouldbethatthebrandexperienceshouldensurethat thecustomerfeels:
respected; appreciated; valued; listenedto; safebuyingfromyou; goodaboutchoosingyourcompany; confidentabouttrustingyou; connectedtoyourcompany; thatyoucareaboutothers,theenvironmentandsociety.
Whenyouhaveachievedalloftheabove,youcanthenworktowardsyour customershaving: feelingsofpositiveanticipationforthenexttimetheydealwithyou; feelingsofpassionaboutyourcompanyandwhatitstandsfor;
andeven: feelingsofinfatuationwithyourcompany(ifyoureachthislevel,you
shouldwritethenextbookonbranding).
Wheretheemotionalbenefitsoftheproductorservicearethesame,then integratethemintoyourbrandexperience,asmuchasyoucan.Butifthere’s anykindofclashorpotentialconfusion,keepthemwellapart. Mostbooksonbrandingwillstatethatcustomerexperiencesshouldbe areflectionofyourbrandvalues.That’strueenough.Asyou’llseeinthe chapteroncreatingyourBrandStorybook™(Chapter16),communicating yourphilosophyaboutyourbusiness,whyyoustarteditandwhereyouwant ittogoisapowerfulwaytowintheheartsofyourdesiredaudience.ButIalso believethatthecustomerexperienceshouldmirrorthecustomer’svalues, too.Infact,yourcustomerbaseshouldbebuiltaroundthosepeoplewhose valuesarelinkedtoyours.Thekeypointhere,albeitasemanticone,isthat focusingonthecustomer’svaluesratherthansimplyyourownbecomesan outside-indynamic,ratherthananinside-outstaticmentality.Inotherwords, previousmarketingmodelsdependedonabusinessfindingacustomerand thenofferingthegoodsandservicesthebusinesswantedthatcustomerto
50 Understandingemotion
buy.Itdidn’treallymatteraboutanykindofemotionalconnection,justas long as the customer was satisfied with the purchase and the service that surroundedit. In today’s world of increasingly comparable products, similar service levelsandveryfewphysicaldifferentiators,theinside-looking-outapproach willnolongersecurethelong-termloyaltyofacustomer.Butfindsomeone wholikesyou,becausetheyaretoonedegreeoranotherlikeyou,andyou’ll haveamuchbetterchanceofbuildingapowerfulandsustainablebrand. AsDrEDoyleMcCarthy(1989)putit,‘Emotionisafundamentalsocial category,amouldforourmentallives.Emotionsthemselvesareobjectswe handleandseekinthatcontemporarydramaoftheself.’ Yes,emotionsareinternalfiguresthatplayouttheirlivesinthetheatreof thebody.Wearecreaturesofemotion.Businessesneedtounderstandthat –morethanatanyothertimeinhistory–thewaytoacustomer’swalletor purseisnotjustviatheheadbutmustinclude–andindeedfocuson–the heart.Nowthatwehavelearnedjusthowimportantemotionsare,weneed tounderstandhowweactuallytriggertheminourcustomerexperience.
3
Perceptionisreality Realityismerelyanillusion,albeitaverypersistentone. AlbertEinstein
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3
Howperception createsemotion
Sofar,we’veseenthatemotionisattheheartandcoreofapowerfulbrand. Butwhathastohappen,andhow,foremotionstobeinvokedincustomers? Inthepastdecadeorso,agreateremphasishasbeenplacedonwhathas becomeknownas‘customercare’.Theearlydaysofthisapproachwerequite basic,andofteninvolvedrotelearningofscriptsusedbyfront-linestaffwho werelessthanengagedwiththebrand,letalonethecustomer.Gimmicks, ratherthantruecustomer-focusedstrategies,wereoftentheorderoftheday. Inparticular,thesentimentof‘haveaniceday’displayedonbadgeswornby staff(seeFigure3.1)wasoftennotmatchedbyemployeeattitudes,alotof thetimebecausetheywerenotalignedtothevaluesandidealsofthebusiness forwhichtheyworked.What’smore,while‘niceday’greetingsmetwith somesuccessinthemoreservice-orientedcultureoftheUnitedStates,they werescornedandderidedbystaffandcustomersalikethroughouttheUnited Kingdom,whosawthebadgesasnothingmorethanplainsarcasm. Thebiggestproblemwithcustomercare,however,wasnotwithitsintentions.Themotiveofattemptingtoprovidemoreofwhatthecustomerwanted wasgood.Whereitwasflawedwasintheassumptionthatcustomercare meant‘beingnice’tothecustomer,whichinturnwouldleadtogreaterlevels ofconsumerloyaltyandrepeatpurchasing. The trouble is, customers don’t think like that – especially in today’s abundance-of-choicemarketplace,where‘beingnice’isagiven.That’swhy althoughcustomercaresentimentsofbeingkindandpoliteareimportant, theyareonlypartofamuchbiggeroverallbrandexperiencethatneedstobe createdinordertoevokeapowerfulconsumeremotion.
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Figure3.1 ‘Have-a-nice-day’badges(deridedintheUnitedKingdom) But how are these emotions generated? We’ve already discovered that previous marketing models limited to logic and rationality are outdated, althoughtheydohaveaplaceindefiningthebrand.Afterall,theproduct orservicehastobeaffordabletothoseatwhomitisaimed.And,ofcourse, italsohastodeliver‘whatitsaysonthetin’.Butoncetheseessentialsare taken care of, the only thing left is the emotions.When consumers buy a BMWorMercedes,theywanttobecertainthattherearestillfourwheels onit,anengine,seatingandsoon.Butanycarcansupplythesefeatures. Noteverycarcansupplytheemotionsthatgowiththem,however.Asany Harley-Davidsonmotorbikeownerwilltestify,aHarleyismorethanabike; itrepresentsafreespirit,independenceandadventure–allemotive,noneof whichyou’llfindinfeaturesalone.
Generatingemotions What,then,createsemotions?Wheredotheycomefrom? They are generated as the result of perception.Aaron T Beck, one of the founding fathers of the popular cognitive behavioural therapy, said, ‘emotionfollowsperception’.Aswe’lldiscover,thereverseisalsotrue,in
Howperceptioncreatesemotion 55
thatperceptioncanbeshapedbyemotion;likemanyaspectsofthebrain’s information-processingroutine,it’satwo-waystreet. Ourfirstobjectivewastocreateanemotionalbenefitforourcustomers. Thatbenefitneedstobeexperiencedforittohaveanyeffect.So,inorderto evokeemotion,wefirstneedtotriggeritthroughperception.
Whatisperception? ‘Perception’ comes from the Latin word percipere, which means to seize or to understand. Perception is the process by which the brain organises andinterpretsinformationbroughtinthroughthesensesorcreatedinour imagination,combinedwithstoredinformationinmemory,enablingusto constructanunderstandingoftheworldaroundus. NoticethatIusedtheword‘construct’.You’veprobablyheardthesaying ‘Perceptionisreality’,andinthiscontextit’strue.Ourunderstandingofthe worldisnottheworlditselfbutaconstructioninourmindthatfitsanumber ofcriteria,muchofwhichispersonaltous.Whenacustomerdealswithyour business,heorshewillarriveataperceptionofthecustomerexperienceyou haveprovided.Ifit’snotthewayyouwantedthatcustomertoperceiveyour business,that’stough–andyou’vegotworktodo(whichiswhyyoubought thisbook). But the point I’m making here is that, once again, the customer owns the brand experience, not you. The customer determines the ‘reality’ of theexperience,notyou.Andthecustomervotestosupportthatrealityby remainingaloyalsupporterofyourbrand–orhightailitoutoftowntolook forother,better‘realities’toexperience. TodemonstratewhatImeanaboutthecustomer’s‘reality’,takealookat thefollowingpicture(Figure3.2).Whatdoyousee? Manyofyouwillimmediatelynoticethatit’sapictureofayoungwoman, completewithnecklaceandafeatherinherhair.‘That’snotwhatIsee,’other readersmightexclaim.‘Iseeathree-quarterviewofanoldwomanwitha hugenoseandachinburiedinhercoat.’ WheneverIshowthispictureaspartofapresentationonbrandingand asktheaudiencewhoseeswhat,theroomisoftensplit50–50astowhosees theyoungwomanandwhoseestheold.Evenmoreinterestingisthatmany intheaudiencecanonlyseeoneortheother,evenwhenthey’vebeentold aboutthealternativeview.Thepointis,whatyousawwasyourperception –whichmayhavebeendifferentfromsomeoneelse’s.
56 Perceptionisreality
Figure3.2 Alternative‘realities’ Yourunderstandingofwhatthepicturerepresentedwascreated(orperceived ifyouwill)insideyourmind.Infact,becausethepictureisambiguous–it couldbeeitherayoungwomanoranoldwoman–theperceptionhasrelied uponyourdrawingonyourownmentalstorehouseofshapesandfeatures todetermineforyourselfwhatyouareobserving.Evenbeforewegetinto a deeper understanding about perception, this raises a vital point about deliveringapowerfulbrandexperience:
Themoreambiguousyourcustomerexperience,thelesslikelyyour brandwillbeperceivedcorrectly.
Inotherwords,ifIwantedtomakesureyousawonlytheyoungwoman, whatwouldIhavetochangeinthepicture?Perhapsnotverymuch,justa
Howperceptioncreatesemotion 57
Figure3.3 Focusingpeople’sperceptions fewlineshereandtheretolimittheabilitytoseeanythingbutherface.In fact,let’sdojustthat.Forthoseofyouwhocouldn’tseetheyoungwoman before,doesthisillustrationhelp(Figure3.3)? I’ve amended and altered certain bits of the illustration to limit the perceptiontotheyoungwoman.Theoldwoman’snoseandchinarenolonger prominentinthepicture.Andsoitiswithyourtotalcustomerexperience.It mustbedesignedasyouwantittobe.Ifnot,thecustomerwilldrawheavily uponinternalresourcestotrytomakesenseofyourbrand,ratherthanbe helpedbyclear,consistentmessagesandexperiences. Inordertounderstandtheprocessofperception,let’sstateasimpleformula thatsumsupwhatperceptionisallabout:
Sensation+Information=Perception
58 Perceptionisreality
Perception,then,isnotthesamethingassensation.Sensationisaphysical (orphysiological)processandhastodowithobtaininginformationaboutthe worldaroundusviaoursenses.InthecaseofthepictureshowninFigure3.3, itwaslinesandshapesthatcreatedspecificsensations.Butsensationsdonot merelypassthroughthebrainandcomeouttheothersideasaperception. Howdidyouknowthatthoselinesrepresentedtheshapeofaface?How didyouknowwhatafacewasinthefirstplace?Sensoryinformationalone wassimplynotenough,soyourbrainprocessedadditionalinformationand helpedyouformconclusionsaboutwhatthosesenseshadidentified.Itisthis wholeprocessthatwecallperception. Ratherthangetboggeddowninlotsofpsychologicalmodelstoshowhow perceptionworks,let’slookattheprocessinsimpleterms–andwherewe caninfluencethecustomerthemost.TheflowdiagramshowninFigure3.4
Figure3.4 Thefourmajorpartsofperception
Howperceptioncreatesemotion 59
isageneralexplanationofwhattakesplaceintheactofperception,fromthe initialinputofsensoryinformationthroughtothestorageofinformationin long-termmemory.(AsI’vealreadymentioned,long-termmemoryiswhere brandsreside,sothisisakeycomponentinbuildingouremotionalcustomer experience.) Onecaveat.Inconstructingadiagramlikethis,it’simportantthatwedon’t fallintothetrapofthepreviousmarketingmodelswediscussedandviewthe workingsofthebrainasasimplelineardevice,oraseriesofconnected‘black boxes’withjustaninputandoutput.Manydifferentpartsofthebrainare operatingsimultaneously,sometimesinfluencingsinglepartsoftheoperation butveryoftenhavinginvolvementinthewholeprocess.Pathwaysarenot flowingmerelyintwodirections,butinmanydifferentdirectionsatonce. Lookingatourperceptiondiagram,wecanseethatthereareessentially fourmajorpartstoitsoperation:
Reception→Selection→Interpretation→Reaction
Inthefollowingchapterswe’lllookateachaspectofthisperceptiondiagram inturn.
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4
Perceptionand long-termmemory
RECEPTION
Figure4.1 Receptionofexperiencesoftheworldthroughthesenses Ourexperienceofthephysicalandmaterialworldaroundus(andtherefore ourcustomerexperience)isfirstreceivedthroughoursenses.Traditionally, ithasbeenassumedthattherearejustfivesenses:sight,sound,smell,taste andtouch.Today,weunderstandthattherearemanymoresenses,including
62 Perceptionisreality
thoseofmotion,heat,balanceandbodilyawareness,althoughsomescientists arguethatthesearemerelysubsetsofthestandardfive.Forthepurposeof creatingouremotionalgeneratorswe’llstaywiththetraditionalset,because theyarethemaintriggersthatbusinessescanuseforevokingemotions. Incustomerswhohavealltheirsensesinworkingorder,thesefivesenses will provide the way in which the physical world is transmitted to the brain:
Sight:theeyesrespondtolight. Sound:theearrespondstosoundwaves. Smell:thenosecontainsolfactoryreceptorsthatdistinguishsmells. Taste:thetongue’stastereceptorsidentifydifferenttastes. Touch:receptorsalloverthebodyrespondtotouch.
It’spossibleforallofthesesensestoworkseparately,butmostofthetime theyworktogether,eitherasacombinationtocreateanothersensationoras coordinatorstokeepwhatweexperience‘insync’.Forinstance,smelland taste can work together to create flavour: the smell of a particular cheese coupledwithitstastewillsupplyitsuniqueflavour.Neithersenseonitsown candothis.Ifthecheeseismouldyorhassomeothervisualaspecttoitthat looksunpleasant,thisvisualinputcaneasilyoverrideanyaspectsofflavour ortaste,changingyourresponsefromoneofdelighttooneofdisgust. Equally important is coordination of the senses. When we listen to someonespeak,wemayonlybeconcernedwiththesenseofsound.Butwhen weareengagedinaconversationwithsomeone,weareprocessingvisual information,too.Inthisregard,speechandsightneedtobewellcoordinated. Imagineifeverytimesomeonespoke,theirmouthsappearedtomoveoutof synchronisationwiththewordsyouwerehearing(ratherlikesomeofthose verypoorlyoverdubbedmoviesandcommercialsyouoftensee). What’smore,informationarrivingatoneortwosensesmayevokeother sensationsaspartoftheperceptionprocess,simplybecausetheyarelinked together in your mind. Watching your favourite food being prepared and experiencingitssmellatthesametimemaymakeyourmouthwater,much likePavlov’sdogsalivatingatthesoundofabellthatsignalledfeedingtime. Listeningtosomeonelaughmaycauseyoutosmile,eventhoughyoumight notknowwhatthelaughterisallabout.Bothofthesescenarioscanalsofire theimagination,oryoumightrecallapastexperienceasaresultofthose senses.Thesightandsmellofdeliciousfood,besidescausingyoutosalivate, mayalsobringtomindvividmemoriesofoccasionswhereyouenjoyedsuch
Perceptionandlong-termmemory 63
foodwithalovedone,orgroupoffriends.Andevenifyoudon’tknowwhat causedthestrangertolaugh,theeventmightcauseyoutorememberatime when you, too, had a really good laugh about something. Such responses are all part of the brain’s association and recall activity, as we shall soon discover. Evenmoreimportantforus,wecandiscoverhoweachoftheseaspects ofperceptioncanbeinfluencedtotheadvantageofthecustomer’spositive brandexperience.
SELECTION
Figure4.2 Selectionofsensoryexperience
With(atleast)fivesensesinoperation,theamountofinformationbeingfed into our brain is colossal.We may see over 10,000 brand communication messageseveryday,comingatusfromposters,websites,radio,television and word of mouth.We are constantly bombarded with different colours, themes,soundsandshapesallrelatingtodifferentbrands. Howdoesthishugepileofinformationflowingthroughoursensesget processed by the brain’s limited capacity? It doesn’t. Once the data from oursensoryreceptorshittheareaofthebrainwecallsensorymemory,an intricatefilteringprocessbegins,muchofit(probably95percent)entirely withoutourconsciousawareness.Itishere,apartoftheselectionpointin
64 Perceptionisreality
ourdiagram,thatsensoryinformationisstored–oftenforjustafractionof asecond–aftertheactualsensationhasended. Bythetimeinformationcomingviaoursensesleavesthesensorymemory areaofthebrain,itisalreadyamuchsmallersetofdata.Itthenpassestothe secondstageoftheselectionprocess,knownasworkingmemory.Atthisstage, informationheldinvariousmemorycircuitsofthebrainrelatingtosimilar previoussensoryexperiences,alongwithothertypesofinformationstoredin ourbrainaboutourbeliefs,values,etc,iscombinedwiththehere-and-now influences.Infact,thereareanumberofcriteriathatmustbeconsideredin orderforthebraintoselectthe‘bestpicture’ofthecurrentsensoryexperience anddecidehowtorespondtothesituation.Figure4.3showsatypicallistof filtersthatwillhaveaneffectonhowweperceivewhat’shappening.Notice fromtheillustrationhowthesefiltersaresubjective.Fewoftheseexisted whenwewereborn–atleast,notinawaythatcouldmakemuchsenseatthe
Figure4.3 Influencesonourperception
Perceptionandlong-termmemory 65
time.Ourmemories–thebrain’swarehouseofeverythingfromthesmallest pieceofinformationtothemostvividexperiences–havedevelopedoverour lifetime,withthebraincontinuallyaddingnewitemstoitsstoragespace. Notwopeoplewillfilterthesameexperiencesinthesamewayorhold identicalbeliefsabouteverything.Evenbasiclikesanddislikes,suchasthe kindofmusicyoulistento,whatpoliticalpartyyousupport,orthechoiceof yourfavouritefootballteam,willbebuiltaroundyourpersonalbeliefsystem. It’sunlikelythatanyofthesepreferenceswillbederivedfromhardfacts. Mostwillbeassembledfrompersonalexperiences,biasesandassumptions, howeverinaccuratetheymaybe. For example, does everyone go shopping for designer-label clothes? Manydo,enoughtocreateaworldwidemarket.Theseconsumershavea beliefsystemthatallowsdesignergeara‘natural’placeintheirfilters.But forothers,designerlabelsaresymbolsofexcessandfindnoplaceintheir valuesystem.Theymightdeemthemselves‘nonconformist’byboycotting anythingexcept,perhaps,streetclothing.However,asthenumberofstreet clothingwearersincreases,thenonconformistsbecomeconformistsintheir ownsocialgroup.(Don’tyoujustlovethewaythehumanmindworks?)
Onestudyofurbanlow-incomeconsumersinBoliviabyLuukvan Kempen(2004)showedthat,asagroup,theywerewillingtopay a premium for the designer label as a symbol. This depended on the group’s relative economic situation, education level and the frequencywithwhichtheywatchedsoapsontelevision.
Whatweknowfromresearchisthatevenifpeopleareshownthataparticular belief held in their memory is incorrect, they’ll adapt any conflicting informationto‘makeitfit’thebelieftheyhold.That’softenareasonwhy brandsfailtomakeanimpactontheircustomers:theysimplydon’tshare thesamecommonbeliefs,ortheyattempttochangealong-heldbeliefthat isdeeplysetinthecustomer’smemorybanksimplybysupplyingcoldfacts –thesmallestcomponentofperception! Of course, it’s impossible to match every single belief a person holds. Butthecloseryougettoreallyunderstandingthewayyourcustomersthink abouttheparticularkindofproductorserviceyousell,andthewayinwhich itisoffered,themorelikelyyouaretocreatethekindofinfluenceontheir perceptionthatwillgeneratetherightkindofemotionalresponse.
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Understandingtheschemeofthings How in the world can we influence perception when there appear to be so many fragmented pieces of information in the customer’s head? Well, fortunately,informationisthoughttobestoredinourmemoryintheform ofwhatpsychologistscallschemata:clustersofinformationaboutparticular itemsorissues.Forinstance,onecluster(schema)mightlinkinformation togetherthatistodowithourselves,suchaswhoweare,theroleweplayas, say,aparent,oremployee,orthetypeofpersonalitythatweportray.Another schemamightbeaclusterofinformationaboutthesocialgroupwebelong to,ourpositioninitandthestereotypeswemayhavecreated,whileanother mightconnectknowledgeabouteventsorcircumstances. Evenifthecustomerisexpectedtodrawuponhisorherimagination,the images,soundsandfeelingsconveyed‘inthemind’willneedtoreference events already experienced. Imagination is always viewed through the beliefs,biasesandprejudicesthatyouhold.Withoutthem,imaginationhas severelimitations.Ifyou’veneverbeeninahelicopter,tryingtoimagine whatitwouldbelikecouldprovequitedifficult.Youmightaccessprevious experiencesofflying,orbeingatthetopofahighbuilding,butnothingsuitable willbepresentinmemorytohelpcreateaccurateideasaboutsomethingnot yet experienced. So what happens?The mind simply takes a ‘best guess’ –whichoftenturnsouttobewildlyoffthemark.Imaginationsimplycan’t makenewjumpsinbeliefwithnopriorexperiencetoreference. Thisisyetanotherimportantconsiderationincreatingapowerfulbrand throughourtotalcustomerexperience.Alltoooften,companiesandnot-forprofitsusepublicityorfundraisingcampaignsthatrelyheavilyonthecustomer (ordonor)usingimaginationasthekeydrivertopurchasetheproduct,or supportthecause.Anexampleisthecountlessnumberoffundraisingmailers I’vereceivedovertheyearsthataskmeto‘imaginewhatit’sliketogohungry forweeksatatime’or‘imaginewhatit’sliketobetoldyouhaveaterminal illness’. Fortunately, neither of these undesirable things has happened to me... but the point is, I can’t imagine them! HowcanI?AsI’veneverbeenin eithersituation(forwhichI’meternallygrateful),thesenderisaskingmeto constructaschemaforwhichIhavenoreference.Oh,sure,Icanthinkabout times when I’ve been hungry, and I can think about occasions when I’ve beenill.Buttheyareinadequatesourcesofinformationformyperceptual processing.It’sunlikelythateitherheadlinewillevokeanemotionalresponse that’s intense enough for me to support the worthy cause.And you know what?Itneverhas.
Perceptionandlong-termmemory 67
We’llseeshortlyhowthisdirectlyrelatestotheintensityandconsistencyof ourcustomer’sbrandexperience.Butbeforewegetthere,here’sanexercise foryou:
Can you think of ways in which your customer experience can perpetuateandintensifytherelevantschemata–andevencreate newones?
INTERPRETATION
Figure4.4 Interpretationofsensoryexperience Nowthatthebrainhasgatheredtogethertheinformationitneedsinorderto preparearesponsetothecurrentsensoryexperience,itneedstodecidehowto interprettheinformationinthemostappropriateway.Inseverecircumstances ofdanger,forexample,availableinformationmaybeintheformofstored images,symbolsandemotionsresultingfrompreviousexperiencesrelating tothedangerbeingfaced. Adecisionwillneedtobemadeastowhetheroneshouldstaytofightorif thebestoptionisthatofflight.Inotherwords,thememorystoreofschemata
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collected for a particular situation does not necessarily have an already determinedresult(we’vealreadyseenhowthelittlealmond-shapeddevice calledtheamygdalacanbequickoffthemarktomakeahastydecision–one thatcouldbewayoffbase).So,thebrainneedstoconnectthisinformation withtheinformationcurrentlybeingreceivedthroughthesenses,thenmakea judgementcallonwhatthebestcourseofactionbywayofresponseisgoing tobe. Thisinterpretationofeventshasanenormousbearingonourcustomer brand experience. Suppose that a customer had a really bad time with a memberofstaffatanelectricalstore–maybeoneofyourcompetitors.The customerhadpurchasedanitemthatdidn’tperformcorrectlyandbrought itbackforareplacement.Anargumentensued.Afterheatedexchanges,the customerfeltbadlytreatedandleft,threateningtosuethecompanyandto neverdobusinesswithitagain.Afewmonthslater,thesamecustomerbuys anitemfromyourstoreandittooturnsouttobefaulty.Onceagain,shefinds herselfatthebeginningofasituationalreadystoredinmemory. Stoprightnow.Whatdoyouthinkherschemaforthatpreviouscustomer experiencemightbeatthisprecisemomentintime?Herperceptualsystemis evaluatingthesituationbydrawingonthatpastexperience,combiningitwith thevariousfiltersofbelief,values,preferencesandsoon,anddetermining what appropriate response should be prepared in readiness for a possible ordeal.Itcouldswingeitherway. The interpretation of information could mean that the customer is now expectingtobetreatedbadlyandisalreadypreparedtostayand‘fight’toget therightcustomerservice.Beforeyoursalespersoncanevenenquireastothe problem,thecustomerisalreadyonthedefensive,emotionsrising,moving swiftlyintobattleposition.Alternatively,thecustomermighthaveabelief systemthatsays,‘Don’tmakewaves,don’tcausetrouble.’Shemightdecide that submission is the better option, doesn’t want to face another hostile encounterandthereforedepartsfromthestore,willingtoacceptapassiveend toanegativesituationthathasn’tevenoccurredyet!Andshenevercomes back. You think this scenario is far-fetched? I’ve been in many situations in shops,restaurantsand(myall-timefavouritecontentiousspot)airportswhere, onceaproblemoccurs,theobservationofsensoryprocessingisfascinating. Aggression,assertion,submission,frustration,depression...alltheemotions arethere(andnotjustfromthecustomers!).Allwillhavebeengeneratedby thisamazingfilterofstoredmemories,beliefs,ideals,valuesandthelike.
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Of course, you can’t know what previous experiences your customers havegotstoredintheirmemory.Youcan’tknowinintricatedetailallthe perceptual filters that are being called into action in order to determine a responsetoasituation.Butfindingoutsomeofthemainpreferencesinthis areaandaligningyourcustomerexperiencewiththemwillgreatlyincrease thechancesofinfluencingperceptions.
REACTION
Figure4.5 Reactiontosensoryexperience Whenstoredinformationiscombinedwiththecurrentdatacominginfromthe senses,thebraindecidesonthemostappropriateaction.Neitherthedecision northeresultwillbeaconsciousone.Aswe’veseen,thereactionwilldepend onthetypesofschematastoredinmemoryandwhattheyrepresent:positive ornegativeexperiences,alongwithotherstoredinfluencerssuchasbelief systems,values,idealsandsoon,usedbythebraintoreachadecisionon thetypeofresponsetobemade.Remember,itistheinterpretationofwhat’s happeningratherthantheeventitselfthatwillcauseaparticularemotional responsetooccur.Ifthereisnopreviousschemainthecustomer’smemory from which to draw information, it’s likely that there will be little or no emotionalresponse. Atthisstage,then,thisdecisionisnowreadytobeplayedoutbyway ofreaction.Theresponsedoesnotengagetheuseoftherationalbrain,but
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isentirelyemotionalincontextandoccursinamatterofmilliseconds.The reactionwillnotonlyincludementalstatesbutalsotakeintoaccountthe moodofthecustomeratthatparticulartime.Itwillalsoaffectthesensesthat triggeredthewholeperceptualsysteminthefirstplace.Inmanysituationsthe reactionwillnotonlytriggeranemotionbutalsochangethebody’sphysical featuressuchasfacialgestures(wemaydisplayawidesmile,openoureyes wider, grimace or clench our teeth, depending on whether the situation is negative or positive). Our voice may change (we might lower or raise its intensity,oritspitch),ourbloodpressurerises,pulseandheartratespeed uporslowdown,oursweatglandsgointooverdriveandevenourdigestive systemreacts(saynomore).Muchofthiswilldependupontheintensityof theemotion,whichwillbedeterminedbythenatureofthesituationweare focusingupon.Somepsychologistsparethisdowntothreemainemotional identifiers: happy/unhappy; intense/mild; assertive/passive.
Themythsofemotionalbranding Butbeware!Itisveryeasytofallintothetrapofgeneratinganykindof emotional response, assuming that’s all there is to it. Let’s cover some emotionalresponsemythsrightnow. Myth1:Theconsumerwillalwaysrememberthebrandifthey
experienceadeepemotionalreaction. Ourtotalcustomerexperiencemayincludesomeaspectsthatarouse intenseemotions–forexample,anadvertisement,brochureorcommercialthatdepictsascaryscene,orcausesareactionofshockor disgust.Giventhatsomeemotionalreactionscanlastalifetimeby beingpreservedinlong-termmemory,youmightthinkthatyourcustomerexperiencestrategyisgoingintherightdirection.Thethingto becarefulofhere,however,isthattheintenseemotiondoesn’tbecome thekeyfocusratherthanthebrandbehindit.Somanyadvertising campaignshavefeaturedemotionaltriggers,butalthoughtheviewer canrecalltheadvertisementandperhapseventhesmallestdetailof theemotivecontent,theycannotrecallthebrand.
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During the 1970s, an award-winning TV campaign in the United KingdomforCinzanofeaturedcomedyactorLeonardRossiterand actor/author Joan Collins (probably best known internationally for her Dynasty role). The ads were created around Rossiter as a bungling fool always managing to accidentally throw his drink overthewoman(Joan),oblivioustowhathe’ddone.Theadswere extremely funny and won several awards. The level of emotional intensitytowardstheadswassostrongthatwhenthecommercial channelITVwentonstrike,viewerscomplainednotaboutmissing programmes but about missing the ads. The trouble was, while everyonelikedandrememberedtheads,researchshowedthatnot only did most viewers think the ads were for Martini – Cinzano’s mainrival–butMartini’ssalesactuallywentup.
Myth2:Themoreyougetcustomerstousetheirimagination,the
moreintensetheemotionwillbe. Wehavealreadycoveredthefactthatimaginationneedsreference topastexperiences.ThepsychologistNicoFrijda(1988)statedthat ‘Emotionsareelicitedbyeventswithmeaningsappraisedasreal,and theirintensitycorrespondstothedegreetowhichthisisthecase.’Put simply,thecloserthecustomerexperienceistothecustomer’sreality (remember,it’stheirreality,notyours!),themorelikelytheemotional reactionis.What’smore,askingthecustomertoimaginesomeaspect ofbenefit,withoutapriorschemaforreference,willundoubtedlybring aboutinaccurateexpectations,tothedetrimentofthebrand. Myth3:Themoreemotionsyougenerateatonetime,thestronger thecustomerexperience. Humanscanonlyexperienceoneemotionatanygiventime.Granted, anemotioncanbefleeting,andreplacedquicklybyanother.Thinkof someonewhohasjustcheckedwhatappearstobeawinninglottery ticket...elation!Ondouble-checking,however,twoofthenumbers weremisread.Notapennyhasbeenwon.Emotionalchange?Youbet (forgivethepun).Butcustomerexperiencesworkbestwhentheyare builtaroundaconsistentemotionaltheme.Notonlydoesthisavoid anyconflictsofemotionsalongtheway,butitisalsoavitalissuein creatingyourBrandHalo™.
72 Perceptionisreality Myth4:Thebestapproachtoapositivecustomerexperienceis
tobuildemotionaltriggersaroundthebeliefthat‘thecustomeris alwaysright’. Thisoneisbasedonanotherconceptfromthe1900sandperpetuated bythecustomercaremovementofthe1990s.Itwasoriginallycoined byHarryGordonSelfridge,theAmericanfounderofthefamousLondonretailstoreSelfridges.Onceagain,thewholesocialsettingfor purchasingproductsandserviceshasmovedon,butthisoldbromide isstillofferedupasarationalproposalinsalesandmarketingtrainings allovertheWesternworld. ButyouknowandIknowthatthecustomerisNOTalwaysright, right?Customersmayarriveatoneofyourcustomerexperiencepoints (we’llcovertheseBrandReflectionslater)inaparticularmoodthat doesn’tmatchthecustomerexperiencethat’sbeenprepared.Theidea thattheBrandHalo™shouldthereforebealteredtoaccommodatea customerwhoisunjustifiablyimpatient,argumentative,aggressiveor justplainmisinformedisabadstrategy.Itmeans,forexample,that youremployees–sovitalincreatingapowerfulbrand–havetoput theirownfeelingsandbeliefsystemstoonesideandpretendtooffer empathyorsomeotherfalseemotiontothecustomer. Sorry,but,despitewhatsomebrandingexpertssay,a‘grin-and-bearit’approachisnotthewaytobuildabrand.Ofcourse,thereisnever anyexcusetobeimpolite,disrespectfulorcoldtowardsacustomer.But buildingabrandonthebasisofpleasingcustomersfromhellisasure waytoendupthere.Andanyway,youcan’tbuildapowerfulbrandon alie.MrSelfridgecertainlydidn’t.Hediedpennilessin1947. Myth5:Customersatisfactionsurveyswillshowwhetherthe emotionaltriggersareworking. Sadly,no.Customersurveysareoftenthebiggestredherringfora businessseekingtoimproveitsbrand,simplybecauseinformation fedbackfromthecustomeristakenatfacevalue.Thefactis,most customerswhenaskedtoratesatisfactionwithacompany’sservice willawarditthehighestmark,orthesecondhighest.Whatcompanies usuallyfailtodoisgatheranyinformationrelatingtotheemotional commitmentorloyaltytothebrand–inotherwords,theygainfeedbackbutnotinsight. Manycustomersareloathtocomplainaboutanything,because theyfearthewholebrandrelationshipwillbecompromised.(Culture playsapart,too.PeopleintheUnitedKingdomaremuchlesslikely
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tocomplainthantheirAmericanorCanadiancounterpartsat,forinstance,apoorrestaurantexperience;theyjustnevergoback.What’s worseisthatwhentherestaurantmanagersays,‘Waseverythingall right?’theyoftenrespondwitha‘Yes,thankyou,itwasfine’,asthey headforthedoor.) Thebestapproachistoascertainthemostappropriatesensoryinfluencesusingabrandperceptionsurveyratherthanatypicalcustomer satisfactionsurvey.There’soneincludedlaterinthisbook.
LONG-TERMMEMORY
Figure4.6 Long-termmemory:thehomeofthebrand Thereisonlyoneplaceintheentireuniversethatabrandresides.That’sin the customer’s long-term memory.Any other resting place in the mind is simplytransientanditwillfadeveryquickly,tobereplacedbysomeother passingexperience,probablydestinedforthesamewastedisposalchutethat thethousandsofrejectedsensations,messagesandstimulationsdisappear downeverywakingmomentoflife. Onethingthat’sgoodtoknowaboutlong-termmemoryisthatonceour brandisresidentinit,aslongasit’smaintainedthechancesarethatitwillstay there,unlesssomemajorexperiencealterstheschemasomuchthatthere’s adramaticshiftincontent.Asfarasourcustomerexperiencegoes,weneed tofocusonthreekeyfactorsofpushingthebrandintolong-termmemory:
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1. Themoreintensetheexperience,themorelikelyitistogettolongtermmemory,ratherthanbeingdiscardedonthewaythere. 2. Themore‘real’asopposedtoabstracttheexperience,themore accessiblethisperceptualinformationwillbecome. 3. Themoreoftenthecustomerexperienceisvisitedbythecustomer, thehigherthechancesofitremaininginlong-termmemory. Ofcourse,oneimportantpointaboutlong-termmemoryishowweactually get the information back out, especially as it will be used as a reference againstthebrandexperiencecurrentlyhappening.Todothis,thebrainuses what are known as ‘retrieval cues’. These memory prompts basically act asremindersofthemostappropriateinformationtoutiliseintheselection process, and they are usually embedded in memory along with the actual sensoryexperiencethatcausedthememoryinthefirstinstance.However, furtherretrievalcuescancreateanimportantadvantageinhelpingtorecall brandinformation. Infact,itisthoughtthatlackofretrievalcuesisoneofthemajorcausesof brandbenefitsbeingforgottenandthereforenothelpingtobuildthebrand.In otherwords,it’snotalwaysthatbrandinformationgetslostinourlong-term memories;onceitarrives,itusuallystaysthere.Butiftherearenoongoing retrieval cues, it’s less likely that this information will be brought to the surface–ietotheconsciousawareness–andutilisedtosupportapurchasing decision. That’s why building a powerful brand is not just a one-off event.And that’swhyyourBrandHalo™issuchavitalapproachtoconsistentlyand continuallyinfluenceyourcustomersandsupporterstokeepyourbrand‘top ofmind’.
Ina1987studybyKevinLaneKeller,AssistantProfessorofMarketing at Stanford University, consumers were shown advertisements for fourdifferentbrandsinfourdifferentproductcategories–cereal, laundrydetergent,painrelieversandtoothpaste–andwereasked toevaluateeachbrand.Halfoftherespondentswerethenshown packmock-upsthatfeaturedjustthebrandnameofeachproduct, while the other half were given mock-ups that not only included thebrandnamebutasmallversionoftheadvertisementheadline andpicturetoo.
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Consumerswhoviewedthepackmock-upswhereonlythebrand namewasdisplayedhadlowrecalloftheadvertisingproductclaims. Butthosewhosawthemock-upscontainingthebrandnameand advertisement extracts were able to remember specific product claims in the advertisement copy, even when the headline and pictureuseddidn’trelatedirectlytotheadvertcopythatcovered thoseclaims.Inaddition,theinclusionoftheadvertheadlineand photoextractspromptedtherespondentstogivemorefavourable andin-depthevaluationsofthebrands. Theconclusionswerethattheadvertisingheadlineandphotoon eachofthepackmock-upswereactingasretrievalcues,allowing theconsumerstoaccessfromtheadvertisementstheinformation theyheldinmemory.
Hereendeththepsychologylesson... As we close this mini-study on the way people perceive things, how are you feeling? Drained? Confused? Well, in case it’s all too technical and complicated for you at this time, let’s appreciate a wonderful and simple truththatshouldbringusallbackdowntoearth:
Customersliketheactofbuyingproductsandservices.
Yes,peopleactuallygetagreatdealofpleasurefromjusttheexperienceof shoppinginandofitself,regardlessoftheemotionalbenefitsobtainedfrom theproductsultimatelypurchased.Inotherwords,thepurchasingexperience canbethemainemotionalbenefit. Most research to do with shopping experiences has been carried out in retail store environments, where emotional benefits include a sense of adventure,socialisingwithotherswhilemakingselections,self-gratification andperceivedvalue.Butthere’snoreasontolimittheboundariesofemotional benefitstoretailoranyothermarketsector.Whetheryouareinabusiness-toconsumermarketorbusiness-to-business,peopleallhavethesameperceptual processingsystem,eveniftheydon’tallshareidenticallikesanddislikes.
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That’s why your brand experience – the total set of interfaces with the customer–shouldbeascarefullycontrolledaspossible.Thecustomerisout therewaiting–andwanting–totakepartinthatpositiveexperience.Let’s notdisappoint.Turnthepageandfindouthowtoinfluenceperceptiontothe maximum.
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Makingsenseofthe senses Thereisnowayinwhichtounderstandtheworldwithoutfirst detectingitthroughtheradar-netofoursenses. DianeAckerman
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5
Foregroundand background
Inthepreviouschapterwelearnedthatinordertoevokeemotion,weneed toinfluenceperception.Wealsocoveredthefactthatperceptionincorporates atleastthefive‘traditional’senses:sight,sound,smell,tasteandtouch.Yet howmanybusinessesreallyexploitallfive?Inmyexperiencethefocushas mostlybeenonsightonly.Brochures,fliers,directmail,advertisements–all designedtocreateavisualimpressionforthecustomer. That’sfineasitstands(althoughdifferentiationpurelybyvisualmeansis gettingmoredifficultbytheday).Butwhatabouttheotherfoursenses?To limitabrandexperiencetojustoneoutoffiveopportunitiesmeansmissing 80percentoftheinfluencingpower!Thisishardlythemostintelligentway tobuildapowerfulbrandexperience.Sadly,mostsmallbusinessessimply neglecttoincludemultiplesensesineventheirbasicareasofoperation. Sensesdriveperception,whichevokesemotion.
Weneedtoemphasisetheimportanceofincorporatingasmanysensesaswe caninthecustomerexperience,solet’sestablisha‘goldenrule’abouttheir use: Themoresensesyoucanengageinyourcustomerexperience,the morepowerfulitwillbe–andthegreaterthechancesofyourbrand movingintolong-termmemory.
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Ofcourse,noteverysensecanbemadeavailableateachcustomerinterface. Thepoint,however,isthatthericherandmoreintenseexperiencesarethe onesmostlikelytomakeitonthetrektolong-termmemory.Aswe’llalso discoverinthechaptersoninnovationinPart5,whenitcomestobuilding yourBrandHalo™noteveryactivityandprocessyourbusinesscarriesout isnecessarilythatimportanttothecustomerintermsofperception. Somepointsofcontactareobviouslyneededinyourbusinessandtherefore attentionneedstobepaidtoincorporatingcombinedsensoryactivity.Other areasofyourbusiness,however,maynoteverconcernthecustomerbecause theyareabackoffice,orawarehouse,orsomeother‘invisible’sidetoyour operation.(Thatdoesn’tmeanthatyourstaffwhoworkintheseplacesshould befacedwithdull,dingy,demotivatingsurroundings.Sensoryperceptionis ascriticalforthepeoplewhoworkforyouasitisforyourcustomers.) Thepointhereisthatyouneedtodeterminethekeyareasinwhichyou’ll concentrateandfocusthemaximumamountoftime,effortandexpenseinto creatingpowerfulinfluencersofperception.Inmanycasesyougettodecide whatyouwantyourcustomertoexperienceandwhen.It’swhatIcallthe ‘foregroundandbackgroundseparation’ofperceptualinfluence.Takealook atthesimplediagramshowninFigure5.1.
Figure5.1 Avase,ortwofaces?Whichdoyousee?
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Whatdoyousee?Someofyoureadingthiswillimmediatelysay,‘It’sa whitevase,setagainstablackbackground.’Atthesametime,otherreaders willsay,‘It’sasilhouetteoftwofaceslookingateachother.’Perhapsyou sawonlythevaseandthenwhenyouhadreadaboutthetwofacesyousaw thoseaswell.Orviceversa. Our brain forces what we perceive through our senses into two basic scenes:theforeground,whichiswhatoureyesfocuson;andabackground, whichisbasicallyeverythingelse.Youmightbeabletoalternateyourfocus betweentheforegroundandbackground,soyouseeeitheroneimageorthe other,buttryingtoseebothimagesatthesametimeisverydifficult,andwith somescenesnighonimpossible. Understandingthisgivesusanotherkeypointthroughwhichtobuildour optimumcustomerexperience:
Decidewhichelementsofyourbusinessneedtobeintheforeground. Keepallotherelementsinthebackground.
We’ll see in the Brand Halo™ chapter (Chapter 13) that the foreground itemsarepartofaBrandReflection,butfornowlet’sjustensurethatwe seethepotentialdisasterofbeingunfocusedinourserviceoffering,giving thecustomerbothforegroundandbackgroundactivitythattogethercreatea tangledmessofsensoryconfusion. Think of it this way: have you ever been to a theatre or stage show or playthatyoureallyenjoyed?Iftheproductionanddirectionwerehandled correctly,yourfocuswasentirelyonthestage,itscastandcharacters,the lighting,music,soundeffects,sceneryandsoon.Perhapstherewerevisual effectssuchaspeopleappearingtoflyfromonesideofthestagetotheother. Wherewasyourfocus?Wasitonthesound-mixingdeskandcrew,possibly locatedatthebackofthehall,orinaboothsomewhere?Wasitonthemass ofwires,cables,lightingboxes,spotlightsandthehundredsofotherprops, electronicsandtechnologyresponsibleforactuallybringingyoutheshow? Ofcoursenot.Buthowmuchwouldyourenjoymenthavesufferedif,say, everytimeaflyingsequencewasduetotakeplace,thecurtainwaspulled backandyousawseveralpeoplemanipulatingthewiresandpullingallkinds oflevers?Evenwhenthere’saneedforatotalscenechange,theproducers havethesensetobringthecurtaindownsoallishiddenfromviewuntilthey
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arereadyfor‘curtainup’andthenewscenetobegin.Inotherwords,they knowspecificallywhattheywantyoutosee–ietheforeground–andthey alsoknowwhattheywanttokeep‘invisible’inthebackground. Tocreatethebestcustomerexperience,makesureyouknowexactlywhere youwantthefocustobeatanygiventime.Withthatinmind,let’sconsider thefivesensesinturn.
6
Lookinglikeyour brand
Whatdoesyourcustomerexperiencelooklike?Isitattractive,compelling, emotive?Whatmakesthevisualelementsofyourcompanyintenseenoughto placetheexperienceintotheshrineofthebrandgod:long-termmemory?This isnotabookondesign,whetheritbeaboutproducts,graphics,advertising, logosorwebsitedesign.Thereareliterallyhundredsofbooksouttherethat coverthosesubjectsingreatdetailandIdon’tintendtoreinventthewheel. Whatweareconcernedaboutherearesomeofthebasicprinciplesthatneed tobeconsideredtoensurethatthesumofallyourvisualitemscanbeused toinfluenceperception. I’vealreadymentionedthatbusinessesusuallyfocusonthevisualsense– whatpeoplecansee.So,acompanythatonlyhassightasasensoryinfluence isoperatinginaveryovercrowdedarena.Whohasn’texperiencedtheflood ofdailyjunkmail,deliveredbypostorelectronically,nosoonerreceived than trashed? Drive down any street and you’ll see hundreds of visual signs, symbols, hoardings, posters and a multitude of images all begging usforattention.Trywatchingyourfavouritetelevisionprogrammewithout beinginterruptedbyadvertisersclamberingovereachothertogetnoticed. Businesses know all too painfully that the vast majority of this constant barrageofvisualmaterialdoesn’thaveanystayingpowerandnevermakes itpastourshort-termmemorystore. Alltoooftenweseetheseattemptsatcapturingourattentionasisolated, fragmentedincidents.Butavitalkeytocreatingastrongvisualexperience isconsistency.Themostimportantaspectofinfluencingthevisualsenseis
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Figure6.1 Kanizsa’striangle
thattheremustbeconsistencyinhowthebrandispresented.Takealookat theillustrationinFigure6.1. This is known as Kanizsa’s triangle, after the Italian psychologist who createdit.Mostpeoplewillseeawhitetriangleinfrontofthethreeblack circles–butitdoesn’tactuallyexist.Rather,itis‘invented’byyourbrain, whichlikestoobservepatterns.Ifthere’sapatterntobemade,thebrainwill makeit.Ifnot,thebrainwillsimplyvieweachelementasaseparateentity, with no real connection.This leads us nicelytoanimportantprincipleof influencethroughthevisualsense:
Customersareinfluencedthemostwhenthereisaconsistentpattern tothevisualsensorymaterialsused.
Justtoreinforcethisconcept,takealookatthepictureinFigure6.2.What doyousee?
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Figure6.2 Ourbrainrecognisespatterns Although the illustration is composed only of white and black dots, the arrangement of the black dots is such that we see a pattern – in fact, we createone.So,howisthisrelatedtoourvisualbrandingstimuli?Well,if youthinkaboutyourarrayofvisualmaterialsastheblackdots,whatcan youdotoensurethereisconsistencyandtheformationofapatterninwhat thecustomersees? Visualinfluenceworkswithanumberofimportantfacets:colour,shape, space,size,placement,toneandeventypography.Howmuchyourvisual brandwowsthosewhoexperienceitwillbedowntohowconsistentlythese visualingredientsareused. This is where a well-constructed visual identity manual comes to the fore.Avisualidentitymanualisaguidebookonhowtoensurethebrandis alwaysseeninaconsistentmanner,anddescribeshowactivevisualbranding tools such as leaflets, brochures, advertisements, websites, presentations, packagingandsoon,andpassivereminderssuchasuniforms,vehicleliveries and signage, will be used to create strong, identifiable patterns of visual stimuli.
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Creatingavisualbrandidentity Visualidentityisahighlysubjectivearea.Considertheuseofcolour,for example.Whatisapreferredcolourtoonepersonisaturn-offtoanother.Do youlikered?Redcanrepresentpower,heatandpassion–butitcanalsomean dangerandwarnings.Whataboutyellow?Thecolouryellowcansuggest thesun,summer,happytimes...oritcanbethecolourofcowardice,orthe prohibitionofparkingorsomeothertrafficissue. Virginclearlyhasnoproblemwiththecolourredforitslogo,andsupporters of the Virgin brand would consider emotions such as passion and power quiterelevant.AndwhatabouttheCoca-Colasymbol?Itisn’tVirgin,butits logoisredandhasitsownuniquesetofemotionalvaluestoportray.Asfor yellow–well,intheyearsIspentconsultingforYellowPages,nonegative connotationsevercameupinmarketresearchorcustomerfeedbackabout thecolour. Thenwegetintotherealmsofcolourcombinations.Whataboutredand yellowtogether?Doesthatcombinationhaveconnotationsofbothdanger andcowardice?Hmm...Idon’tthinkMcDonald’shaseverthoughtabout ditching its famous ‘arches’ logo of red and yellow just in case people misconstruewhatitstandsfor.TheRedCross,ontheotherhand,usesredto conveyatotallydifferentmeaning.Createdin1863asaredcrossonawhite armbandtoidentifymedicsonabattlefield,thesymbolwasusedbyitsarmed forcesmembers.Butalthoughitscolourhasnotcreatedproblems,itsshape certainlyhas.TheredcrossdesignwasoriginallybasedontheSwissflag, withitscoloursreversed.ThisideawasnotwelcomedbypeopleinMuslim countries, who saw the design as representative of the medieval religious Crusadesagainstnon-Christiannations,sotheRedCrescentwasadoptedin the1930sastheMuslimsymbolwithintheInternationalCommitteeofthe RedCross. InDecember2005,anothernewsymbol–theRedCrystal–wasintroduced asauniversallyacceptablesymbolforreliefworkersinstatesobjectingto boththecrossandthecrescentonreligiousgrounds. Therearemanycomplexreasonswhydifferentemblemshavebeenutilised withintheRedCrossorganisationsaroundtheworld.Butemotionalissues appear to be behind every symbol. Perhaps it is fair to say, then, that the colouritselfisnotthemainboneofcontention.Rather,it’swhatthesymbol representsintermsofperception.
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Thesameistrueforanybusinesslogoorvisualidentity.Clearly,what’s mostimportantisnotjustthecolourbuthowthecolourisused,andhowit fitswithinthecustomerexperienceasawhole.Considerthesepoints: Isthecolourlinkedtoanegativesituationinyourbusinessmarket,
sothatundesirableemotionswillbeevokedwhenitisseenbyyour customers? Istheshapeofthelogoorsymbolsimilartosomethingelsethatmight notgeneratepositiveemotions? Like all other elements of visual identity, it is the context in which they areusedthatwilldeterminetheirrelevancy.We’vejustseenthatreligious differences can cause even well-established emblems to be reconsidered. Otherfactors,suchasculturaldifferencesandsuperstitions,canalsohavea majorimpactontheacceptanceorrejectionofacertaincolour,too.Professor JLMorton,aleadingexpertincolourtheory,recountstheproblemsDisney hadwithsignagewhenitsEuroDisneythemeparkinPariswaslaunched. Disney’ssignsusedlargeamountsofpurple–acolourquitecommonon signs in its US sites – which visitors found ‘morbid’ because in Catholic Europe,purpleisasymbolofdeathandcrucifixion.(ProfessorMortonhasan excellentwebsiteatwww.colormatters.comthattellsyoueverythingyou’ll everneedtoknowaboutcolour.)
Gooddesign...orbaddesign?Who chooses? Creatingagoodvisualidentityreallydoesneedsomeonewithaneyefor design. I’ve seen many instances in small businesses where, because the office computer comes complete with 250 typefaces, almost every one of themgetsused!Colourschemesareoftenbasedonwhatthebusinessowner likes personally (apparently Euro Disney’s signage catastrophe happened becausetheCEOlikedpurple–yetpurpleisoftenusedasasignagecolourin Disney’sUSparks),andadvertisingmaterialisusuallybuiltaroundgimmicks orastyleofhumourtheproprietorfindsfunny,evenifnooneelsedoes.In otherwords,it’saboutascustomer-unfocusedasyoucanget.
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InMay2007theofficiallogofortheLondon2012OlympicGames was launched amid a huge wave of criticism, anger and outrage. Costingintheregionof£400,000anddesignedbytheworld-famous designconsultancyWolffOlins,thelogowasmeanttodepictthe date2012andusedpink,blue,greenandorangecolours.Opposition to the logo came not only from the general public but from the designindustry,too.GraphicdesignersaccusedOlinsofusingoldfashionedtypographyandconfusingpatterns.Othersfeltthatthe logoneededextensiveexplanationsastoitsmeaning,whichdidn’t engender public support. Some protestors likened the logo to a swastika,whileothersdescribeditasLisaSimpson.Mostdescriptions werederisivetosaytheleast. Interesting that Lord Sebastian Coe, chair of the organising committee,feltthatthelogowas‘thevisionattheveryheartof our brand’. So strong was the feeling that Wolff Olins had got it wrongthataninternet-basedpetitionwassetup,attractingmany thousandsofsignatures. Wasthisjustaboutadesign,ordiditgodeeperthanthat?Didthe BritishpublicfeelembarrassedorfoolishaboutthewayLondon’s flagshipinvestmentwasbeingdepicted?Justhowmuchwasabout design–andhowmuchtodowithemotion? It’s somewhat reminiscent of the 1997 debacle when British Airwaysdidawaywithitsfamous‘Speedbird’logoandreplacedit withtail-finemblemsdesignedbyinternationalartists,intendingto representthevariouscountriestowhichBAflewitspassengers.Each aircraftalsocarriedthenameofthatparticularcountryontherear ofthefuselage.Thepublicoutcryattheseemingovertmoveaway fromitsBritishrootswashuge. EvenMargaretThatcher,PrimeMinisteratthetime,expressedher absolutedisapprovalofthedesigns,coveringoneofthetailfinswith herhandkerchiefanddeclaring,‘WeflytheBritishflag,notthese awful things.’ By 2001, BA had repainted its fleet with a stylised version of the Union Jack and regained its customers’ approval. Commentatorsatthetimenotedthatthe‘prideoftheBritishpublic washurt’.
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Emotions,again,ledthenationwideoutrage.Itwasn’tthedesign per se; it was the meaning behind it. These two accounts should alertyoutothefactthatnologo,typefaceordesigncanexistin isolation from the customer. Find out as much as you can about yourcustomers’likesanddislikesandwhatdrivesthem.Afterall, whenyou’rebuildingapowerfulbrandthelastthingyouwantisa rebelliononyourhands.
Ideally,ifyouwanttocreateacompellingvisualexperience,youshouldhire theservicesofagraphicdesigncompanywhosedesignersknowhowtoput togethervisualidentityprogrammes. Unfortunately,thecostofconsultantsisoftenmorethanasmallbusiness canafford–butthatshouldn’tmeanallislost.Youcouldenlisttheservices ofalocaldesignerorevenastudentonagraphicdesigncoursetohelpwith getting the consistency right. You’re not commissioning a multi-millionpound/dollarlogothat’sonlyeverprintedingoldonpuresilk(unlessyou’re selling to customers who buy very expensive silk items, or aiming your businessatcustomerswhowouldexpecttoseenothinglessthanalavish identity)butaworkable,fullyalignedsetofvisualelementsthatthecustomer canfollowandmakesenseof. Infact,asfaraslogosareconcerned,it’sarguablethatfortheaverage businessablackdotonawhitepieceofpaperwoulddojustfineasalogo –aslongasitreflectedwhatthebusinessstoodfor,metthecriteriadiscussed earlierwithregardtoacceptedcultural,societalandbusinesssymbols,and diditinaconsistentmanner. Ifyou’vegotthemoney,thenagraphicdesignconsultancywillgiveyou alogoandaccompanyingdesignsforyourcollateral,websiteandsoonthat will certainly bring your overall identity to the front of stage – and there is indeed a time and place for that to happen (like when you’re rich and famousandyour50-strongmarketingdepartmentistellingyouit’stimefor arebrand).Butthemostimportantelementofthewholecustomerexperience isconsistency,andaslongasyouputthatinplacefirst,thefineriescanwait. Ofcourse,ifyouroverallimageisoutofdateorlooksabsolutelyawful,then maybeyou’llneedtostartworkontheidentityalotearlier.Afterall,wewant tobeconsistent...butnotconsistentlybad.
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Thecriticalthingwithallvisualrequirementsistoensurethatwhoeverhas theresponsibilitytocreatethevisualidentity,whetherin-houseorexternal supplier,isgivenafullandcomprehensivebrief.You’veheardtheoldsaying, ‘Garbagein,garbageout’,andthat’sneverbeenmoretruethanofbusinesses whogiveabadbrieftoadesignerandexpectnothingshortofdesignwork comparabletotheceilingoftheSistineChapeltobeproduced.Youownthe conceptofwhatyouwantyourvisualcustomerexperiencetolooklike.Don’t expectthedesignertoownthisforyou.Hisorherjobisoneoftranslation: totaketheinformationyouhaveprovided,includingyourpassionandvision forhowyouwantyourbusinesstobeviewed,andtranslateitintotangible signs,symbolsandelementsthatreflecttheimageyouwanttoportray.
WhatistheNike‘swoosh’logoworth?Billions,nodoubt.So,how muchdiditcosttocreatethefamouslogorepresentingthewing of the Greek goddess Nike? In 1971, Nike co-founder Phil Knight paid Carolyn Davison, a graphic design student at Portland State University,just$35todesignit–andhedidn’tevenlikeitatfirst! In1983,PhilKnightgaveCarolynadiamondringengravedwiththe swoosh,andanundisclosedsumofNikestockasabelatedthankyouforcreatingwhatwastobecomeoneofthemostrecognised symbolsintheworld.
Thesightsyourcustomersseeshouldhelpevokememories,feelings,opinions –infact,anythingandeverythingthatwillleadtoanintenseimpressionpassing throughtheperceptualprocessingsystem.Strongimages,photographsand illustrationslinkedtoyourbusinessanditsproductsandservicescanhelp buildapowerfulvisualidentity.Remember,you’renotbuildingyourcustomer experiencealongpurelyrationallines,sodesignelementsthatpanderonly toproductorservicefeaturesaresimplynotgoodenough.Useimageryin thewaythatapainterusespaint,oraphotographerusesthecamera,toelicit responsesthatgowaybeyondthetangibleandthenorm. Forexample,thelogoshowninFigure6.3foranItalianfooddelivery serviceisdesignedtoevokethepleasureofenjoyingfineItalianpasta,while conveyingasenseoffunandfrivolity.Thisoverallfeelingcanbeappliedto allotheraspectsofthebusiness,suchasuniforms,packaging,deliverybikes andsoon.
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Figure6.3 Visualidentity.CourtesyofMotiveDesign,London
Contrast this to the advertisement shown in Figure 6.4 for a non-profit organisationdealingwithhungerinadrought-riddenareaoftheThirdWorld. The image is stark; it reflects the plight of starving people without being overlyshocking. Howmuchcouldthistypeofimagerybecarriedovertootheraspectsof theorganisation’sactivity?Certainlyitemslikeflyers,mailers,thewebsite, slide presentations, exhibition stands, short films and other awarenessbuildingcomponentscouldutilisecomplementaryvisualimagery.Eventhe organisation’sreceptionareacouldcarrylargeblack-and-whitepicturesthat havebeenusedintheseotherareastogreateffect.Again,thepointistocreate anidentifiablepatternofvisualstimulation.
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Figure6.4 Elicitingcustomerresponsesthroughimagery:advertisement byanon-profitorganisation.ReproducedwithpermissionofSPICMA
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Visualidentitymanualscanrangefromafewsuccinctpagesrelatingtothe mostimportantpartsofthesightsense,tohundredsofpagesdetailingtothe nearestmillimetrewherethecompanylogoshouldbeplaced.Howfaryou wanttogoindefiningyouroverallvisualexperiencewilldependonthetype ofbusinessyouareinandhowmanydifferentaspectsofyourcompanythe customerislikelytosee.Specificationsandguidelinesshouldthereforebe createdtoprovidetheoptimumcustomerexperienceonlyinrelevantareas. Ifyouusetheservicesofanexternaldesigner,makesurethatsheorhe understandstheboundariesofthemanual.Thatmeansthebuildingblocks ofyourvisualapproachshouldacknowledgethatthereareforegroundand backgroundpartsofyouroperation.That’swhywe’renottalkinghereabout creatingsomekindof‘integratedmarketing’handbook.Nobusinesshasall ofitsducksinarow(anddoesn’tneedto,asyou’lldiscoverinPart5ofthe book,oninnovation).Theonesthatareintheforeground–inotherwords, theareasthatyourcustomersdeemimportant–shouldbethepointoffocus foryouridentitymanual. Forexample,ifyourstaffareheavilyengagedinface-to-facemeetings withcustomers,howdotheylook?Dotheywearuniforms,orsomeother identifyingfeaturesuchasabadge–ordotheycarryaparticulartypeof briefcaseorfolder?Ifthisaspectofyourcustomerserviceismoreinusethan, say,advertisinginthelocalnewspaper,don’tspendtimeandmoneydetailing inyourmanualhowthelogoinanadmustalwaysbeindentedfromthetop left-handcornerbyacertainfixedmeasure.Instead,createproperguidelines onthemannerofdress,orwhataccessorieswillbeusedatalltimes.
Yourreceptionarea Whatdoesyourreceptionarealooklike?Doesittakeadvantageofthemany visualcuesthatcanbeusedtoenhancethecustomerexperience?Consider theseelements: Doesithaveaneaselorboardwithawelcomenoticepersonalisedfor
thecustomerswhoarevisitingyou,ordoyoujustrelyonthereceptionisttogreetthem? Aretherewell-maintainedplantsondisplaythatenhancethereceptionareasurroundings,togetherwithappropriatelightingandwall displaysthatallworktogethertogivethecustomerthebestviewof yourbusinessatthatcontactpoint?
94 Makingsenseofthesenses Aretherepropercoathangersforyourcustomers’outerwear,orare
theyexpectedtothrowtheircoatsoverthebackofthereceptionfurniture? Isthereaclockonthewallandperhapsevenaflat-screenmonitor runningyourbusinesspresentations,ornewsupdatesonyourproducts orservices? Areyourlogoandsignageclearlyvisibleanddotheycreateanimpact andafocalpointforthevisitor? Itisn’tunusualformetoarriveatareceptiondeskhavingliterallytoclimb overseveralboxesofitemsthatacourierhasdroppedoffandnoonehasyet clearedfromthefloor.Enroute,it’squitecommontoseetropicalplantscaked withdustandvariousinsects,partiallyconcealedbywaste-paperbasketsfull ofemptypapercupsfromthedrinksdispenser.Variousbusinessmagazines andnewspapers,alloutofdate,litterthereceptiontable.WhatdoIsee?Isee amess...andthat’sthevisualcustomerexperienceItakeawaywithme. Thevisualappealofareceptionareaisofparamountimportancetothose businesses involved in therapy, dental healthcare markets. Chances are, clients won’t get to see a clinician immediately. What can they do while they’rewaiting?Aretherevisualelementsdesignedtoputthematease,such asappropriatepicturesorillustrations?Muchasitmightinterestyou,most of your clients don’t want to see pictures of internal organs, rotting teeth or ingrown toenails. Far better to show positive images designed to relax patientsratherthanscarethem.Arethereeducationalmaterialstoscan,so thatclientscanlearnalittlemoreaboutyourareaofclinicalpractice? Do you have your own promotional items visible and accessible?Are magazinesandnewspapersappropriatetoyourpractice–ordoclientsturnthe pageonlytoreadanarticlecompletelyopposedtoyourclinicalapproach?
Afriendofminewentforherregulardentalcheck-upandwasgoing to enquire about having her teeth whitened. The first magazine she picked up in the reception area carried a lengthy article on thedangersoftoothwhitening,alongwithpicturesofvictimsof over-bleached teeth and gums. Despite the fact that the article was referring to some over-the-counter tooth-whitening kits and emphasisedthatcarriedoutbyaprofessionalitwasasafeprocess, thearticlewasenoughtodeterherfromevendiscussingitwiththe dentist.
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Yourofficeenvironment What about the offices themselves?Are your staff forced to work in less thandesirablevisualsurroundings,withonlyanoccasionalplasticplantand cheappicturethrownintomaketheambiencemoreappealing?Olddesks, worn-out chairs and threadbare carpets won’t be key motivators for your workforce, either. Studies have shown that a pleasant office environment leadstohappieremployeeswhohavelowerstresslevelsandcooperatebetter withtheircolleagues–allofwhichhasasignificantimpactontheirdaily productivity. Allofthisneedn’tcostanarmandaleg.Decent,appropriatefurnishings areavailableatveryreasonablecostnowadays.Ofcourse,ifyourarelycome intopersonalcontactwithyourclientbaseandinsteaddealmainlythrough yourwebsite,directmailoradvertisingcampaigns,thenreceptionareasand officesmightbeconsideredbackground,notforeground,issues.Thus,the focuswillbebetterplacedonproducingadetailedspecificationofgraphic layoutsanddesign.Understand,however,thatthereisadifferencebetween abackgrounditemnotbeingthefocus,anditsbeingneglectedaltogether. It’shorsesforcourses.Justdon’tforgetwhyyou’redoingthis(becauseyou wantyourbrandtotakeupresidenceinthecustomer’slong-termmemory).If yourstaff’sworkingconditionsareignored,thenakeyaspectofyourbrand willbeatrisk. Onewordofcaution.Don’tmakeyourvisualidentitymanualacommittee project.Giveittotheexternalconsultantsandletthemgetonwithit,or,if moneyistight,assignsomeonetobetheprojectleader,withtheremitthatif themanualaccuratelycoversthevisualfacetsthataredeemedimportant,then thejobisdone.Remembertheoldsaying:‘Acamelisahorsedesignedbya committee.’Theonlythingthatwillhappenifacommitteegetsholdofitis thatanyoriginalcreativitywillbesqueezedoutbypersonalopinions.You’ll neveraccommodateeveryone’sviews,becausetheyaresosubjective. Anddon’taskthecustomerswhattheythink,either.Why?Because,as we’veseen,theytooarediverseintheirlikesanddislikes.Ikeepcoming backtothemainpointthatwhatwe’reafteristhetotalcustomerexperience. Whenyouknowwhatyourcustomers–asagroup,social‘tribe’orcluster –likeanddislike,andwhenyouputintoplaceaconsistent,uniformsetof customer-focusedexperiencesthatcanbeseenasastrongpatternbecauseit matchestheiremotionalneedsandwants,thenyou’llstandthebestchance ofpushingyourbrandintolong-termmemory.
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What’sinaname? You’ll notice that I haven’t spent any time discussing the ins and outs of comingupwithabrandname.Thereisanawfullotofnonsenseparaded aboutas‘brandexpertise’inareassuchascreatingandresearchinglogos, brandnamesandsoon. Someso-calledbrandexpertswilldevoteentirechaptersoftheirbooksto stressingtheimportanceofgettingthebrandnameright.Becauseofpatents and copyright laws, brand names do have to be checked out from a legal viewpoint.Andifyourbrandisgoingtobeglobal,youdon’twantyourname tomeansomethingstupidorinappropriateinanothercountryorlanguage. But when it comes to determining what is a ‘right’ brand name, who’s tosaywhat’scorrectandnotcorrect?Researchofthiskindmaywellbean expensiveredherring–andunnecessary.Afterall,justthinkofsomeofthe strange-soundingbrandnamesthatexist.Who’dsupposetheycouldeverbe theresultofaskingthepublicwhattheythought?Forexample,intheUnited Kingdomoneofthebest-sellinghouseholdcleaningproductsiscalledCillit Bang(knownintheUnitedStates,Canada,andAustraliaasEasy-OffBAM). CillitBang?Whatintheworldisthatallabout?Wasthisnametheresultof someamazinglydetailedmarketresearchspreadovermanyyearsinvolving hundredsoffocusgroups?Were‘sensible’nameslike‘Wipe-off’or‘AcmeKleen’ rejected by panels of philosophers and psychologists in favour of somethingmoreintellectuallydemanding? Onthecontrary,thecompanythatmakesit,ReckittBenckiser,wasalready marketingarangeofwaxpolishescalledCillitinEurope.Apparently,the word‘Bang’wassimplyaddedbytheCEOtodescribetheproduct’scleaning power. ’Nuffsaid.
Usetechnologytoyouradvantage Moderntechnologyhasopenedupthewholevisualsensewiththeadvent of websites, CD and DVD presentations, mobile phones and other places wherevisualstimulicanbeusedtogiveapositivebrandadvantage.Welive inamultimediaworld,soevenforthesmallestbusiness,creatingitemssuch asprofessional-lookingslideshows,e-booksandshortmoviesthatcanbe mailedouttoclientsonCVsorDVDsaswellasbeingaccessiblefromthe company’swebsiteisgettingtobeabasicrequirement.
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The key point here is not about how much technical wizardry you can incorporateintocreatingyourcustomerexperiencebutabouthowitisused toinfluencethevisualimageofyourbusinessinthestrongestway.Let’stake thehumbleelectronicslideshowthatseemstotakepolepositioninbusiness meetingstoday.Whenmakingapresentation,doyousimplycreateoneslide afteranothercrammedfullwithbulletpointsorlengthyparagraphsoftext, allrepeatingwordforwordwhatyouaregoingtobesaying?Isthatemotive? Hardly.It’saguaranteedway,though,toloseyourtargetaudienceveryearly onintheproceedings,assomanypresentersdo.Abetterwayistohavejust oneortwobulletpointsoneachslide,alongwithexcitingimagery,anduse theslidestocomplementwhatyouaresaying,notrepeatit.(Checkoutwww. eyefulpresentations.co.uk for some comprehensive information on how to makeeffectivepresentations.) Thesesamepresentationprinciplesapplytoanysmallmovieyoumakefor yourcustomers.We’renottryingtoequalTarantino’swork,orcreateanother Supermanmovie,butwearetryingtocreatemaximumvisualinfluence.Here aresomekeypointstoconsider: Whatisyourmovieabout?Isitaproductorservicedemonstration?
Isitanexplanationofsomethingaboutyourbusiness?
Doesitfocusonlyonfeaturesandtangiblebenefits,ordoesitincor-
porateemotionaltriggers?
Howmuchcanbeunderstoodpurelybythevisualcontent?Oneway
ofdeterminingthepowerofthevisualsideofthingsistoturnthe soundoff.Iswhatyouseeexciting,doesitinspire,move,delight, encourage...inotherwords,fromavisualstandpoint,doesitwork? Getthisaspectrightandyoucanhaveareallypowerfulvisualtoolin yourbrandtoolbox.
Thissectionhasdealtwithsomeverybasicprinciplesthatalltoooftenare missingorinadequateinthevisualarenaofabusiness,andwe’vediscussed theimportanceofwhatyouridentitylookslike.Inthenextchapterwe’ll consider the other vital aspect of your brand’s sight sense: your personal image(andthatofyourstaff).Here,we’llconsiderthetwomainareasof attention:first,howyouappearintermsofdress;andsecond,howyoucome acrosstoyouraudiencewithregardtobodylanguage.
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7
YourBodyBrand™
Todayweliveinafashion-consciousworld.Thereisnolongera‘one-wayonly’businessdressstyle.Inthe1990stheideaof‘dressingdown’ledto manybusinessesoptingforthesmartcasualapproachofkhakisandpolo shirts,tanktopsandhalternecks,inpreferencetoexecutivesuitsandoutfits. Butthistrendseemstobereversing.Accordingtoasurveycarriedoutinthe UnitedStatesbytheSocietyforHumanResourceManagementin2005,only 41percentofUScompaniesallowedcasualdress. Whetherornotyouchoosetodresscasuallyorformallyisnottheissue. What matters (as always) is how consistent you appear in your overall personalimage,howyourstaff’simageisalignedwithit,andhowrelevant itistothekindofcustomeryoudealwith.Doyourcustomerscareabouthow youdress?Haveyouaskedthem?Haveyouassumedthatinformaldressis OKsimplybecauseothercompaniesfavouritorallowit,orbecauseit’syour ownpreference? One other consideration: uniforms.As any airline knows, a uniform is amajorcustomertalkingpointandaveryhighattention-gettingpartofits brand,whichiswhymanyairlines,alongwithretailchainsandotherswho haveuniformsaspartofthecorporatedresscodes,employtopdesignersto createdistinctiveandstylishoutfits.Noteverybusinessneedsauniform.But adistinctivestyleofdress–whetherthatmeansacasualT-shirtemblazoned withthecompanylogo,orasmartexecutivesuitinyourvisualidentitycolour –cancreateauniquedifferentiationifyoudecidetoincorporateit.
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In one graphic design consultancy I took over, the client service managersalldressedinveryindividualstyles,fromsmartbusiness attiretoatotallycasualapproach.WhenIputtheideaforwardthat weoughttointroduceauniformlook,therewasimmediateuproar. ‘We’renotairlinecabincrew,’saidonedefiantfemale.‘Wedon’t workinasupermarket,’respondedtwooftheguys,headsnodding inagreementallroundthetable. ForabriefmomentitlookedasthoughI’dhaveamasswalkout onmyhands.‘Nooneisaskingyoutowearthatkindofuniform,’I repliedcalmly.‘I’mthinkingmoreaboutcreatingaveryupmarket, smartandconfidentimage.HowaboutifIgaveallthemenArmani suitsandthewomenoutfitsfromDonnaKoran?’Iaskedquiteopenly. ‘Thenthingslikecompanyties,scarves,cufflinksandjewellerycould allbeusedasthecoordinatingitems.’ There was a short period of silence, followed by whispers of ‘Armani...DonnaKaran...’Thenoneofthefemalemanagerslooked atmeandsaid,‘Howsoondowestartwiththisnewimage?’
Of course, whatever dress code you employ, proper grooming is a must. Lookinggoodintermsofdresssenseisonething;howyourownpersonal behaviourisdisplayedissomethingelse.Ifapowerfulbrandstandsoutfrom thecrowdbecauseofitsdifferenceinperception,you(andyourstaff)will beacentralcoginthewheel,especiallyifyouaredealingwithcustomers face-to-faceonaregularbasis.
Visualcommunication–upcloseand personal Unlikeothervisualidentitymaterials,whichhavebeencreatedtoabrief, youhavearrivedwithyourimagealreadyinplace!Thequestionis,howwell doesitcomeacrosstoothers,particularlyyourcustomers?Bearinmindthat wecommunicatebothverballyandnon-verbally,andaspectssuchasfacial expressions,gestures,postureandeyecontactstronglyaffecthowyouand youremployees–andthereforethebrand–areperceived.
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Ofcourse,withnon-verbalmessagesmakinganimpression,it’simpossible nottocommunicateevenifyouarenotactuallyspeaking!So,whetheryou areseenasanegativeorpositivebrandrepresentationwilldependuponhow wellyouusepositivenon-verbalelementsalongwiththewordsyouspeak. Notethatwe’renottryingtosecond-guessthebodyposturesandexpressions ofthecustomerhere.We’retalkingaboutyourowngesturesandstances, alongwiththoseoftheemployeesyoumayhave.
Have you been caught out by the claim that our communication spectrumissplitupintothreeisolatedparts:voice,intonationand bodylanguage?Haveyoualsobeentoldthatactualwordsrepresent only7percentofouroverallcommunication,whileintonation(tone ofvoice,pitch,etc)represents38percent,leavingbodylanguage the key influencer at a staggering 55 per cent? Don’t believe it, becauseit’snottrue. In1972theresearcherAlbertMehrabianconductedsomeexperiments dealing with the communication of feelings and attitudes, particularlythoserelatingtosomeonesayingtheylikedordisliked something,atthesametimegivingtheoppositeimpressionbytheir toneofvoiceandbodylanguage.The7–38–55percentagesplitwas theresultofthatratherspecifictest.Somehowthesefiguresbecame an all-encompassing set of ‘facts’ about the communication spectrumthathasspreadacrosstheglobe,beingtaughtinmanyschools and universities and by a whole gamut of business teachers and trainers. Mehrabianhimselfhasstatedthatheneverintendedhisresults tobeappliedtonormalconversationasauniversalstatement.The ideathatonly7percentofourcommunicationisverbalunderany conditions is quite ridiculous. If it were true, learning Russian or Chinese in one evening would be a cinch, as pronouncing words wouldn’treallymatterthatmuchprovidedweusedtherightbody language. Likesomanymodelsandideasinmarketingandbrandingthatare basedonfalseassumptions,thisoneneedstobetrashed.Yes,body languageandvocalintonationareveryimportantandcanhavea significant impact on what is being said. It’s true that sometimes
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a shrug of the shoulders, the rolling of eyes or an extreme facial gesturecansayagreatdealwithoutawordbeingspoken,butthey mustbeseeninthecontextofthewholecommunicationprocess that’s taking place. Communications is about all three facets of communication:bodylanguage,intonationandwords–andwords playthegreatestpart.
Mostofthetime,it’simpossibletodetermineanotherperson’sreasonfor adoptingaparticularstanceorbodyposition.Theideathatcustomerswho foldtheirarmsareonthedefensiveorgettingreadytobecomeaggressive isfartoodogmaticandhasnofactualbasis.Itmaybetruesometimes,but notineveryinstance.IoftenfoldmyarmswhenI’mtalkingtoacompany representative – and so might you – simply because it’s comfortable, not becauseIwantafight.Well,notusually...
Seeingeyetoeyewithyourcustomers However,whileyourtaskhereisnottoanalysethecustomer’snon-verbal language,you’dbetterbelievethattheyareanalysingyours.Toanycustomer, therearegeneralaspectsofbodylanguagethatcanbeperceivedinabetter lightthanothers. Forexample,whenyoumeetacustomer,doyouadoptgoodeyecontact, whichcommunicatestothecustomerthatyouarepleasedtoseehimorher (youarepleased,aren’tyou?)ordoyoulookaway,ordownatthefloor, andtakeonafacialexpressionthatimpliesthecustomerissomethingofan intrusionintoyourday? Research has shown that eye contact is very important in establishing positivefeelingsaboutacompanyrepresentative,whereaslackofeyecontact increasesdistrust.Goodeyecontact,however,doesnotmeanstaringintently at the customer without any break. Some people are naturally shyer than othersandtendtomaintaineyecontactformuchshorterperiodsoftime. Oneofthebestguidestoestablishingappropriateeyecontactistowatch theclient’sowneyecontacttime.Don’tmirroranddon’tcopy,butifthe customertendstolookawayoften,youmightwanttomaintaineyecontact forshorterperiodsthroughouttheconversation.If,ontheotherhand,the
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customer continues eye contact for longer periods, you can lengthen the periodsofyourowneyecontactwithconfidence. Studieswithinthefieldofpsychologyhavealsosuggestedthatsmiling representsoneofthemostpowerfulnon-verbalcuesinthecommunication spectrum.Theresearchconductedshowedthatpeoplewhosmiledthroughout aconversationwereseenasexhibitingmorewarmththanthosewhosmiled onlyinfrequently.Evenifthecustomerisangryaboutaparticularmatter, smilingatboththestartandtheendoftheconversationisstilla‘mustdo’. Customersretainthe‘endframes’ofaconversationmorethananyotherpart ofthecommunicationthattookplace.
Standingup(orsittingdown)foryour brand What about posture? If you are seated, do you slouch, suggesting to the customer that you are tired, uninterested or bored, or do you sit upright and attentive, indicating that you are pleased to be doing business? How aboutwhereyoustandwhenyoudiscussthingswithaclient?Isyourbody positionfacingtheclientorisitsidewayson?Thisparticularstance,along withleaningbackorsteppingawayfromthecustomer,basicallysays‘your timeisup’,sounlessyoureallywanttogetridofthecustomer,don’tgive thisvisualimpression. Here’s a better position to take. When having a conversation with the customer,leanforwardslightly.Ifyou’reseated,thenpositionyourselfnear theedgeofthechairratherthanpushedintotheback.Andifyou’rebehind yourdesk,restyourhandsonthedesktopinfrontofyou. Respecting the personal space of customers is also a crucial part of a positive brand experience. Do you invade their personal space or do you respectthefactthatcustomers,especiallythoseoftheoppositesextoyou,do notwantanin-your-faceexperience?Personalspacezonesvaryfromculture tocultureandpersontoperson.Findoutwhatisrightforyourcustomersand yourmarket.
Handshakesfromhell And let’s not forget the killer of all positive customer experiences: the handshake. Most customers either find themselves at the receiving end
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of a bone-crushing encounter or feel as though they’ve just been handed a floppy wet fish to hold.A handshake should be firm enough to convey enthusiasmbutnotsofirmthatithurtstheclient!Ifindoubt,doahandshake testwithacolleague.(Butmakesuretheotherpersonknowshowtogive agoodhandshakefirst.Goodhandshakes,believeitornot,arefewandfar between.) Whatabouthandandheadgestures?Doyoustandlikeaninanimatedummy whenengagedinconversationwithaclient?Ordoyouuseoccasionalnods togivepositiveconfirmationthatyouarelisteningtowhatisbeingsaid?Do youuseothergestureswhendiscussingaspectsofyourproductorservice, creatingemphasisanddemonstratingenthusiasmandknowledge,ordoyou simplyspitoutsentenceaftersentence,expectingthecustomertotakeitall in? Thentherearethoseannoyinghabitsthatcustomerscangetreallyangry about.Forexample,thecompanyrepresentativemightcontinuallytapapen orotherobjectonthedesk,orbeatoutsomestrangedrumbeatwithfingersor toes.Shuffling,fidgetingorsniffingrepeatedlyisenoughtoputthedampeners onanybrandexperience.
Giveyourselfabodycheck Thesecommentsonusingpositivebodylanguagemayappeartobecommon sense, but they certainly are not common practice. Yet seemingly small mattersofhowyoustandandthekindsofexpressionsyouusecanmakea hugedifferencetothewayinwhichcustomersperceiveyou–andtherefore yourbrand.Theproblemis,bodylanguageisoftenperformedunconsciously. Youdonotusuallydecideexactlyhowyouaregoingtostand,orwhatgesture youmightuse;youdoitwithoutthinking. Thatdoesn’tmean,however,thatyoucan’tchangebadpostureortrain yourselftouseappropriategesturesandexpressionsthatenhancethecustomer experience. But first you have to know where you are with these various elementsofbodytalk.Usethefollowingchecklisttodoanhonestappraisal ofwhereyouneedtoimprove.Getapartnerorbusinesscolleaguetorate yourscores.Andifyouemploystaff,giveeveryoneacopyandmakecertain thatanyshortfallsinbodylanguageskillsaredealtwith. Therearehundredsofcoursesandsomeexcellentbooksonbodylanguage andcommunicationskills,sothere’sreallynoexcusefornotgivingcustomers apositiveBodyBrand™everytime.
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Checklistfornon-verbalcommunication Score:1=bad,5=excellent Eyecontact Ilookdirectlyatthecustomerwhenspeakingandlistening. 1 2 3 4 5 Myeyecontact‘breaks’fitwiththecustomer. 1 2 3 4 5 IfIamconversingwithagroupofcustomers,Idividemyeyecontactequally betweenthem. 1 2 3 4 5 Bodyposition Imaintainanattentivestandingpositionwhentalkingwithacustomer. 1 2 3 4 5 Imaintainanattentiveseatedpositionwhentalkingwithacustomer. 1 2 3 4 5 Irespectandmaintainthecustomer’spersonalspace. 1 2 3 4 5 Istandfacingthecustomer,notturnedsideways. 1 2 3 4 5 IleanslightlyforwardtoshowthatIamengagedintheconversation. 1 2 3 4 5 Facialexpressions Ismileatthecustomeroften,throughouttheconversation. 1 2 3 4 5 Iusemyeyes,eyebrowsandforeheadtoreflectvisuallymyunderstanding ofthepointsthecustomermakes. 1 2 3 4 5 My expressions convey appropriate empathy to match the mood of the customer. 1 2 3 4 5 Gestures Iuseappropriategesturesthroughoutmypresentationordiscussionwiththe customertohelpemphasisekeypoints. 1 2 3 4 5
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Iusegesturestoshowcustomerswheretowalk,tobeckonthemtocome forwardorpointoutsomevisualitem. 1 2 3 4 5 Mygesturesusuallyinvolvemypalmspointingupwards. 1 2 3 4 5 Habits Ihaveeliminatedthefollowinghabitswhenengagedincustomercommunication: –Repeatedlyclickingapenorpencil. 1 2 3 4 5 –Twistingorturningapen,pencilorotherobject. 1 2 3 4 5 –Tappingmyfingersormytoes. 1 2 3 4 5 –Playingwithmyhairorpreeningmyself. 1 2 3 4 5 –Otherhabits(youdecide!): ____________________________ 1 2 3 4 5 ____________________________ 1 2 3 4 5 ____________________________ 1 2 3 4 5
8
Talkingthewalk
Howwelldoesyourbusinessspeaktoyourcustomers–andlistentowhat they have to say? Customer service is a key differentiator for businesses, butyouwouldn’tthinksowhenyoureadaboutthesorrytalestoldabout businessesthat‘don’tlisten,‘don’tcare’andalmost,itwouldseem,goout oftheirwaytobedifficultwithcustomers. Giventheamountoftechnologyavailabletocompaniestoday,fromoff-theshelfcustomermanagementsoftwaretofull-blownpurpose-builtcustomer relationship management systems, you’d think that customer satisfaction wouldbeatanall-timehigh.Yetthemajorityofcustomersurveysconducted overthepastdecadehaveshownacontinualdeclineinthenumberofsatisfied customers,withsomestudiesshowingthatalmost70percentofcustomers whostopdealingwithaparticularcompanydosobecauseofaperceived attitudeofindifferencethecompanydisplaystowardsthem. Isthiswhytheproliferationofbooksandarticlesaboutcustomercareall seemtorevolvearoundsubjectslike‘Howtodealwithanangrycustomer’ or‘Howtodefuseahostilecustomersituation’?Dowesimplyacceptthe factthatcustomersareusuallyunhappyaboutcustomerserviceandjustlearn waystogetovertheproblem?Wouldn’titbefarmoreeffectiveandhealthy forourbusinessestotrytoavoidhavingdisgruntledcustomersinthefirst place? Muchofthisdissatisfactionistheresultofconversationswithcompany representativestakingplaceoverthesmallbutpowerfuldeviceknownas thetelephone.Actually,itstartsevenbeforethetalkingbegins,becauseit’s notuncommontodialbusinesseswhosephonesringforagesbeforeanyone bothers to answer. Once you get through, the first people on the line are oftenthosewhohaven’tbeentrainedtoanswerthetelephoneproperly,or
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who have been instructed to respond with the most inept (and sometimes quiteinappropriate)statements,suchas‘Hi,I’mTracey.HowmayIbringa smiletoyourfacetoday?’Worsestill,I’velostcountofthenumberoftimes someonehastoldmethat‘You’vecomethroughtothewrongdepartment’, asthoughit’smyfault,wheninfactitwasthecompany’sreceptionistwho putmethrough.AndI’vementionedelsewhereinthisbookmycontempt forcompaniesthatkeepmeonholdforagesandcontinuallyinterrupttheir owndistorted,badlyrecordedmusictotellmethatmycallisimportant.They lie! Toinfluenceperceptionofthesoundsense,weneedtolookatthetwo basicareasofsoundyourcustomerswillhear:speechandmusic.Bothare vitalasindependentaspectsofthesound,butwhentheyworktogetherthey provideaverypowerfulopportunitytocreatestronginfluencestopluginto long-termmemory.Inthischapterwe’lloverviewthekeypointsoftalking yourbrand.
SPEECH Creatingrapportwithyourcustomers ‘Business? It’s all about relationships’ is a statement you’ll often read in booksonmarketingandselling.Thesentimentisn’tnecessarilywrong,but Idon’tbelievethatwhatcustomersareafterisarelationshipassuch.Some booksouttherealmostadvocateanaffairwiththeclient,offeringpageafter pageofadviceabout‘loving’yourcustomer,‘delightingyourcustomer’and usingotherworn-outclichésinavainattempttoteachcustomerserviceas somekindofseductiontechnique. Thefactis,however,thatcustomersarenotintothatkindofstuff.They wanttodobusinesswithyou,notinviteyoutoelopewiththemorbeapart oftheirfamily.OK,somecompanyexecutivessocialisewiththeirclients, whetheritbeonthegolfcourseorattherestaurant.That’sfineasfarasit goes,butlet’sberealistichere:ifyouandyourcompanygoofenoughtimes, thennomatterhowoftenyouseeyourclientsoutsideofwork,you’regoing tolosethebusiness–andsoyoushould. No,Idon’tthinkthemainissueisaboutrelationships.Whatcustomersreally wantisrapport.Althoughrapportisoftenequatedwithrelationship,thereisa subtledifference.‘Rapport’comesfromtheFrenchwordrapporteur,which
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meanstobringbackandiswherewegettheword‘reporter’from.Unlikea relationship,whichconcernsbothparties’interests,beliefs,worldviews,etc, rapport–inourbusinesscontext–isabout‘bringingback’thecustomer’s likesanddislikesandrespondingaccordingly–onceagainputtingthefocus onthecustomer,notonourselves. Aswe’veseeninapreviouschapter,thatdoesn’tmeanforgoingalldignity andintegritywhentheobnoxious,rudepersonwho’sontheendoftheline or in your face is a customer. Nor does it mean leaving every interesting and informative bit of information about yourself out of the conversation (customersappreciateacompanyrepresentative’spersonalityandtheodd joke,andsometimesevenliketoknowwhereyou’regoingonholiday),but essentially the nature of rapport is about understanding the customer and beingskilledenoughinverbalcommunicationtorespondbysayingtheright thingattherighttime. Howdowegainrapport?Contrarytowhatisstatedinsomebookson sellingandmarketing,buildingrapportisnotacrashcourseinovercoming customers’ objections or trying to analyse their personality. Don’t get me wrong.Aswe’vealreadyseen,bodylanguageandotheraspectsofnon-verbal communicationrepresentabigsliceofouroverallcommunicationspectrum incontext.Butunlessyou’reamimeartist,youdon’twanttorelyonnonverbalcommunicationalonetoprovideagreatcustomerexperience. Rapport,intheverbalsense,setsouttoachievethreemainobjectives: creatingapositiveinteractionwiththecustomer; buildingtrustwiththecustomer; gaininglong-termcommitmentfromthecustomer.
Aswithallbrand-buildingstrategies,youwon’tgetintolong-termmemory just through some occasional conversations with your customers. Brand experiencesneedtobebuiltup,layerbylayerasitwere,witheachlayer reinforcingtheonebelowit. Ifyousettheobjectivesforthespeechpartofyourcustomerexperience, thenallemployees,regardlessofwheretheyfitinyourstafflevels,canwork toachievethem.Andbelieveme,thereareveryfewcompaniesouttherethat reallytaketheefforttoestablishrapport.ThegreetingIusuallygetfroma receptionistorcustomerservicecontactisrarelysaidasthoughitismeant.As forbuildingtrust–well,Itrustveryfewcompanies,simplybecausethey’ve demonstratedmanytimesoverthattheycan’tbetrusted.Therefore,Iampart
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oftheever-increasingnumberofcustomerswhohavelittleornoloyaltyto manyofthebrandsoutthere.Sogetthispartrightandyourswillbeahighly admiredbrand. Studies have shown that customers may avoid purchasing a product orservice,nomatterhowgooditis,justbecausethereisnorapportwith thepersonorpeoplewhorepresentthecompany.Atthesametime,other studiesshowthatwhenrapporthasbeenestablished,itrepresentsanaccurate indicator of customer loyalty. This is in total agreement with the idea of puttingthebrandintolong-termmemory,becauseit’sonlywhenitarrives therethatloyaltywillbesustained.
Listenandrespond Manytextbooksthatteachtechniquestoimprovethespokenwordrelyon veryoutdatedapproaches,suchasthehierarchyofeffects‘A-I-D-A’model discussedinChapter1.Theideaisthatthroughtellingthecustomerabout some aspect of your product or service you can gain their attention, and byelaboratingonthefeaturesandbenefitsyoucanmaintaintheirinterest, leadingtotheirdesireforownershipandultimatelyactingtoacquireit. Butweknowthatpeopledon’tthinkinalinearmanner,sothiswon’thelp ourrapport-buildingskillsatall.Neitherwillapproachesthatrecommend flatteringtheclient,orelevatingtheclient’sstatus,ormakingintimateremarks about age, gender or looks. Other authors might promote the concepts of ‘mirroring’whereyouimitate,albeitinaverycovertmanner,elementssuch asthetoneandpitchofthecustomer’svoice. WhenItrainedasapsychotherapist,oneofmyearliestteacherswasquite adamantthatinordertogetintorapportwithclientsweneededtomirrorand reflecttheirbodylanguageandvocalcomponents.Attimes,especiallywith patientswhospokeveryfastinahigh-pitchedvoiceandfidgetedconstantly, itprovedalmostimpossibletodo. Afteryearsinprivatepractice,I’vediscoveredthatitmakesnodifference tothetherapist–clientrelationshipwhetherImirrorthemordoentirelythe oppositeofwhattheydo.Infact,someofmymostsuccessfulclientsessions havebeenwhenIwasquiteatoddswiththeirvocalspeed,toneandintonation, aswellaswiththeirbodyposture.Attimes,especiallywhenaclientisfeeling down,thelastthingIwanttodoisfeeldownaswell;that’snotempathy, nor is it therapeutic. But I don’t want to jump up and down and whistle
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a happy tune either. What’s important is rapport.You don’t gain positive interactionandcommitmentbybeingacopycat.Youdoitbysensitivityand understanding. Remember,clientswantrapport,notridicule.
Thetwoingredientsofacustomer conversation Tolearnhowtodeveloprapport,weneedtounderstandanimportantaspect ofsocio-linguistics.Butyou’llbepleasedtoknowthatwedon’tneedahuge psychologylessonthistime,becausetheconceptwe’llutilisecanbesummed upveryeasily,asfollows. Customershavetwocriticalcomponentsofconversation: 1. ‘People personal’ wants and needs. This area of conversation is concernedwithpersonalvalues,includingdignity,pride,honour,selfesteem, competence and credibility. It may also take into account customers’desirefortheirfamiliestohavethesamevaluesaccorded them. 2. ‘Social personal’ wants and needs. This area is concerned with personal views on social inclusion or exclusion, fairness, rights, entitlementsandequality.Thishasbecomeoneofthemostimportant purchasingcriteriainthepastdecade. Noticehowemotionallydirectedthesecomponentsare.Bothsectionswillbe governedbyalltheissueswediscussedinthechapteronemotion.People’s conversationisalwayslitteredwithworldviews,beliefsandopinions,because conversationplaysouttoothersourownconstructoftheworldaroundus. Itstandstoreasonthatwhenyouoryourstaffconversewithcustomersand whatyousayconflictswitheitherofthesetwoelements,rapportdeteriorates, oftenquitequickly. If,ontheotherhand,youareabletosustainthecustomer-heldvaluesand beliefs–nomatterhowdifferenttheyarefromyourown–thenrapportlevels willbemaintainedorevenincrease.Ineverceasetobeamazedathowdeficient companyrepresentativesareinthisvitalareaofverbalcommunication,in boththewordsthatarespokenandtheapproachtaken. Letmegiveyouapersonalexample.SometimeagoIreceivedadirect mailpiecethroughmydooradvertisingacreditcardwithaverylowinterest rate.ThepromotionalsoincludedafreeMP3player,whichlookedgoodin
112 Makingsenseofthesenses
thepicture.SoIfilledinthepaperworkandwithinaweekmycardarrived. Sofar,sogood. Then,threedayslater,Ireceivedanothermailingfromthesamecompany offeringtheidenticalcreditcardbutwithanevenlowerrateofinterest,plusa DVDplayerthatwasobviouslyworthconsiderablymorethanthesmallMP3 playerintheoriginalmailing.Confused,Itelephonedthecompany.FirstI waskeptinacallwaitingqueuefornearlyfiveminutes,hearingrepeatedly the all-too-common statement, ‘All of our agents are busy right now, but pleaseholdandsomeonewillbewithyoushortly.’ ThisimmediatelycontravenedthepersonalwantsandneedsIhave.Iwant tobetreatedwithdignity,and,inmyworldview,keepingmewaiting(atmy expense)isnotgood.Iambeingtreatedlikesomelifelessrobot,notahuman being.Ifinallymanagedtogetthroughtoanagent.Sheintroducedherself byherfirstnameandaskedmehowshecouldhelp.That’sbetter.I’mnow beingtreatedwiththerespectIdeserve. Scoresofar?Notthathigh,I’mafraid,butshehadachancetoturnitround. Ithenexplainedaboutthedoublemailing,andstatedthatIfeltthesecond offerwasbetterthanthefirst,soI’dliketohavetheadditionalbenefitsapplied tothecardI’djustreceived.Sheputmeonholdagain.Afterafewmoments, shereturnedandadvisedmethatthesecondmailingwasamistake.‘You shouldneverhavereceivedthesecondmailing,soIcanonlyapologise.’ Now I’m really annoyed. The agent has told me that there is nothing that she can do, except to say sorry. My emotions are at full power. My personalvalueshavebeenviolated,simplybecauseInolongerfeelthatI havecredibilitywiththiscompany.Afterall,ifIdidmeananythingtothem asaclient,surelytheycouldgivemethebetterdeal?Itwouldappearnot.In fact,theyprobablydon’twantmeasaclient.Thisistheirwayoftellingme togetlost.IseementalimagesoftelevisionpresenterAnneRobinsonlooking fiercelyatmeandexclaiming,‘Youaretheweakestlink.Goodbye.’ Worsestill,nowmysocialvalueshavebeencalledintoquestion,because I’mbeingtoldIshouldn’thaveseenthesecondmailing.Whynot?WasInot goodenoughtoqualifyforthebetterdeal?Howwasitfairthatsomepeople couldhaveadifferentdealwithoutanyexplanationastowhy?Myvoicegot louderandannoyanceturnedtoanger.Iinsistedonspeakingtoamoresenior personwhocouldprovidesomeanswers.Twocalltransferslater(thefirstgot throughtothewrongdepartment),IspoketotheMarketingManager,who againapologisedandsaidthatforsomeunknownreasonmynamehadbeen placedonthewrongdatabase,soinsteadofbeinglistedasan‘existing’card owner,Ihadbeenplacedonthelisttoreceivenewmailings.
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Hmm...itseemedalittleincompetent,butweallmakemistakes.SoI acceptedtheapologyandsimplyaskedhowbesttoswaptheMP3playerin returnfortheDVDplayer,andwhenthelowerinterestratewouldkickin. ‘Oh,I’mafraidwecan’tdothat,Sir,’camethereply.‘Yousee,thisofferis fornon-cardholdersonly.Youalreadyhaveacard,sowecan’tdothat.The onlythingyoucandoistocloseyouraccountwithus,thenopenanother one.Butit’scompanypolicythatwecan’tissueanewcarduntilsixmonths afterthepreviousaccounthasbeenclosed,soyoustillwouldn’tbeeligible fortheoffer.’ You might guess what happened in the end.You’re right. I closed the account(IkepttheMP3player)andIvowedthatIwouldneverdobusiness withthatcompanyagain,eveniftheyofferedme0percentinterestforlife. Theprocesstheyhadinplace(iemailing,forms,cardsentout,etc)wasvery good.Therapportwassimplynon-existent. Doyouthinkmybehaviourwasunreasonableoroverthetop?Ifyoudo,let mesaythatyouareintheminority.Thousandsofpeoplemakeuptheirminds everydaytogoelsewherebecauseeventhemostbasicverbalcommunication withabusinessisflawed.Thisonehitthejackpot;IfeltthatIwasletdown ineveryway.
Reasonsforcustomercontact When you consider it, customers interface with a business verbally for a limitednumberofreasons,theusualonesbeing:
toenquireaboutaproductorservice; topurchaseaproductorservice; tochaseadelivery; toaskforafter-salesortechnicalsupport; tocomplain.
Thesereasonsaren’trestrictedjusttotelephonecontact.Therearealsofaceto-facemeetingsandretailshoppingmomentsofcontactwhererapportisstill ofthehighestimportance.Yettheproblemsassociatedwiththesecustomer interfaces are generally caused by the same disregard for the two core componentsofcustomercommunications.(Forexample,Iwentshoppingfor aplainwhiteshirt,butcouldn’tfindanyontheshelves.Iaskedtheassistant wheretheywereandheresponded,‘I’msorry,butwedon’thavethemin
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white.Butwe’vegottheminblue.’I’llleaveittoyoutoworkoutwhatpeople personalandsocialpersonalelementswereignoredinthatone.) Also,howmanyshopshaveyoubeeninwheretheminuteyouwalkthrough thedoor,thesalespersonsays,‘CanIhelpyou?’Andhowmanytimes,in quickresponse,doyougivethesameanswer:‘Nothanks,I’mjustlooking?’ Whyisthiscrazyritualperpetuatedyearin,yearout?What’shappeningwith the‘rulesofengagement’here?
Afriendwhohadjuststartedworkafterleavinguniversitybought himself a gift with his first month’s salary: a flat-screen high- definition television with all the trimmings. In great anticipation hetookithomeandriggeditup,onlytofindthatitdidn’twork properly. Expectingtrouble,hetookhistechnicallymindedfatherwithhim backtotheshop,whereheexplainedtheproblem.Asheproceeded totaketheTVoutofitsbox,theyoungstoreassistantstoppedhim. ‘Youdon’thavetoshowmethetelevision.Ifyousayit’sfaulty,it’s faulty.I’mverysorrythatwegaveyousomethingbelowstandard. Now,wouldyoulikemetoexchangeitforanotheronethatwecan testhereintheshopfirst,orwouldyoupreferarefund?’ Myfriend(andhisfather)weresotakenabackbythisunusual levelofcustomercarethattheyhaven’tstoppedtalkingaboutit. Theyestimatethatthey’vetoldatleastahundredpeopleabout‘the brilliant store’ and have almost become non-salaried salespeople andambassadorsforthefirm. The assistant had been well trained. He understood people personal and social personal elements of conversation. He didn’t makethecustomerfeelbad,hedidn’ttrytoblamethecustomer andheacknowledgedthecompany’sownfailings.Heofferedan apology but didn’t waste time on sentiment. Instead, he moved swiftlyontoofferingthecustomerachoice. At all times the customer’s worldview was safe. Clients know that mistakes happen. Equipment fails. Problems arise. But that’s rarelythereasontheybecomeunhappywithacompany.It’show theseproblemsaredealtwiththatdeterminestheperceptionofthe brand.Formyfriendandhisfather,itwashandledwell.Thereward forthecompanyisaplaceintheirlong-termmemory.
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Customercommunicationchecklist Rapportshouldnotbedifficulttoachieveforbusinessofanysize.Muchof itisaboutrespectingthepeoplepersonalandsocialpersonalconversation components and putting them into the contextoftheconversation.Ifyou candothis,itwillleadtoasuccessfulcustomerinteraction.Hereareafew generaldosanddon’ts: DocreateaBrandLexicon.Doingsoisespeciallyimportantforall
customer-contactstaff,butactuallyisamustforeveryoneinyour business.ABrandLexiconisasimplebooklet(electronicorpaper) containingkeywords,phrasesandsentencesthatwillbeusedwhen givinginformationtoacustomer.Likethevisualidentitymanual,the BrandLexiconwillensurethateveryoneinthecompanyisusingthe samevocabularyandthusallaresayingthesamething.Thisisvitalif yourcompanyisdealingwithtechnologyorcomplexmanufacturing issues. Howoftenhaveyoubeentalkingtoacompanywhenasingle productfeaturehasbeendescribednotonlydifferentlybutattimesin almostacontradictorywaybyvarioussalespeopleorcustomerservice agents?Whenthishappens,customersmightgetconfusedaboutthe properdescription,buttheygetaclearmessageaboutthecompany: it’sashambles,sodon’tdobusinesswithit. Don’tmake‘linguisticthreats’tocustomers.Whenyoudeny,ignore, arguewithordisagreewiththecustomer,youareessentiallychallengingbothpeoplepersonalandsocialpersonalconstructsinhisorher mind.Youare,inessence,threateningtheirworldview,whichisthe onethingneededtomakemeaningoflife.Ifyouaredealingwithirate customers,allowthemtosaywhattheyneedtosay,to‘getitofftheir chest’,thendealwiththematterappropriately.Thecustomerislookingforvindication,notajudgement.Makesurethatyouparaphrase whatthecustomertellsyou,andifit’sacomplicatedissue,sayitback tothemsothattheyknowyou’vebeenlisteningandthatyoufully understandtheproblem. Thinkaboutthetwoelementsofcustomercommunicationatall timesandassesswhichpeoplepersonalandsocialpersonalaspectsare beingaccessed.Reasonablyacceptingresponsibilitywilloftendefuse avolatilesituation.Remember,thecustomerisn’tblamingyou(unless itreallywasyourfault).You’rejusttherepresentationofthecompany inthecustomer’sshort-termmemorysystem.
116 Makingsenseofthesenses Dolistencarefullytowhatthecustomerissayingandmeetthem
attheircurrentemotionallevel.Thatmeans,iftheclientsounds subduedorisabrupt,don’trespondbytryingtochangetheirmood. There’snothingworse,whenyou’rehavingabadday,thanthecompanyrepresentativeontheotherendofthephonetryingtoengagein conversationabouthowlovelytheweatherisandhowsweetlythe birdsaresinging.Conversely,whenthecustomerringsupinahappy, jollyframeofmind,avoidcomingacrosswithadepressed,tired,justgoing-through-the-motionsapproach. Andwatchyourtoneofvoice.Itdoesn’ttakealanguageexpertto detectsarcasm,acondescendingmannerorsheercontempt,evenif it’sdistancedbyatelephoneline.Frankly,ifyoucan’tbeciviltoa customer,whatareyoudoinginthatposition?Muchofthiswillbe pickedupbyyourtoneofvoice,whichiseasilytransmitteddownthe telephonelineeventhoughthecustomercan’tseeyou. Don’tmakepromisesyoucan’tkeep.Languagecommunicatesaction aswellasinformation.Inotherwords,whenyousaythatyou’lldo something,thecustomerexpectsyoutodoit,andrapportwilldeteriorateifyoudon’tdeliveronwhatyousaid.Issuessuchasfailureto meetconfirmeddeliverydatesandappointmenttimesareoftenseenas aproblemmerelywiththeprocesssideofthebusinessandsomething thecustomer-facingstaffcandismisswithashrugoftheshoulders, especiallyasit’softentheresponsibilityofsomeotherdepartmentto carryoutthefulfilmentsideofthings. Butwithinverbalcommunication,makingapromiseactuallyperformstheactofpromising–ratherliketheministerwhosays,‘Inow pronounceyouhusbandandwife.’The‘promise’statedverballyis performedwhenitisstated.Ifyouareinanydoubtaboutyourabilityto makeapromise,don’tmakeit.Thengoandsortoutthefaultyprocess that’spreventingyoufromdeliveringforyourcustomers.Remember thatthemajorityofcustomercomplaintsaretieddirectlytothingsthat havebeendonebadlyornotdoneaspromised. Don’tsaythingslike,‘Youneedtotalktosomeoneelse’,or,‘You’ve comethroughtothewrongdepartment.’Ineithercaseitisnotthe fault–orconcern–ofthecustomer.Evenifthecustomerdidpushthe wrongbuttonontheautomatedcallservice,youdon’thavetoscold them.Ifyouaregoingtotransferthecall,whynotcheckfirsttosee iftherightperson’savailable,andifnot,findsomeotheremployee responsibleforthecustomer’squery?
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Themostexasperatingthingiswhenyougetputthroughtoawrong departmentandtheytransferyoutosomeone’svoicemail.Whycan’t theytrythelinefirst,thenletyouknowthesituation?Orhandyou backtotheswitchboardandletthemhandleit?Infact,doanything exceptwasteyourtime.
I received a mailer from a virtual telephone company offering ‘personally answered calls’, and as I was interested at the time, I decidedtophonethemup.EachtimeIphoned,thelinewasbusy. Then,onthefourthattempt,Imanagedtogetholdofoneofthe telephonists.Itoldheraboutthemailer,andsherepliedthatshe didn’tknow‘allthedetails’oftheoffer,andshe’dgetsomeoneto ringmebacklaterthatday.Ofcourse,noonedid. Itwastwodayslaterwhentheapologeticownerphonedandtold mehowbusytheyhadbeenthatweekandhowshewasstillplaying ‘catch-up’.Imadesomesmalltalkabouthowrushedthingscanget sometimes,thenendedthecall.Needlesstosay,Ineverusedthem. Ifthatwashowtheyhandledinboundcallsfromtheirownpotential clients,howconfidentcouldIbeaboutthemhandlingmine? Dousethecustomer’snameassoonasyouhearit,butdon’tkeep
repeatingitbeforeeverysentence.Whateverthesalesgurustellyou, peopledon’twanttobeconstantlyremindedofwhotheyare.Andkeep theconversationcentredaroundthebrand,notyourself.Includeyour companynameasclosetothebeginningoftheconversationasyou can,thenutiliseappropriatekeywordsorphrasesfromyourBrand Lexiconoften.Thiswillgivethecallermemorycuestokeepthebrand alivethroughoutthediscussions. Forexample,ifyoucontactDisney’scallcentre,theconversation they’llhavewithyouwillberepletewithmultipleusesofwords like‘magic’andphrasessuchas‘themagicofDisney’and‘magical kingdom’.Chancesare,youwon’tgetoffthephonewithouttheword ‘magic’stillinyourmemory,albeitshort-term.Butputthistogether withtheotherexperiencesof‘Disneymagic’you’llencounterattheir parksandthatplaceinlong-termmemoryisalmostassured.
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Fifteencustomerserviceno-nos ByMonteEnbysk,leadeditorforthemicrosoft.comnetwork.ReprintedwithpermissionfromtheMicrosoftSmallBusinessCenter atwww.microsoft.com/smallbusiness. Sometimesitseemslikerudecustomerserviceistheruleratherthan theexception.Butthere’srude–andthenthere’srude. Whenitcomestogettingcustomerservice,what’syourdefinition of rude? What unprofessional behaviour irritates you the most when, as a consumer, you are interacting by phone with another company? Sometimes,customerservicethatisperceivedasrudeisnotintentionalandoftenistheresultofabsent-mindednessorcarelessness on behalf of an employee. Either way, bad customer service can translate into lower sales and lost business, says Nancy Friedman, presidentandfounderoftheTelephoneDoctor,aSt.Louis-based customerservicetrainingcompany. Onthebasisofitsownsurveys,theTelephoneDoctorhascompiledthe15biggestsinsofcustomerserviceemployeestoday.They arelistedbelow,alongwiththeTelephoneDoctor’sguidelines(in parentheses)onhowtodoitright. If your company’s customer service managers and front-line employeesareguiltyofanyofthese,it’stimeforsomeaction.Otherwise, you may have an image problem that could sabotage your efforttoproduceandmarketgreatproducts. 1. Your employees are having a bad day, and their foul mood carriesoverinconversationswithcustomers.(Everyonehasbad days, but customer service employees need to keep theirs to themselves.) 2. Your employees hang up on angry customers. (Ironclad rule: Neverhanguponacustomer.) 3. Yourcompanydoesn’treturnphonecallsorvoicemailmessages, despitelistingyourphonenumberonyourwebsiteand/orinads anddirectories.(Callcustomersbackassoonasyoucan,orhave callsreturnedonyourbehalf.)
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4. Youremployeesputcallersonholdwithoutaskingthemfirst, asacourtesy.(Askcustomerspolitelyifyoucanputthemon hold;veryfewwillcomplainorsay‘Noway!’) 5. Youremployeesputcallersonaspeakerphonewithoutasking themfirstifitisOK.(Again:askfirst,asacourtesy.) 6. Your employees eat, drink or chew gum while talking with customers on the phone. (A telephone mouthpiece is like a microphone; noises can easily be picked up. Employees need toeattheirmealsawayfromthephone.Andsavethatstickof gumforbreaktime.) 7. Youhavecall-waitingonyourbusinesslines,andyouremployees frequentlyinterruptexistingcallstotakenewcalls.(Oneinterruption in a call might be excusable; beyond that, you are crossingthe‘rude’threshold.Doyourbesttobepreparedwith enoughstaffforpeakcallingtimes.) 8. Youremployeesrefuseorforgettousethewords‘please’,‘thank you’or‘you’rewelcome’.(Pleaseusethesewordsgenerously, thankyou.) 9. Your employees hold side conversations with friends or each otherwhiletalkingtocustomersonthephone,ortheymake personalcallsoncellphonesinyourcallcentre.(Don’tdoeither ofthese.) 10. Your employees seem incapable of offering more than oneword answers. (One-word answers come across as rude and uncaring.) 11. Your employees do provide more than one-word answers, but a lot of the words are grounded in company or industry jargonthatmanycustomersdon’tunderstand.(Ifyouselltech products,forexample,don’tcasuallydropinabbreviationssuch asAPIs,ISVs,SMTPorTCP/IP.) 12. Youremployeesrequestthatcustomerscallthembackwhen theemployeesaren’tsobusy.(Customersshouldneverbetold tocallback.Requestthecustomer’snumberinstead.) 13. Youremployeesrushthroughcalls,forcingcustomersoffthe phone at the earliest opportunity. (Be a little more discreet.
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Politelysuggestthatyou’vegottheinformationyouneedand youmustmoveontoothercalls.) 14. Youremployeesobnoxiouslybellow,‘What’sthisinreference to?’effectivelyhumblingcustomersandbelittlingtheirrequests. (Screeningtechniquescanbeusedwithalittlemorewarmth andfinesse.Ifacallerhasmistakenlycomeyourway,doyour besttopointhimorherintherightdirection.) 15. Youremployeesfreelyadmittocustomersthattheyhatetheir jobs. (This simply makes the entire company look bad. And don’tthinksuchamomentofcandourorlapseinjudgement won’tgetbacktotheboss.) In defence of customer service workers, customers can be rude too. And customer service jobs can often be thankless, with little motivationorincentivetodothejobright.Buttheproblemhereis thatlifeforcustomerserviceemployeesmaynotbefair.Customers canberudeandgetawaywithit.Employeescannot–iftheywant tohelptheircompaniestosucceedandkeeptheirjobsaswell.
Don’tuseconversational‘brandbarriers’thatsendthemessagetothe
customerthatheorsheisnotimportant,youdon’thavetimeforthem, ortheyaresomehowinferiortoyouoryourwayofthinking.Hereare sometypicalbarriersthatcustomersencountereverydaywhendealing withcompanies: – Contradictingthecustomer.Sometimesthecompanyrepresentative will argue with the customer over points that are irrelevant to the main issue. (In face-to-face meetings the arguing is usually accompaniedbyextremefacialandbodylanguageactions,such asraisingeyebrows,rollingtheeyes,throwingtheheadback,or turningtolookinanotherdirection.Andyes,I’mtalkingaboutthe companyrepresentative,notthecustomer!) – Belittling or discounting the customer’s concerns. This comes across as a complete put-down, implying that the company representativehassuperiorknowledge.Whendealingwithhighly complexortechnicalissues,businessstaffmaywellhaveagreater
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degree of understanding. However, the customer is there to be served,notsentenced. – Labellingorstereotypingthecustomer.Eveninthe21stcentury it’snotatalluncommonforsexist,racialorpoliticalundertonesto existinaconversationwithaclient.Implicationsofthecustomer beinglessableinwhatevermatterbecauseofalabelappliedto themisadefinite‘no-no’underanycircumstances. – Prejudging the customer’s motive. When a product or service complaint is received, it is very easytoblamethecustomer,or impute a motive of dishonesty as to why the product is being returned,orarefundisbeingrequested.Yes,thereareunscrupulous peoplearound,butsuggestingthatoneofyourcustomersbelongs inthatcategorywillneverhelpsettherightimageforyourbrand. Evenifyourgutfeeltellsyouthatyouarebeingdeceived,ifyou don’thaveabsoluteproof,alwaysgivethebenefitofthedoubt. Don’tuseadigitallycreated,genericrobotvoiceonyourautomatedtelephonesystem,ifyouhaveone.Apartfromthefactthatit soundsthesameasyourcompetitors’–asifthatisn’tcauseenough forconcern–itimmediatelysendsthemessagetoyourcustomers thattheyarenotimportantenoughtobeaddressedbyahumanbeing. (Rememberthatperceptionisreality.)Useahumanvoice,andone thatisspecificallymatchedtoyourcompany’soverallimage.Ifyour systemissplit,withanautomaticset-upbutwithyourstaffanswering atvarioustimesorinotheroffices,howaretheirvoicesalignedwith theautomatedvoice?Dotheyusethesamegreetingasthevirtualone? Dotheyusethesamevocabulary,thesametypeofsentencemake-up whengivingoutinformationtothecustomer?Again,ensurethatyour BrandLexiconisutilisedatalltimesthroughoutthisprocess. Doensurethatyourvoicemailserviceisuptodateandhelpful. Doesitcurrentlychurnouttypical(andboring)messagelike,‘I’m awayfrommydeskrightnow...’?Ofcourseyou’reawayfromyour desk,oryou’danswerthecall,wouldn’tyou?Worsestillisamessage thatgivesalternativesastowhereyoumightbe,suchas,‘I’meither inameetingoronanothercall.’So,whatisthis?Aguessinggame? Actually,Idon’tmuchcarewhereyouare.IfIcan’tspeaktoyou,then simplyconfirmI’vereachedtherightpersonandletmeleaveamessage –orletmeknowwhatalternativestheremightbe,likecontactinga colleagueofyours(aslongasyoudon’thavetosendmealltheway backtotheswitchboardtodoit).
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Andneverbelikethoseseeminglyabsent-mindedstaffmemberswho leaveamessageontheirvoicemailstatingthatthey’llbebackinthe officeonaparticularday,thenwhenyoucallfourdayslater,thesame messageisontheirvoicemail–andyoustillcan’tgetholdofthem.If employeescan’tevenremembertoupdatetheirownvoicemail,how canI,asacustomer,trustthemtolookaftermybusiness?
9
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Dum.Dededadum.That’smywrittenrenditionofthecatchylittlethreesecond,five-noteInteljinglethatweallknow...andmaybesomeevenlove. ItstartedlifeaspartofIntel’s‘IntelInside®’campaign,whichkickedoffway backin1991andisnowoneofthemostgloballyrecognised‘audiologos’, sittinguptherewiththeNokiaringtoneaswellasWindowsandApplestartupsounds. Thosewhothinkthatsensoryperceptioninfluencedoesn’tworkforthings liketechnologyproductsneedtothinkagain.ThewayIntelhasbeenableto takeahighlycomplexcomputerprocessingchipandmarketittothegeneral public(whoareignorantforthemostpartastowhatitdoesorhowitdoesit) asa‘must-have’intheirPCshasbeendescribedasoneofthemostbrilliant marketingstrategiesinthepastdecade.In2005theIntelbrandwasworthan estimated$35.6billionandrankedamongthetopfiveintheworld.Andyou canbetthatthelittledittyhadalottodowithitssuccess. We’vealwaysbeenawarethatmusicisoneofthegreatestgeneratorsof emotion.Thesilentmoviesofyesteryearwouldhavebeenlessentertaining withoutthepianoplayersittinginthecinemaandplayingmusictomatch thescenes.Eventhemoviesoftoday,withtheirultra-specialvideoeffects, areprettyblandwithouttheopeningsoundtrackandalltheincidentalmusic thataccompaniesit.Musiccanstirus,motivateus,makeushappy,sad,angry orecstatic–andsometimesjustafewshortnotesareallittakes.DrAdrian NorthandDrDavidHargreaves,researchersatLeicesterUniversity,have suggestedthatbrandswithappropriatemusicare96percentmorelikelyto berecalledthanthosewithnomusicatall.
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You’reprobablyfamiliarwiththeexperimentbyPavlov,whointhe1900s rangabellwhendogsinhislaboratorywerefed,thusassociatingtheirfeeding timewiththeringingofabell.Afterawhile,assoonasthedogsheardthe soundofthebelltheyrespondedbysalivating.BeforePavlovintroducedthe bell,theyhadsalivatedonlywhentheyactuallyhadthefoodinfrontofthem. This‘classicalconditioning’,asitbecameknown,appliestopeople,too.Just thinkaboutwhenyouwereatschoolandthebellrang,eitherattheendofa lessonoratlunchtime,andhowthisbecameastrongsensorycue. Soundactuallyrequireslessconcentrationthanthevisualsense.Music playinginthebackgroundisn’tsomethingwehavetofocuson,yetitcan enhanceouractivity.Eatingatarestaurantisatypicalexampleofwheremusic canaddtotheperceptionofthewholeculinaryexperience,butsadlythisis oftenoneofaverylimitednumberofusesofmusictoevokeemotions.This needstochange.Thedigitalrevolutionhascreatedawholenewopportunity formusictotakeitsplaceasasignificantsensoryinfluence,andonethatis affordableforeventhesmallestbusiness. Today, there is an abundance of suppliers offering royalty-free sounds, music loops and jingles that can be purchased for less than the cost of a restaurantmeal,andifyourbudgetcanstretchthatfar,youcanhaveafulllength‘corporate’songpennedexclusivelyforyourbusinessanddownloaded asanMP3filestraighttoyourdesktop–andthedesktopsofyourcustomers, too. Gone are the days when music used in a business environment was limitedtoaworn-outcassettetapeoreight-trackplayingrepeatedly–and oftenannoyingly–inthebackgroundofsomeretailstore,ortheelevator musicthatattemptedtocalmpeopleastheymadetheirwaytothe30thfloor, or(forthoseofusintheUnitedKingdomwhorememberthatfarback)the chimesof‘Greensleeves’thatsignalledthearrivaloftheice-creamvanin thestreetoutsideyourhouse. Notallbusinessesareabletoincorporateeachofthefivesensesintoevery singlebusinessactivity.However,thatdoesn’tmeanyoushouldn’ttry!With alittlecreativityyoushouldbeabletocomeupwithseveralwaysinwhich musiccanbeusedtoyouradvantage.Infact,therearethreemainareaswhere musiccanbeusedtoimproveacustomer’sbrandexperience: audiologosandjingles; customerguidance; spatialenhancement.
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TheymakeupwhatIcallyourBrandSoundtrack™.Let’sconsiderthethree musicalareasinalittlemoredetail.
Audiologosandjingles Anaudiologocanbeusedinjustabouteverypartofyourbusinesswhere your customer (or even your supplier) is making contact with you. Your website,forexample,isanobviousplacewheremusiccanbeasignificant enhancement.Whetheryourmusicaldittyisafull-lengthpieceofmusicora short,snappyjingle,musiccandeepenrecall,sothatitismorelikelytotake itsplaceinlong-termmemory. Yourwebsitecanincludeyouraudiologoorjingleasanopeningdevice –likethewww.newstoday.comwebsite,forexample.(Youwon’tforgetyour visitthere,yetthejingleislessthanafewsecondslong.)Oritcouldinclude awholemusictrackthatyoucanoffertoyourcustomersasadownloadable MP3file. Starbucks’HearMusicCDcompilations,onsaletoitscustomersinits coffeestoresandonline,werenotonlyawaytoenhancetheStarbucksbrand by offering customers the opportunity to experience all different kinds of music(andwinningGrammyawardsintheprocess)butprovidedanadditional lucrativerevenuestream.In2007theHearMusiccataloguewasputoniTunes, includingspeciallycreatedplaylists.How’sthatformaximisingtheuseof yourBrandSoundtrack™?Ofcourse,ifyouaregoingthe‘fulltrack’route itisimportantthatyouknowyourcustomers’musicaltaste.Badselections ofmusiccandodamagetoanybrand,likeapoorchoiceinanyaspectofthe sensoryspectrum. Also,ifyoudoplantointroducemusictoyourwebsiteinexcessofjust anopeningaudiologo,givevisitorsthechancetoturnthesoundoff.Itisn’t that they might not be in the mood to listen to your heavy rock track or thespeciallywrittenorchestralwork,buttheycouldbeaccessingyoursite fromtheirworkplaceorotherenvironmentwhereloudmusicwouldnotbe welcome.
Blowyourtrumpet,soundyourhorn Whetherjingleorentiresong,musicisnotlimitedtotheweb.Whatabout including a CD of your music or a copy of your logo or jingle in your
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promotionalitems,yourpublicrelationspresskit,orasanintroductionat the start of your business presentations and included in the handouts you makeavailable? But isn’t specially composed music way beyond the budget of a small businessornon-profitorganisation?Itneedn’tbe.Aswithyourvisuallogo, therearemanystudentsandaspiringmusiciansouttherewhowouldrelish theopportunitytocomposeajingleorperformapieceofmusicthatwould beheardbyallyourcustomers;whoknowswhatfurtherworktheymight obtainasaresult?
Someyearsago,beforethedigitalagecameuponus,Irecruited alocalamateurbandtocomposeandperformasongforaboat manufacturer,withaverysmallfeeasareward.Theresultantsong wascopiedtocassettetapeforpromotionalgiveawaysandusedin thecompany’sradioadvertisingaswellasatallitsexhibitionsand events.Notonlywasthesongahugesuccessinhelpingtocreatea memorablebrandforthebusinessbutothersupplierstotheboat companywantedasimilarrecording. Thebandalsoreceivedanumberofbookingstoplayatprivate events and a link-up with one of their stage shows and the boat manufacturer succeeded in obtaining significant sales. Backed up bypublicrelationsandmediaexposure,thewholeapproachranfor overthreeyears,duringwhichtimethousandsofcopiesofthesong weregivenawaytocustomers. Theboatmanufacturer,whichemployedonlysixpeople,gained a brand reputation way beyond its size of operation, compared to other manufacturers that were spending considerable sums of moneyonpurelyvisualapproachestotheirbranding.
Anaudiologocanbesung,playedordigitallycreated.Apartfromtheobvious pointthatitneedstobememorable,itneedstobecarefullyselectedtobe relevanttoyourbrandandyourcustomerbase.Ifyourproductorservice isstate-of-the-art,youmayneedsomerousing,motivationalsoniclogoor musicaspartofthecustomerexperience.Ontheotherhand,productsand servicesthatpromotecalmortranquillitywouldprobablyneedsomething softerandgentler.Relevancyisnotjustlimitedtotheactualtune.
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Whateverlyricsareinvolvedandwhatevergenreorstyleofmusicyouhave selected,itmustalignwiththerestofyourbrand’sidealsandvaluesifit’sto beasuccessfulpartofthecustomerexperience.Ifyouoperateabusinessor organisationinvolvedinfairtrade,animalwelfareornot-for-profitactivities, thenyoursingerorcomposershouldn’tbeknownassomeonewhofloutsor opposesthevaluesyouandyourcustomershold.Thebottomlineis:what dothecustomersrelateto?ResearchersNorthandHargreaves,mentioned earlier,contendthatcustomersaremuchmorelikelytobuyaproductwhen theylike–andrelateto–thebrand’smusic,comparedtowhenthemusic doesn’t fit their preferences, or they actually find the music annoying. It mayseemanobviouspoint,butit’sonethatisoftendisregarded,especially intheretailsector.Chooseyourmusicwiselyandyourbrandwillreapthe rewards.
Goodtelephoneetiquette Whencustomersinterfacewithyourbusiness,theyneedtoknowwheretogo andwhattodoinordertosatisfytheirenquiryorobtaininformation.Therise ofcallcentresandinteractivevoiceresponse(IVR)hasmeantthatthefirst fewminutesofcustomerscallingabusinessaretakenupinpushingbuttons andmakingchoices,withtheintentionofmakingiteasierandfasterforthem togettothesourcetheyneed. Unfortunately,owingtothewaysuchtechnologyispoorlymanagedand ill-conceived,customersareoftenlessthanenamouredbycallwaitingqueues extending beyond reasonable times, turgid music they cannot turn off, or difficultyinplottingtheircoursethroughallthealternativetelephonemenus. What’sleftofthecustomerexperienceisnotsomuchashiningexampleof thefirm’sbrand,butratheralessoninhownottodoit.Canyouimprovethe caller’sexperienceinyourbusiness?Considerhowmusicmightbringsome positivebrandingtothetable. Whatevertypeoftelephonesystemyouhave,itsaudiocontentispartof yourbrand,fromtheinitialgreetingtotheon-holdmusic.Thequestionis, areyoumaximisingtheopportunitiestopresenttherightsoundstothecaller? Considerthesetwomaintelephonepoints: Whenyourcustomersringyourbusinessnumber,whatdotheyhear?
Howaboutcreatinganaudiologoandusingthisasanelementofthe greetingpartofyourmessage?
128 Makingsenseofthesenses Whataboutyour‘on-hold’situation?Whatdocustomershear–silence?
That’stheworstoptionofthemall,asthecustomerdoesn’tknow whetherheorsheisstillonholdorhasactuallybeendisconnected.
Poortelephoneperformanceonbehalfofabusinessisoneofthemainreasons whycustomershanguptheirphoneafterashortwhile.Statisticsshowthat upto60percentofcallerswillputtheirphonedowniffacedwithsilence whileonholdformorethan30seconds,andathirdofthosewon’tcallback. Whocanblamethem? Othercompaniesutiliseafeedfromaradiostationtoprovidemusic.This ismarginallybetter,butdoyoureallywantyourcustomerslisteningtothe radioadvertisementsaboutsomeoneelse’sproductsorservices?Youcould, ofcourse,provideinformationaboutnewproductsorserviceswhilethey are waiting. It’s estimated that 20 per cent of people make a purchase or a purchasing decision based on the information they hear while on hold. However,somepsychologistssuggestthatprovidingsalesinformationwhile acallerisonholdonlycreatesconfusionintheperson’smind,becausethis newinformationdivertstheirattentionawayfromtheoriginalreasonfortheir call. Whetheryouchoosethisrouteandhavemusicinthebackgroundtothe voiceoverperson,orplaymusiconitsown,thekeypointistoensurethat themusicisrelevanttoyourbrandandyourcustomers.Docallerstoyour companyhaveachoiceofwhattolistento?Isittheirkindofmusic–or yours?Whatimagesdoyouwantyourcallerstohavewhiletheyareonhold? Howcanyoualignthevisionandsoundaspectsofyourbrandatthiscontact point?Audiologosandmusiccanalsobeusedsuccessfullyinvoicemailand enhanceanyinstructionsonleavingamessage,aswellasprovidinganother audiosensorycueaboutyourbrand.
Givingcustomersaudioguidance Navigationisaveryimportantaspectofcustomercontact,whetheritbeon thetelephoneoronyourwebsite.Studiesshowthatwhenorganisationsrely onspeech-guidedtelephoneoptionsonly,thenumerousmenuchoicescan oftenoverloadshort-termmemory. Here’s where earcons – short one- or two-note tones – can be used to enhancethecustomer’sabilitytonavigatemenuoptions.(Earconsaretothe soundsensewhatgraphiciconsaretothevisualsense.)Eachmenuoption
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couldhaveacorrespondingearcon,butifcertainmenupathswereknown to be used frequently, the earcons could be composed of notes that when pressedinacertainsequencemadearecognisabletunethatthecallercould remember. Ifthatsoundsalittleoverthetop,considerhowjustfivesimpletonesin Spielberg’s1977movieclassicCloseEncountersoftheThirdKindprompted anyonewithamusicalinstrumenttolearnhowtoplaythem.Evensomethirty yearsdowntheline,thosenotesstilllingerinthememoriestodayofthose oldenoughtorememberthefilm. Earconsworkwellonwebsitemenus,too.Eachmenuitemcouldhavea separateearconassociatedwithitthatplayedwhenthedesiredmenuoption wasselected.Researchhasshownthatwebsitemenususingtonesthatincrease inpitchasusersmovedowntheoptionsoracrossthenavigationbarmake thetaskoffindingtherightplaceinwhichtogathertherequiredinformation afaster,simplerandmoreenjoyableactivity.What’smore,whiletheadvent of CSS coding for websites has made accessibility for blind and partially sightedcomputeruserseasier,auditoryoptionsvastlyincreasetheirability tointeractwithcomputernavigation. Finally,whynotconsiderusingearconsaspartofyourbusinesspresentations? Eachbulletpointonyourslidescouldappearwithanaccompanyingsound –somethingthatmostpresentationsoftwareincludesintheanimationpartof theprogramme,butoftengetsleftout.Withappropriatebackgroundmusic toleadtowardsyourintroduction,youcanfireoffyourpresentationwith anaudiologoappearingatthebeginningofyourtalk(alongwiththevisual version,ofcourse),andutiliseearconsthroughoutthesalientpointsofyour presentationtoguidetheaudiencesonicallyaswellasvisually. Your final slide could be accompanied by music from your Brand Soundtrack™as youvoice-overyour closingremarks,culminatinginthe audioandvisuallogosbeingpresentedasthefinalsensorycue.Dothis,and youshouldbestreetsaheadoftheusualboring,woodenperformancemany presentersinflictontheiraudiences.
Spatialenhancement Wherever your customers meet your business in a setting, whether it’s a store,receptionareaoroffice,thespatialaspectsoftheenvironmentcannot be discounted. Customers will either hear what you want them to hear – andwhatisappropriateatthattime–orthey’llhearthe‘default’sounds.
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Dependingontheplaceinquestion,thesesoundscouldrangefrombadly selectedmusictracksplayingtooloudlyforcomfort(ortoosilentlytobe worththeeffort)tothecacophonyofnoisegeneratedbymachinery,multiple conversationsandtelephonesringing. SpatialconsiderationsarejustasimportantastheotherpartsofyourBrand Soundtrack™ifyouwanttoimprovethecustomerexperienceusingthesound sense.Itisalsoessentialforyourstafftobeabletoworkinspatialsettings where sound has been planned, rather than left to chance. In fact, studies suggest that noisy workplaces are the primary cause of poor productivity levels,causingreductionsinefficiencyofalmosttwo-thirdswhencompared toanoise-freeenvironment. Continual noise is going to cause stress, which in turn will create job dissatisfaction – and this will have an automaticallydetrimentaleffecton yourbrand.Youmaynotwantmusicplayingintheofficearea,butthere are many companies out there offering low-cost ways to cut down noise, includingacousticroomdividers,sound-absorbingpartitionsbetweendesks, noise-absorbingcarpetingandsoundproofingtilesonwallsandceilings.If you own a factory, don’t leave out employees here, either. It’s likely that healthandsafetyregulationswilldetermineminimumrequirements,butwhy notenhancetheworkplacewithappropriatenoise-reductionmaterialsand getthebenefitofamoreproductiveworkforce? Perhapsoneofthebiggestproblemareasforutilisingappropriatesoundis theretailenvironment.Forinstance,gointoaretailstoreoranot-for-profit shopandyou’llusuallyhearbackgroundmusicthatismeanttoimprovethe spatialsetting.Alltoooften,however,whatreallyhappensisthatcustomers (and employees) listen to the same old CD tracks (sometimes chosen by thestaffwithlittleornoguidance,andoftenbreachingcopyrightorpublic performanceissues)playingdayafterday,withthenotionthatanykindof musicisbetterthannothingatall. How wrong! Music, like all sensory content, is highly subjective, and without a full appreciation of what kind of music the main bulk of your customersprefer,andhowitfitswithyouroverallbrandimage,itmightbe moreofanirritantthanacustomerexperienceenhancer.
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Don’tplayitagain,Sam:theworst in-storeanthems Britishretailworkersarebeingdriventodistractionbythesongsthat providethesoundtracktotheirworkinglives,accordingtoresearch conductedbyRetailChoice.cominJuly2005.Three-quartersofshop staffadmittedtobeingirritatedbyin-storemusic. Astaggering31percentofshopworkershavetoendurethesame albumbetween6and20timesaweek,with16percenthearingthe samerecordmorethan20timesduringthecourseofaweek. Thoseworkinginthefashionandfootwearretailsectorssuffer themostfrom‘repetitiverecordsyndrome’.Themostoverplayed recordsonthehighstreetcomecourtesyof: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. =9. =9.
BritneySpears Usher KylieMinogue 50Cent RobbieWilliams Akon Beyoncé Blue JustinTimberlake MichaelJackson
Andit’snotjustthestaffwhosenervesarebeingtested.Fortyper centofshopworkersreceivecomplaintsfromcustomersaboutthe maddeningmusicplayedastheypartwiththeirhard-earnedcash. Christmas is the most testing time for the ears of the nation’s retailworkers.JingleBellstopsthelistofthemosthatedseasonal songs,withSlade’sMerryChristmasEveryoneandWhiteChristmas byBingCrosbyalsoannoyingretailstaff. Overall, pop music is still top of the shops’ play list, with the majorityofstoresoptingforthisgenre.Forty-twopercentofthose polledbelievethatpopmusicinshopsactuallyencouragesshoppers tobuymore.However,whenitcomestomotivatingshopperstopart
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withtheircash,reggaemusicfarestheworst.Just5percentofshop staffnoticeanincreaseinspendingwhenreggaeisplaying. Greg Baines, marketing manager for RetailChoice.com, commented: Music is an essential part of the retail experience, and can help to make or break the ambience for both staff and customers. In the wordsofBritneySpears,musiccanbeToxictotheshoppingprocess if stores aren’t careful. We would recommend that retailers who overplayrecordsfromourshopfloplistshouldthinkagainandconsult employeestoachieveavariedplaylistthatiswellreceivedbyboth shoppersandstaff.
©RetailChoice.com.Reproducedbykindpermission.
Main considerations for choice of background music should therefore include: Factorssuchasthecustomers’agegroups,ethnicbackground,famil-
iaritywiththemusicandpersonaltastesregardingthemusicalgenres beingplayed(egpopular,country,jazz,westernorclassical).Popular musicitselfhassub-genresthatwillappealonlytoselectedaudiences (forexample,thosewithanostalgiclikingforold1950sor1960shits). Afashionboutiqueservingteenagersisunlikelytoplaybackground musicequallysuitableforadentist’ssurgeryorfinancialplanning centre.Ifyouhaveawidespectrumofdifferenttypesofcustomer, thekey,asalways,istoappealtoyourcoregroupofbestcustomers andusethemasthemodelforyoursensoryfocus. Qualityconsiderations,includingtheclarityofthemusicsystem,the roomacousticsandthecorrespondingvolumeinthestore.Shoppers willnotappreciatehavingtolistentodistortedmusic,ortheneedto standinonecornerofthestoreinordertohearthefaintsoundcoming fromasingleloudspeaker.Volumelevelswillneedtobevariedaccordingtothetypeofbusinessyouoperate.Studieshaveshownthatwhile musicmaybeapositivestoreenhancement,whencomplextasksneed tobeperformed,orwhereconcentrationisneeded,musiccandetract
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fromratherthanreinforceyourbrand.Planyourmusicaccordingly.
Time-of-dayoptionsrelativetotypesofcustomer.Shouldsongsplayed
after,say,6pmbeofthesamegenreasmusicusedduringthedaytime? Thiswilldependonwhetherornotyourcustomerprofileschange throughouttheday.Forexample,somerestaurantsorcaféswillserve ayoungersetofconsumersduringthedaycomparedtothoseinthe evening,inwhichcasethemusicselectionwillneedtobesignificantly different. Employeesworkinginthestore,especiallyonthetills.Men’sHealth magazine(April1996)claimedthatwhenanemployeelikedthe backgroundmusic,performanceandproductivitycouldimproveby asmuchas10percent.Customers’preferencesmustcomefirst.But hereiswheretheproperstaffrecruitmentapproachesareessential (seeChapter16).Ifthestaffarefullyalignedwithyourbrandvalues andideals,theirmusicaltastesshouldn’tbeamillionmilesawayfrom whatyourcustomerslike. Consideralternativestonon-stopmusictracks,suchaspipingina relevantradiostation.Thedownsideofthisisthematterofcontrol –overbothwhattheDJissayingandwhatproductsandservicesare beingadvertisedthatmightcompetewithyourown.Ofcourse,with alargerbudgetyoucouldcreateyourownin-storeradiostation,using musicattunedtothecustomerandinterspersedwithstoreannouncementsrelevanttotheshoppingexperience.Accordingtosomestudies conducted,morethan40percentofshopperswhorecallhearingan in-storeaudioadvertisementmakepurchasestheyweren’tplanning. Chosencorrectly,then,musiccanhaveasignificanteffectonsalesaswell asyouroverallbrandexperience.In1982astudyintheUnitedStatesby researcher Ronald Milliman showed that when a chain of supermarkets playedslowbackgroundmusic,shopperswereencouragedtostaylongerand spendmoreonproducts.Millimanwentontocheckoutbackgroundmusic inrestaurants,discoveringthatthoselisteningtoslowmusicateatamore leisurelypaceandboughtnearly50percentmorealcoholicdrinks. Otherrestaurantstudiesofpipedmusichaveshownthatclassicalmusic canincreasethepurchaseofmoreexpensivewines,becauseofthemusic’s associationwithquality.Country-specificassociationsworkwell,too.In1999, North,HargreavesandMcKendrickconducteda‘wine-aisle’experimentthat consisted of playing German and French music on alternate days over a periodoftwoweeksinasupermarketthatsoldaselectionofEuropeanwines.
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TheresultsshowedthatFrenchwineoutsoldGermanwineby3:1whenthe backgroundmusicwasFrench.WhenGermanmusicwasplayed,German wineoutsoldFrenchwine2:1.
Musicwhileyouwork Ofcourse,ifyoudon’toperateretailenvironments,noneoftheabovewill applydirectly.Butwhataboutyouroffices–andinparticularyourreception area?Evenifyoumeetveryfewcustomersfacetoface,yourreceptionarea canstillbeanimportantfeatureofyourbrandforthosewhodovisityour premises. What does your reception area sound like? The chances are, the only soundsemanatingfromitsquartersarethereceptionistansweringthephone, orthesoundoftheentrancedoorswingingopenandshut.Byhavingmusic playingsoftlyinyourreceptionareayoucancreateasoothingenvironment foryourvisitors.Thiscanbeparticularlyeffectiveiftheyhavearrivedstressed becauseofaproblematicjourney,orinclementweather. Youraudiologocanalsohelpcreateconsistencyinyourbrandingefforts. Perhaps the audio logo could sound whenever the door is opened by the arrivingvisitors.Or,ifyouhavesomanycustomerscomingtoseeyouthat it would become annoying, you might decide to use it sparingly when a particularactivityoccurs–forexample,whentheclockreachesevery15minuteinterval.Obviously,nosoundshouldbesoloudorrepetitivethatit defeatstheobject.Butusedcarefully,attherighttimeandvolumelevel,your audiologooranyothermusiccancreateasonicbrandingthatwilladdreal depthtothecustomerexperience. Ifyouprovidemedical,dentalorotherhealthcareservices,musicinyour receptionorwaitingroomareaisasimportantasthevisualaspects,ifnot moreso.Patientscanbecomelessanxiousifsoft,calmingmusicisplaying inthebackground.Studiesshowthatfriendsorfamilyaccompanyingthose undergoingtreatmentcanalsobecomelessstressedbylisteningtothesame music.Otherresearchcarriedoutsuggeststhatsometypesofmusiceven helptolowerbloodpressure.Butbeware:thewrongtypecanactuallyraise it.Whatmoststudiesseemtoindicateisthatbestresultsderivefrompeople beingabletolistentothemusicoftheirchoice,ratherthanbeinggivenmusic thatthepracticethinksissoothing.Onceagain,thekeyistofindoutwhat theclientsorpatientsprefer.Onepossiblesuggestionistoletthembring theirownmusicandprovideheadsets,muchlikethoseonaircraft.Foryour
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particularpracticethismightbegoingtoofar.Butyou’llneverknowunless youask. Ultimately,whereverandhoweveryouuseaudio,thekeytoitseffectiveness willonceagaincomedowntoconsistency,plustheexclusivityofthesounds. Evenlargeorganisationshaveoftencreatedamemorable,personalisedpiece ofmusic,orashort,catchytuneorjingle,buthaverestricteditsuseto,for example,anadvertisingcampaignonradioortelevision. Oncethecampaignhasfinisheditscourse,oranotheradvertisingagency isappointedwithadifferentcreativeapproach,themusicisdropped,onlyto bereplacedbyanotherpieceofmusictotallydifferentfromtheonepeople hadbecomefamiliarwith.Limitingyourmusictoanisolatedpartofyour customerexperiencedoeslittlegoodforyourbrand.Granted,theremaybe timeswhenyoudon’twanttousesounds(ifyouhaveadedicatedcomplaints line,it’snotgoingtobethebestideatostarttheconversationoffwithaburst of energetic music, or a snappy-happy jingle), but in the main, repetition of your sound brand will be an essential part of your desire to create an outstandingcustomerexperience.
Don’tmissaudioopportunities I remember in 2006 when the German manufacturer Kärcher created a televisionadvertisementforitsVC6300vacuumcleaner.Theadfeatured asongcalledSweetestEyesbyMarjolein.Withinweeksofitsbeingaired, the internet was flooded with enquiries (including several from me) as to wherethesongcouldbeobtained.KärchermadeitavailableasafreeMP3 downloadonitsmainGermanwebsite,muchtothedelightofthosewho likedthesong. Justashortwhilelater,IattendedanoutdooreventwhereKärcherhadits variousproductsondisplay,includingtheVC6300.However,therewasn’ta singlereferencetothesongintheadvert,noteventhefaintestwhisperofthe soundtrack.I’mnotsurewhetherKärcherevenrealisedtheimpactithadhad intheUnitedKingdom.Thereweresomanyaspectsofthebrandthatcould havebenefitedfromthesong’spopularity.Notonlycouldthesalespeople haveplayeditintheirdemonstration,buttheycouldhavegivencopiesaway, alongwithproductinformation. IftheywereplanningtopenetratetheUKmarketforcleaningequipment, theymightjusthavethoughtaboutbringingMarjoleinoverfortheevent,or hadsomepublicityshotstakentoaccompanythesong.Kärchercouldhave
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begunastrategytogetitsbrandintomylong-termmemory.Now,somuch furtherdowntheline,Ididn’teventhinkofKärcherwhenIpurchasedanew cleaner. Some companies get it right. Over a 20-year period, British Airways usedapieceofmusiccalledFlowerDuetbyLéoDelibesinitstelevision commercials.The music proved very popular with viewers – to the point thatwhenitwasfirstdiscarded,somanypeopleprotestedthatBAbrought itback.Notonlythat,butBAexploitedthissensoryawarenessbyplaying themusicinpassengerloungesaswellaspipingitthroughBAplanesbefore take-off.Premier-classpassengersweregivenfreecopiesoftheclassicalCD thatcontainedtheirsoundtrack. Surveyshaveshownthatthemusichasremainedfirmlyassociatedwith theairline,despiteFordadoptingthesamepiecein1999foritsGalaxymodel advertisements.SopopularisthemusicthatwhenBAfireditsadvertising agencyof23years,M&CSaatchi,andgavethebusinesstoBartleBogle Hegarty,themusicwasstillretainedforitsExecutiveClubflyerprogramme. Nowthat’swhatIcallhavingyourbrandontrack.
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Thesweetsmellof brandsuccess
Forgivethepun,butwhenitcomestoenhancingabrand,usingaromasand fragrancesisnotsomethingtobesniffedat.Oursenseofsmellisoftentaken forgranted,yetit’soneofthemostpowerfulsenseswepossess.Accordingto MartinLindstrominhishighlyinfluentialbookBrandSense(2005),research conductedbyMillwardBrownonLindstrom’sbehalfsuggestedthatasmuch as75percentofouremotionsaregeneratedbywhatwesmell.Thismay beduetothefactthatofthefivesenses,onlyoursenseofsmellhasadirect link to the limbic lobe of the brain, the area we know as the ‘emotional controlcentre’,whichcontains,amongotherthings,theamygdala,which wediscussedearlier. Althougheachoneofushasapersonalpreferencewhenitcomestocertain smells, there are enough generalisations about smell preference to create specificscentsforapositivecustomerexperience.Forexample,vanillahas beenapopulararomaformanyyears.Irememberreadingsuper-salesman TomHopkins’bookHowtoMastertheArtofSelling(1983),whichtalked aboutrealestatesalespeoplebakingafewdropsofvanillaintheoveninorder toevokeimagesofwarmth,shelterandhomecookingforpotentialbuyers. Perfumecountersindepartmentalstoreshaveanaturaloutletbydefaultfor allkindsoffragrances.Andrestaurants,coffeebarsandbistrosobviously relyonenticingcustomersthroughtheirdoorsbycreatingsmellsofdelicious foodsandbeverages,whichnotonlytriggertheemotionsbutputthesalivary glandsintooverdrive.
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Smellsevokememories One of the key benefits of the sense of smell is its ability to recall past memoriesinwhichthesamescentwasexperienced.Whileourothersenses such as sight, sound and touch can also bring back previous events, the memoriesevokedbyoursenseofsmelltendtobedeeperandmoreintense, thuscreatingstrongeremotions.Infact,thereismuchevidencetoshowthat peoplecanrecallsmellswith65percentaccuracyevenafter12monthsor so.Thiscomparesveryfavourablywithourvisualrecallability,whichdrops toaround50percentafteronly3months.
Oneofthebestexamplesofsmell-senserecollectioncomesfromthe ‘madeleinepassage’writtenby20th-centurynovelistMarcelProust. Infact,hisnarrativehasledtomanystudiesintowhatpsychologists havecalled‘Proustianmemory’(or,asProustcalledit,‘involuntary memory’). This refers to the times where an aroma or fragrance beingexperiencedinthepresentcanrecallapastmemoryingreat detail and evoke an emotional response as a result – usually the sameemotionsinvolvedinthatfirstencounter–withouttheperson consciouslythinkingaboutit. ThemadeleinepassageappearsinProust’sclassicseven-volume workRemembranceofThingsPastinoneofthecollection’snovels, Swann’sWay.AfterdippingaFrenchmadeleinecake(asmallshellshaped pastry) into some lime-blossom tea, the fragrance and subsequenttastebringbackchildhoodmemories–severalhundred pagesofthem.WritingasthenarratorCharlesSwann,Proustsays: ... and as soon as I had recognised the taste of madeleine soaked inherdecoctionoflime-blossomwhichmyauntusedtogiveme... immediatelytheoldgreyhouseuponthestreet,whereherroomwas, roseuplikeastageset...andwiththehousethetown,frommorning tonightandinallweathers,theSquarewhereIusedtobesentbefore lunch,thestreetsalongwhichIusedtorunerrands,thecountryroads wetookwhenitwasfine.
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Despite the obvious potential of incorporating aromas into the customer experience,manycompanies–evenblue-chipcorporations–havebeenslow toexploitthispowerfulsensorystimulator.AlexMoskvin,VicePresident of BrandEmotions™, the internal brand development agency of global flavourandaromaexpertsInternationalFlavorsandFragrancesInc(IFF), states,‘Brandownersarebecomingmoreawareoftheimportanceofscent in sensory branding. Of all the senses, the sense of smell is “hard-wired” totheemotionalcentresofthebrain.Scentisthenew–andlast–frontier ofemotionalbranding.’IFFhasalreadyworkedwithSamsungtocreatea scentforSamsungExperienceStores,andcreated,thenbottled,thesmellof anewsneakerforathleticshoeretailerFootLocker.Thescentwasusedfor in-storesamplingandaspartofitsprintandoutdooradvertisingcampaign throughoutEurope. Ahandfulofotherbusinesseshavealsobeenwillingtoexperimentwith smellsandaromas,withexcellentresults.IntheUnitedKingdom,forexample, high street retailerW H Smith has used pine fragrance at Christmas time toenhanceitsin-storefestivedecoration–asimple(andperhapsobvious) addition, yet highly effective. London shirtmaker Thomas Pink is said to pumpthesmellofair-driedlinenintoitsshops,whiletravelagentThomson Holidayshasscenteditsshopswiththesmellofcoconut,evokingthoughtsof tropicalsettingsinthemindsofpotentialholidaymakers.Otherapplications includesomecarmanufacturerssprayingtheinteriorsoftheirvehicleswith a‘newcar’smell(althoughRolls-Roycewasdoingthatbackinthe1960s). GeneralMotorscreatedascent(knownasNuance)fortheleatherseatsinside itsCadillacs,andToyota’sHybridXcarsfeatureanautomaticmistingofincarscents.In2007,KumhoTiresintheUnitedStatesintroducedtheECSTA DXrangeof‘aromatyres’impregnatedwithlavenderscentsandannounced planstoexpandtherangetoincorporateorangeandjasminescents. Hotelchainshavealsobeguntoutilisethesenseofsmelltogreetcustomers as they enter the lobby. In the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles the scent of lemongrassandgreenteaisusedatalowleveltomakeguestsfeelrelaxedand comfortableinpreparationfortheirstay,whileLanghamHotelshasglobally adopted ginger flower as the brand’s aroma.Westin Hotels introduced its trademarkWhiteTeascentbyfeaturingitinaprintadvertisementcampaign thatincludedascentedstripembeddedwiththefragrance.Thedistinctive White Tea smell in its hotels prompted hundreds of requests from guests forsamplesofthearoma,andarangeof‘WhiteTeabyWestin™’products, includingcandles,pot-pourriandroomoildiffusers,hasbeenlaunchedto capitaliseonthecustomerdemand.
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In2001theworld’smostadvancedgiantanimatronicdinosaurwas unveiled at the Tyrannosaurus Rex exhibition in London’s Natural History Museum. In order to make the exhibition a full sensory experience, the museum commissioned UK aroma specialists Dale Airtocapturetheauthenticsmellofthefearsomebeast.Thebrief wastosimulatethesmelloftheanimaldrenchedinthebloodof itsprey,reekingofrottenmeatandscarredwithinfectedwounds –andhavethisacridsmellreleasedeverytimethecreatureopened itsmouth. Inordertoeliminateguessworkonexactlythekindofsmellthat wouldbeencountered,DaleAirconsultedDrAngelaO’Connell,the museum’sHeadofVertebratePalaeontology,todeterminespecifics relatingtothedinosaur’sbreath.However,theresultantodourwas soauthenticthatthemuseumfeltitwouldbetoosicklyforthepublic towithstand.Asanalternative,thecompanycreatedthesmellof theenvironmentthatthecreatureoccupied–aboggy,swampy-type smellthatincorporatedjustaslighthintofthecreature’sbreath.
Some companies have dabbled with the use of aromas as part of specific time-limitedpromotions.In2005,JCB,thelargestcreditcardissuerinJapan, launchedtheJCBLINDASweetCard,whichfeaturedacitrus-basedfragrance combiningthesmellsofmandarin,grapefruitandlemon.AccordingtoJCB, aninternetsurveyofover6,000ofitscardholdershighlightedthefactthat fragrancesplayedanimportantpartintheirlives.
TheSingaporeGirlsensorybrand Perhapsoneofthebestexamplesofusingthesenseofsmelltogaingreater brand perception has been that of SingaporeAirlines. In 1968 the airline createdwhatwastobecomeagloballyrecognisedsymboloftruein-flight customercarethroughits‘SingaporeGirl’image.Itsfemalecabincrewwere chosenfortheirbeautifullooksandweregivenin-depthtrainingonhowto talktopassengers,howtoservefoodandevenhowtowalkupanddown theaeroplanedressedintheirsarongkebayauniformsdesignedbyFrench
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fashionhousePierreBalmain.Thewholecustomerexperienceutilisedsound, touch,tasteandsight. Then, in the early 1990s, SingaporeAirlines completed the entire fivesenses sensory platform by creating Stefan Floridian Waters, a specially formulatedscentusedfortheperfumeofthecabincrewandsprayedontothe hotfacetowelsgiventotheirpassengersbeforetake-off.Regularcustomers couldeasilyidentifywiththistrademarkedfragranceassoonastheyboarded theaircraft,thuspromptingemotionsofreassuranceandbeingon‘familiar territory’,whilenewcustomerswouldautomaticallydifferentiatetheairline through its distinctive smell even before sampling the rest of the sensory experience. When,in2007,areviewoftheSingaporeGirlapproachwasconducted amid criticisms of outdated sexist imagery that promoted the idea of subservientOrientalwomen,thesensoryexperiencewasnevercalledinto question.Perhapsthat’snotsurprisingwhenyouconsiderthatbyinvolving allthesensoryexperiences,includingdistinctivesmells,SingaporeAirlines’ customerexperiencehasledtoastringofawards,includingtheBusiness TravellerUSA2007awardforBestOverallAirlineintheWorldforthe16th consecutiveyear,andthe‘World’sBestCabinCrewService’bytheBusiness TravellerAsia-PacificAwardsin2006for17yearsrunning.
Definingyourbrand’ssmell Ofcourse,theaboveexamplesoftheuseofthesmellsensearefromlarge corporations. But they serve to show that, with some applied creativity, fragrancesandperfumesreallycanenhancethebrand.How,then,canyour company or non-profit operation reap the benefits of using the sense of smell?TheanswerisbycreatingaBrandScent–abouquetthatisusedby youfrequentlyandconsistently.Thatdoesn’thavetomeanspendinghuge amountsofmoneyonaspecialformulathatnooneelseintheworldcan have.Rather,itmeansthatmatchingan‘off-the-shelf’scenttotheemotions youwanttocreate,thenbeingconsistentwithitsuse,willautomaticallygive yourbrandanextradimensionthatitdidn’thavebefore. Matchingyourbrandemotionstotherightscentisobviouslyofparamount importance.Generallyspeaking,aromaswillfallintotwomaincategories: thosewithcalming,relaxingqualities,andthosethatstimulateandenergise. Table10.1givesalistofsomeofthecommonaromasforcreatingaparticular mood.
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Table10.1 Moodscreatedbyparticularscents Scent
Mood
vanilla orange cinnamon peppermint pine rose eucalyptus lemon lavender
relaxed,soothed purifyingandrefreshing stimulatingandrefreshing energising stimulating calming stimulating stimulatingandrefreshing calmingandsoothing
Scentscanbasicallybeutilisedinthreemainareasofbusiness:theenvironment,theproductorserviceitselfandpromotionalactivity.
YourBrandScentenvironment Ifyouoperateabusinesswherecustomersmeetonyourpremises,establishing aBrandScentforyourreceptionisoneofthemostdifferentiatingactionsyou cantake.Afterall,whatdoesareceptionareaormeetingroomusuallysmell like?Often,nothingatall!Bygivingyourmaincustomermeetingpointsa particularscentthattheycanassociatewith,you’rereplicatingtheadvantage thattheSingaporeAirlines’scentstrategyhascreatedforthatcompany. Using,forexample,alavenderorrosefragranceinasubtlemannercan notonlycreateamemorableemotionalcuebutalsocalmdowncustomers who might arrive stressed or angry at someone or something they might haveexperiencedonthewaytoseeyou–inwhichcasethey’llthankyoufor providingsomethingofasolacefromthehassle!I’mtakingitforgrantedthat whetheryourcustomertoiletsarelocatedinthereceptionareaorelsewhere, thesmelltheygiveoffisalwayspleasant.Manypeople–myselfincluded –judgethestandardsofacompanybythestateofitstoiletandwashroom facilities.Afterall,ifyoucan’tevenbebotheredtoensurethatthesmellof cleanlinessandhygienepervadesthisarea,howcanIbeconfidentaboutyour concernoveranyotheraspectofbusiness?
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Forsalesareasandshowrooms,whethertheyareanextensionofafactory unitorwithinaretailenvironment,usingscentcandirectlyhelpboostsales. CasinooperatorsintheUnitedStatesdiscoveredthatscentingtheareaaround slotmachineswithaparticulararomacouldgenerateasmuchasa45per centincreaseinbusiness.AndDrAlanHirsch,thefounderandneurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago,didastudythatshowedconsumerswouldbewillingtopay$10 moreforshoesinafloral-scentedenvironmentthanexactlythesameshoes inanunscentedenvironment. TheseresultsreflectthefindingsofanexperimentconductedbyMartin Lindstrom,againinhisbookBrandSense(2005).ApairofNikeshoeswas placedineachoftworooms,withonepairhavingafaintsmellsprayedinto theshoes–sofaint,infact,thatpeoplecouldn’tevensmellit.In84percent ofthecasestherespondentsstatedapreferencefortheNikeshoeswiththe smell,eventhoughtheycouldn’texplaintheirreasoning.Theyalsoconfirmed thatthey’dbewillingtopaymorethan$10extrafortheseshoes. One holiday company in the United Kingdom offers the chance for customers to experience a virtual tour of its holiday destinations through theuseofa3Dheadsetandaccompanyingaromas.Forinstance,atripto Egyptwouldincorporatethesmellofherbsandspicesatanopen-airmarket asthewould-beholidaymakerisseeingthesightsandhearingthesounds of the virtual tour. Other scenes take in the musty smells of a pharaoh’s tomb,arefreshingseabreezeandthefragranceofcoconutsuntanoilbythe swimmingpool. Exhibition stands are also an obvious place where an essence can gain theattentionofthosepassingby.Smalldiffusers,electronicunitsoreven asimpleaerosolspraycanbeusedwitheasetoaddthatextrasensetoan otherwiseblandstand.Ifnothingelse,apleasantaromacanhelpmaskthe undesirablesmellofbodyodouremanatingfromstaffwho’veprobablyhad toarriveearly,getinasweatsettingupthestandandthenremaininsitufor severalhours,oftenwithfewbreaks.
Charityshops–asmellyproblem? Talkingofunpleasantsmells,manynot-for-profitorganisationsintheUnited Kingdomrunhighstreetcharityshops(oftencalled‘thriftshops’intheUnited States)asameansofgeneratingextraincome.Thereisusuallyonemain problemwithmostofthem:theiraromaisverybad.Thisisbecausetheshops
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arestaffedbyoverworkedvolunteerswhoreceivebundlesofclothesdonated bythepubliceveryday.Mostofthetimetheitemsofclothinghandedinhave notbeenwashedorhavebeenstoredforalongperiodoftimebeforetheyare giventothecharity.Withsomanypilesofsuchclothinginthebackroomto besortedout,thewholeshopdevelopsanaromathat,inmyexperience,sits somewherebetweenout-and-outbodyodourandthefustysmellofadamp andderelictbuilding. The solution would only require the application of a regular spray to eliminatethebadodours–andifthecharityranastringofshops,usingthe samescentineachonewouldalsodifferentiatethemfromothercharities’ retail operations. I once worked with a small non-profit organisation that ran six shops all suffering from BBO (Bad Brand Odour). By utilising a combination of orange and pine scent (which could even be noticed by passers-byonthepavement),alongwiththeincorporationoftheothermajor sensoryelements,theshopsallincreasedtheirin-storetrafficbyover40per centinjusttwoweeks.What’smore,thespecialfragrancewasmixedatno cost,onthebasisofabulkpurchasebythecharity.Eventhediffuserswere lentfreeofcharge. I’ve found it personally disappointing that some charity fundraisers whohaveheardmypresentationsonthispowerfulsensoryapproachhave respondednegativelybystating,‘We’vebetterthingstodowithourtime andmoneythanwonderwhatourorganisationsmellslike.’Well,everyone’s entitledtoanopinion.Butwhenitcomestothefactsabouthowthehuman brainworks,theevidenceforsensorybrandingisthereforalltosee–and smell.Usedintherightmanner,scentbrandingcanboostsalesbyasurprising amount–andtherereallyisnobetteremotion-evokingassociativepower withwhichtoinfluencethecustomeroftoday.
Scentingtheproductorservice Inmanysmallbusinesses,whenI’vesuggestedconsideringwaysinwhichthe company’sproductorservicecouldbeenhancedbyfragrance,theexecutives oftensitscratchingtheirheadsand,bynotthinking‘outsidethebox’,reject theideaofbrandingthroughsmellasunworkable–especiallyiftheymake something that, according to them, is a product that’s unsuitable for such improvement.Inreality,thereareveryfewproductsandservicesthatcannot begivenanaromaticmakeoverinsomewayorform.
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Istatequiteemphaticallyinmybrandworkshopsthatalmostany businesscanutilisethesenseofsmellasawaytoimproveitsproduct orservice.Asachallengetoanysceptics,Ioncewentthroughan entire Yellow Pages directory to see what companies were ruled outofscentbranding.Thefirstcategoryheadingwasforabattoirs –notoriousforcomplaintsfromthepeoplelivingnearbyaboutthe smellofwaste.Butbycarryingoutaquicksearchontheinternet,I discoverednumerouscompaniesmanufacturingscentsandenzymebasedingredientstoeliminateslaughterhouseodoursandimprove thesmell. ManyoftheYellowPagesheadingsthatfollowedprovidedobviousopportunities,fromflowershops(ifyoucan’tcreateasignature smellforabusinessthatsellsflowers,yououghttoselluptomorrow –betteryet,thisafternoon)toironandsteelmerchants,fromlaundry servicestomusicalinstrumentmakers.Thelastentrywasforzoos –withamyriadofopportunitiestocreateanimalandhabitatsmells tothebrand’sadvantage.Giventhatjustabouteveryodouronthe faceoftheearthcanbemanufacturedinalaboratorytoday,thereis almostalwaysawaytousethesenseofsmell,nomatterhowsmall itsapplicationmightbe. Remember, it is not the scale of how your aroma is used, and it is not the case that it has to be incorporated everywhere and in everything. Yes, the more you can utilise the smell, the more it can contribute to the brand experience. But even if you are limitedtojustonespecificoption–thereceptionarea,orapieceof packaging–itreallycomesdowntohowcreativelyandconsistently itisemployed.
Let’stakeacompanythatmakeshealthcareequipment.It’slikelythatatleast somepartoftheproductisplastic.Today,almostanyplasticpartcanhavea scentincorporatedintoit.Whatkindofsmellwouldthemanufacturerwant touse?If,forexample,theunitsweresolddirectlytohospitalsorsurgeries, perhapsaclinicalsmellwouldbeappropriateasanassociativebrandsmell forboththehealthcareoperativeandthepatient. Ontheotherhand,iftheproductissolddirectlytothepublic,theright smellmightbetheexactoppositeofaclinicalformula.Forinstance,Ihave
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abloodpressuremonitorathomeandprefertakingmyownbloodpressure readingsratherthangoingtoadoctor,wheretypicallythe‘whitecoat’effect oftenelevatesthereadouts.So,Iwouldn’twantthearomaofdisinfectantor someothersterilesmelltoevokewhatformewouldbeunpleasantmemories oftimespentinawaitingroomorlessthandesirablebloodpressurereadings, but would find some other smell more satisfying – possibly the soothing effectoforangeorlavender. Ifyoumanufactureaproduct,oneareathatcandefinitelybeenhanced isthepackaging.Mostproductsarriveinwrappingorbindingthatsmells eitherofthematerialit’smadefrom(inmostcasescardboardorplastic)or, often,ofstalecigarettesmokecourtesyofthepersonwhopackedthegoods. Either way, the packaging makes a statement about the overall brand not just through the visual sense (ie packaging design, colour scheme, shape, etc)butalsobyitssmell.So,ifthefragranceismalodorous,it’sasmellsenseopportunitymissed.Withtoday’stechnology,everykindofpackaging materialfrompapertopolymerscanhaveaparticulararomaincorporated intoitsmake-up.Andifyoucan’tutilisescentedpackaging,whataboutinks andvarnishesusedtoprintcompanydetailsonit?Again,off-the-shelfsmells areavailable,asarespeciallyformulatedsignaturescents.
Servicewithasmell ButwhatifIrunaservice,ratherthanmakeaproduct?Forinstance,Imight beasportsinstructormeetingclientsatastadium,pitchorsportsfacilitythat isnotmyown.WhatsmellswouldIwanttoassociatemybrandwithandhow couldtheybeused?Mostlikely,fragranceslikecinnamon,lemonorjasmine wouldfitthebillasscentsthatevokestimulatingandenergisingfeelings.But wherewouldIusethem?Well,Icouldconsidersprayingkitbagsorother itemsthatImightsupplytomycustomerswithanappropriatesmell. Or,insteadofusingastimulatingscent,Icouldincorporatetheactualsmell ofthesportsenvironmenttoformastrongassociationwiththeserviceI’m providing.DaleAir,mentionedearlier,hascreatedapackof‘footballaroma’ cubesfeaturingthesmellsofafootballpitch,thetrophyroom–andeven theplayers’changingroom.Forafootballcoach,orevensoccerschool,this couldbeagiftorsaleitemthatwouldprovideacreativewaytoenhancethe company’sbrand. And,ofcourse,ifitcanbeappliedtofootball,itcanbeusedwithany othersport.Thefragranceofwillow,ortherichandnuttyaromaoflinseed
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oil,forcricket.Perhapstheleathersmellofacatcher’sgloveinbaseball.Or eventhescentofanewlymownlawnattheWimbledontenniscourts.We’ve alreadycoveredtheadvantagesofsprayingtrainerswithaparticularsmell. Truly,youarelimitedonlybyyourimaginationinhowtomakethesenseof smellworkforyourbrand.
Aromaticpublicityandpromotions DidyoueverseethemovieLegallyBlonde,inwhichHarvardlawstudent ElleWoods(playedbyReeseWitherspoon)submitsherrésuméandsays, ‘It’s pink, and scented. Don’t you think it gives it that something extra?’ Well,shewasright.Addingafragrancetoyourpromotionalitemsgivesthe recipientanextrasensetoexperience,offeringanotherchancetoputyour brand into long-term memory. Don’t, however, isolate the smell sense by usingjustonemailingorpromotionalitem,ortheconnectiontoyourbrand willbeweak.Farbettertotrytocreatea‘smellplatform’,wherepromotional activityusingscentisbuiltaroundaconsistenttheme. Scented paper is one way to create a sense of smell in your mailings, or even a simple letterhead you may send out. But it needn’t stop with justthepaper.Productsassociatedwithperfumes,aftershavesandvarious personaltoiletrieshaveutilisedscentsamplesingive-awaybottles,vialsand scentstripsformanyyears–butthere’snoreasonwhysuchpromotional opportunitiesshouldbelimitedtosuppliersofeaudetoilette.Sincesmells ofanykind–frombabypowdertocutgrass,Cubancigarsmoketosweaty feet–cannowbeconcocted,theonlyrealbarrieriscreativity.Let’sconsider twoapproachestoincorporatingthesenseofsmellintoyouradvertisingand promotionalmaterials: 1. Direct product/service relevance. By aligning the scent with the actual product or service, you give the customer a deeper sensory ideaofusingit.So,ifyoumakepencils,sendingoutamailerthat includesasachetorothercontainerofferingthesmellofpencilor woodshavingsenhancesthewholepromotionaleffect.Ifyouruna travelagency,thereareallkindsoffragrancesavailable,including coconut,pineapple,tropicalscentsandeventhesmelloftheseato generate excitement and enthusiasm for the destinations you are promoting.
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Plumbers can mail out fliers about blocked drains that include scentedstripsofafreshsmelllikewashingpowder,carbolicsoapor disinfectant.Ortheapproachcouldhighlightwhathappensifblocked drainsaren’tcleared–usingasmallsachetthatcontainsthesmellof rottenfishorastinkbomb.Dentalpractitionerscouldusethesmell of cloves or peppermint in a fresh breath campaign, and furniture renovatorscouldutilisethefragranceofbeeswax,oakormahogany. 2. Indirectnovellink.Ifyoureallyandtrulycannotfindawayofusing anaromatodescribedirectaspectsofyourproductorservice,thentry anovelwayofinvolvingscentsandaromas.Useaplayonwords,an innuendooracomiclinktoyouroffer.Ifyouaremakinganofferthat seemstoogoodtobetrue,howaboutincludingthesmellofbananas tosuggestthat’swhatyou’dhavetobetomakesuchanoffer? Ifyouwanttohighlighthowyourcompetitorsseemtobeoffering aproductorserviceunderdubiousterms,howaboutincludingasmell of fish to indicate ‘something fishy going on’?All kinds of foodrelatedandnon-food-relatedsmellscanbeusedasmetaphoricallinks toyourcampaigns.PerhapsIshouldhaveincorporatedasachetof ozonesmellinthisbooktoemphasisethatwhenitcomestousing scentsinpublicityandpromotionalmaterials,thesky’sthelimit.
Canyoucreateasmellonyourwebsite?Theanswerisyes–well, usingadditionalequipment,thatis.Youcansendasignaltoaunit connectedtoyourPCthatwillthendisperseascent.Oneexample of this is The Scent Dome from Trisenx (www.trinsenx.com). The ScentDomeisacomputerperipheraldevicethatreleasesdifferent fragrancesandaromastriggeredbycomputercommandsembedded initsaccompanyingsoftware(asshowninFigure10.1).Thesecommandscanbelinkedtoe-mail,e-books,webpagesandotherdigital content.EvenaPowerPointpresentationcancontaintriggercodes toreleasescentatanappropriateslide.Theunit,roughlythesizeof ateapot,generatessmellsbyreleasingparticlesfromoneormore of20liquid-filledodourcapsulesthatcanalsomixwithothersto matchthecustomscenttheuserhascreated.Oncetriggered,The ScentDomemixestherequiredcocktailofsmellsstoredinsidethe fragrancecanisters,andasmallfanstartsupanddispersesthearoma throughtheair.
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Figure10.1 TheScentDome:acomputerperipheralforreleasingaromas. PicturecourtesyofTriSenxHoldingsInc.Usedwithpermission
Containingthesmell Ifyoudon’twanttotakethe‘live’scentapproach,usethenovellinkalternative. InMarch2007,CalvinKleinlauncheditsCKIN2Uunisexfragrancethrough thewebsiteSecondLife(www.secondlife.com).Thisvirtual-worldwebsite enabledvisitorstopickupvirtualbottlesofthenewscentandsprayother in-worldpartnerswithfizzingfragrancebubblestoinitiatedialogue.Atthe sametime,UKconsumerscouldclickthroughtotheCKIN2Uwebsiteand requestactualsamplesofthenewfragrance. Usingsachets,glassorplastictubesandothercontainersisagreatwayto providetherecipientswithasenseofsmell.Theonlydownsideistheunit costpermailer,andthepossibilitythatthestoragedevicecouldgetdamaged inthemail.Happily,thereisanalternative.Withtheadventofscratch-’n’snifftechnologyinthelate1970sthedoorwasopenedforamultitudeof opportunitiestocreatetruesmell-senseexperiencesinpromotionalmaterial that didn’t need any container. Instead, the smell was impregnated into a coatingthat,whenscratched,releasedthearoma.Inthe1980s,scratch-’n’sniff stickers were all the rage, and today some of those early examples
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fetchhighpricesoneBay.Atthattime,scratch-’n’-sniffadvertisementswere, like most sense-of-smell promotions, confined to perfume and aftershave products.Nowthatlaboratoriescancreatefragrancesthatmimicalmostany kindofsmell,thewholeconcepthasopenedupamultitudeofpossibilities. Today, all kinds of publicity material can incorporate scratch-’n’-sniff devices,includingpressadvertisements,promotionalgive-aways,postcards andinserts.Forexample,anumberofgassupplycompanieshaveuseda folded mailer containing a scratch-’n’-sniff strip impregnated with ethyl mercaptan,the‘rotteneggs’smellpurposelyaddedtoodourlessnaturalgas, toeducateandinformcustomersaboutthedangersofgasleaks. Thedrawbackofscratch-’n’-sniffhasalwaysbeenthatoncetheareais scratched,boththeshelflifeandthepass-alongvalueoftheitemarelimited. However, new technology has overcome that problem with the advent of scented varnishes. The clear varnish is applied over conventional litho printinginks,andthesmellremainsdormantuntilyourubit,afterwhichit revertstobeingdormantagainuntilthenextactivation. In2007,specialistlithoprintingcompanyConcordLitho,basedinNew Hampshire,createdaninteractivescentcardinsertforTVGuidemagazine (seeFigure10.2).TheinsertwasdesignedtotreatfansofNBC’ssitcomMy NameIsEarltoauniquesensoryexperience:thequirkyaromasofkarmaobsessed Camden County. During the ‘Laugh ’n’ Sniff’ episode, viewers werepromptedtoruboneofsixcorrespondingnumberedboxesonthescent card,whichreleasedaromasconnectedtotheMyNameIsEarlstoryline, includingthesmellofabrand-newcar,andthechocolatey-creamysignature scentofOreocookies. ConcordLithohasalsocreatedotheritemssuchasapromotionalgame pieceforDomino’sPizzaforitsbrowniebitesproductlaunchandarange ofgreetingscardsfeaturingscentssuchasgingerbread,cookie,holidaypine andcandycane.Evenifyouarestuckforideasofhowtoincorporatesmells intoyourbrand,thestandardcorporatecardcanbeenhancedinthisway. Non-profitorganisationscancapitaliseonthisscentidea,too,asacompellingappealtoyourdonors.Forinstance,ifyou’reacharityinvolvedin providing aid to theThirdWorld, you could depict the smells of poverty (seemysampleinFigure10.3)–perhapsevencontrastingthemwiththe fragrancesof‘cleanair’containedinanotherscentblock.Ifyourworkiswith natureconservation,candonorsexperiencethesmellofatree,orthesound ofwildlife?Thereareunlimitedwaysinwhichyoucanengageyourdonors inadeeperemotionalexperience.
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Figure10.2 ScentedcardexamplesfromConcordLitho.Reproducedwith permission
Yourpersonalscent:goodorbadidea? OnequestionI’moftenaskedis,‘Shouldyouuseapersonalsignaturescent?’ The example of Singapore Airlines would suggest that it could be very advantageous,dependingonthecircumstances.Formostservicecompanies, askingeveryemployeeintheofficetowearaparticularperfumeoraftershave mightwellbemetwithapoint-blankrefusal–andit’scertainlyunnecessary ifcustomersdon’tinterfacewiththem.(What’smore,youcouldeasilybe floutingsomehumanrightsorimagediscriminationlegislation!) Butifyourstaffarelookingafteranexhibitionstandorservingcustomersin ashowroomarea,aconsistentpersonalscentcouldcertainlyraiseawareness. Whatwouldbeconfusing,however,istocreateashowroomorexhibition
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Figure10.3 Anexampleofhowascentedcardcouldbeusedforanonprofitdonormailing
stand aroma and then limit its usability by swamping it with conflicting smellssothatthecustomerleavesfeelingconfusedaboutthesenseofsmell experience. One situation where a consistent personal aftershave or perfume could be a significant part of your brand perception is if you are a one-person operation,oryouaretheonlyonewhodealswithcustomersonaface-to-face basis.MartinLindstromstatesthathisveryreasonforconductingresearch onsensorybrandingcamefromanencounterinthestreetwithapasser-by: Wemustreturntothebasicsandidentifywhatactuallyappealstohuman beingsonanordinary,everydaybasis.Theansweronapracticallevel, though,cametomeonaTokyostreetinthespringof1999.Aladybrushed bymeandherperfumetookmebacktomychildhood.Itwasextraordinary. Foramomenttherush-hourcrowds,thetrafficandthehigh-risebuildings ceased to exist. I was instantly transported to the Danish countryside,
Thesweetsmellofbrandsuccess 153
smellingthesameperfumethatafriendofminealwayswore.Itstoodto reasonthatifbrandscontainedascent,theycouldbeequallypowerful.
Ifimageisimportantinacompanysense,itisabsolutelycriticalifyouare aloneentrepreneur,whereusingeveryimagetoolatyourdisposalcanhelp create a sensory cue for your brand – your personal brand.As Lindstrom recounts, just an awareness of a scent can evoke emotions, and using an appropriateperfumeoraftershavecangiveyouabusinessedge.Studieshave shownthatperfumesandcolognescangivestrongimpressionsoffinancial successandhighlevelsofself-confidence.Suchisthepowerofthesenseof smellthatevenifthefragranceisfleeting,thememoriesevokedandresultant emotionsremain. Usinganaftershaveorperfumeaspartofyourbrandwilldemandcareful selectionoftheappropriatesmellaccordingtotheimageyouwantassociated withit.Light,floweryfragranceswillconveyadifferentimpressionfromthe spiciertypes,justasmuchaswhentheyareusedinotherbusinesssituations. Butthereareadditionalconsiderations,suchashowthesmellactuallyworks onyourparticularskinandwhetherthefragrancemightbetoostrongwhenyou wearit.Usingaftershaves,colognesandperfumesinthiswayneedssubtlety. Thereisnothingworsethantryingtoengageinabusinessdialoguewhen someoneissodrenchedinasmellthatitsmotherseveryoneandeverything intheroom.Also,theuseofpersonalscentsneedstobeconsideredinthe widercontextofyouroverallimage,groomingandwardrobe. Forindividualadviceinpersonalbranding,checkoutyourlocalimageor personalbrandingconsultant.
Usescentsandaromaswithcare Justasmusiclevelsinaretailorreceptionenvironmentcanbeoverpowering andacustomerturn-offratherthanenhancement,fragrancesneedtobeused withcare,too.Companiesusingscentsintheirmarketinghavesometimes beenaccusedofdamagingthenation’shealthbyignoringthosewithallergies tocertainsmells. AcoupleofyearsagotheCaliforniaMilkProcessorBoardlaunchedan outdoorpostercampaigninSanFranciscoformilk,featuringscentedstrips that gave off a fresh cookie smell.Within a short time the campaign was droppedaftercityofficialsclaimedthatthearomacouldtriggerallergiesand asthmaattacks.Evidencethatthisisthecasehasyettobeconfirmed.While
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somestudiesassertthatupto72percentofasthmaticattacksaretriggered byafragrance,panelsofscentexpertshavedisputedtheseclaims,contending thattherearenohardfactstosupporttheseallegations.Instead,theyargue, peoplearereactingpsychologicallytotheingredientsthatwouldnormally bethereinthe‘real’productbutarenotactuallypresentinthescent. Thekey,ofcourse,istoensurethatyourcustomersareput‘incontrol’of beingabletoleaveascentedarea,orabletopushornotpushthescentspray buttonatthepointofsale.ThiswasthemainproblemwiththeSanFrancisco milkcampaign:thepersonwaitingforthebusdidnothavetheoptiontomove away.Takingawaycustomerchoice,asinthiscase,isexactlytheopposite ofwhatwewanttodowithoursensorybrandapproach. Regardless of who’s right in the allergy debate, you do need to ensure that customers are not overwhelmed with scents. Even those who don’t sufferfromallergicreactionscanstillfinditobnoxioustowalkaroundina fragrance-drenchedarea,whetherit’saretailoutlet,showroomorreception area.Asmallamountdiffusedintotheairwillhaveamuchgreatereffectthan soakingcustomersinit. Withoutadoubt,thesenseofsmellistheretobeexploitedaspartofyour brandexperience.Andwithsomanyaromasnowavailable,yourcustomers won’tjustwakeupandsmellthecoffee;theycanwakeuptojustaboutany smellyoudecide.
11
Brandingthetaste buds
It’sprobablynotsurprisingthatwhenitcomestodiscussingthesenseoftaste, booksandarticlesgenerallycombineitwiththesenseofsmell.Tastereally doesneedthenosetobeinvolvedifthefullspectrumoftastesandflavours aretobeexperienced.Whenfoodordrinkentersthemouth,tasteandsmell aresentasintegratedsignalstothebraininordertoprocesstastesensations. Although the tongue has receptors that can detect tastes, without smell it islimitedtojustfive.(That’swhyifyou’resufferingfromacold,oryou simplypinchyournosewhileeatingordrinking,yourtastediscernmentfades rapidly.) The first four stand-alone tastes are the traditional sensations of sweet,sour,saltyandbitter.However,in1908aJapanesescientistdiscovered thatatypeofglutamicacidcalledmonosodiumglutamatewasresponsible foraparticularsavourytastethatisnowclassifiedasthefifthtastesense, calledumami.
Gettingtheedgeinfoodanddrink In terms of sensory experience, taste is often considered to be the most difficulttoincorporateintoabusinessbrand.Ofcourse,ifyourtradeistodo withfoodanddrink,therearemanyopportunitiestocreateemotionsandpush yourbrandintolong-termmemorysimplybywhatyouhaveonoffer.So,as thesayinggoes,ifyou’vegotit,flauntit.Makesurethatthetasteelementof yourfoodisutilisedwhereverandwheneveryoucan.Ifyouoperateafood
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ordrinkoutlet,handoutsamplesofnewmenuorrecipeitemstopassers-by. Themedeveningswhereguestscantrythefoodordrinkareagreatwayto buildyourbrand,astheygiveyouanidealopportunitytoutilisetheother foursensesincreatingthecustomerexperience. Gordon Ramsay OBE is a chef who has demonstrated how to build a powerfulbrandinboththeUnitedKingdomandtheUnitedStatesnotjust bydemonstratinghissupremeskillsasamasterchefbutalsobyusingthese talentsasalaunchpadforotheractivities.Gordonhaswrittenbooksonvarious foodtopicsandstarredinanumberoftelevisionserieswherehenotonly preparessumptuousfoodbutalsoactsastroubleshooterforailingrestaurants and helps them to recover their trading position. Ramsay’s company now boastsrestaurants,mediaandconsultancybusinessesonbothsidesofthe Atlantic. Ifyourunasinglerestaurantandyouwanttoimproveyourbrand,canyou competewithGordon?Probablynot,butyoudon’thaveto.What’simportant is that you look at the kinds of things he’s done and consider how your businessmightdothesamething,albeitonasmallerscale.Forexample: Youmaynotcommandaseriesonanationaltelevisionnetwork,but
youcouldgainaregularspotonyourlocalradiostationtalkingabout foodanddrink,providingphone-inrecipes. Youcouldofferyourlocalnewspaperormagazinearticlesbuiltaround helpfultipsonhowtoselectagoodwine,orwhatdishescomprisethe bestthree-coursemeal. Youcouldcreateco-promotionswiththestationornewspapersothat peoplecouldcometofoodandwinesamplingsessions,orevenoffer afreemealatyourrestaurantforacompetitionwinner.
Atastynon-foodbusiness Thisisallwellandgoodforthoseinthefoodanddrinkmarket.Butwhat happensifyoumakenutsandboltsinafactoryunitonsomeindustrialestate andapartfromyourbrochuresandpricelistshaveonlysomedisplaycabinets inyourreceptionareawithwhichtocommunicatewithclientsandpotential newbuyers? Let’sremindourselvesthatgeneratingafullsensorycustomerexperience doesnotmeanthateverysensecanbeusedateverycustomerinterface–nor isitnecessary.Neitherdoesitfollowthatthesensemustbeadirectaspect
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ofyourproductorservice.Itisnotabouthowmany,orhowoften,butmore aboutconsistencyandcreativitywhenitisincorporated. Letmegiveyouanexample.IonceworkedforalargeUnitedKingdombased corporation and was responsible for reviewing its supplier list of graphicdesignconsultancies.Therewereover40companiesthatsupplied thisblue-chipgiant,butthebriefwastocutitdowntojust7.Foranumber ofweeksIvisitedeachdesignoutfitinturn.Themeetingsbecamepredictable quitequickly.Firsttherewouldbealengthyandboringpresentationaboutthe designcompanyanditsstaffcredentials,followedbyanendlessdisplayof successfulprojectscarriedoutforothers.Then,finally,therefollowedashort question-and-answersessionaboutwhattheycoulddoforusiftheywere retained.Thestructureofthesemeetingswasbadenough–self-indulgent andnotmuchthoughtforthecustomer.Iwasonlyabletostayawakebecause someonewouldusuallyarrivewithcupsofteaorcoffee,andafewchocolate chipcookiesmeltinginthesaucer,whichprovidedashortbreakfromthe proceedings. ThenonemorningIarrivedatasmalldesignstudioinLondon.BeforeI evenclimbedthestairs,thesmelloffreshlygroundcoffeehitme.Apolite receptionistgreetedmeandhandedmeacardthatfeaturedseveraloptions for refreshments. It read like a wine bar menu! Coffee, tea, soft drinks... eachwithashort,mouth-wateringdescriptionofwhatwasonoffer.Igave my‘order’tothereceptionist. WhenIwalkedintothemeetingroomafewminuteslater,mydrinkwas alreadywaitingformeandnexttoitasmallfortunecookiewithmyname onthewrapper.Themessageinsidethecookiesaid,‘James,todayisagreat dayforapositivebusinessmeeting.’Iatethecookieandittasteddelicious. Whatfollowedwasindeedagoodmeeting,wheretheyspentmuchmoretime talkingaboutmycompany’swantsandneedsratherthanfocusingontheir ownachievements. Now,thisdesigncompanywassmallcomparedtomostoftheotherson thesupplierlist.Theyweren’trestaurantowners,nordidtheymakefortune cookies. But that single encounter with their approach to refreshments communicatedvolumesabouttheirwholeattitudetocustomersandformea trueunderstandingofhoweverysensoryperceptioncanbeusedtodifferentiate the brand. Of course, their ‘product’ had to be good, but I wouldn’t even havebeenthereifitwasn’t.Whenthetimecametomakeadecisionasto whostayedonthelistasasupplierandwhodidn’t,howdoyouthinkthey fared?
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Sweetwaystobrandyourbusiness Usingtastesandflavoursinyourbusinesscanbesomethingassimpleasthe exampleabove.Whynothaveabowlofsweetsormints(withpersonalised wrappers) in your reception and showroom areas – or on your exhibition stand?Ifyoudon’tgreetcustomersonyourpremises,thensendthemsome hand-made chocolates or other items of confectionery that include your companynameandhavesomeconnectionwithyourbrand.It’sevenpossible toobtainediblechocolatebusinesscardsthatcouldbesentouttoprospective newcustomersalongwiththeusualprintedcardversion. Formostbusinessesthebestwayofpromotingthebrand,productorservice usingtasteisthenovellink,asitiswithsmell.Whetheryourmarketingactivity featuresjellybeansortoffeejars,thepointistotrytoassociatethetastewith anaspectofyourbrand,productorservice.Likethethemedeveningexample mentioned earlier, you could hold regular customer evenings as a way of thankingyourcustomersfortheirpatronage,andinvitingprospectiveclients alongtoo.Mostbusinessesthatdothisservefoodanddrinkthatmaytaste goodbutthatfailtomakeaconnectionwiththebrand.Yetjustapersonalised labelonthewinebottlescanbeenoughtoformabrandlink.Onestepfurther istoaccompanyeachbottlewithaswingticket,perhapsassociatingthewine description with your product or service’s brand characteristics. Here are someotheroptions: Aconstructioncompanyorsecurityfirmmightserveafull-bodiedred
wineandassociatethiswithanaspectofthecompany’sstrength.
Anartgallerymightcreateaspecialcocktailandnameitafterthe
business(checkoutwww.baileys.comforsomeveryinterestingways touseBaileysIrishCreamincocktails,forexample). Non-alcoholicdrinkscanalsobelinkedtoyourbrandthroughdescriptionsandmetaphorsrelatingtotaste.Forinstance,ifyou’relaunching anewproductorservice,howaboutsendingoutsomecola,cordialor sparklingmineralwaterwithapersonalisedlabelandanaccompanyingmessagethatsayssomethinglike,‘Ifyouthinkthisisrefreshing, youshouldtryournew...’Therearecountlessotherconnections. Remember,theobjectivehereistolinkatastetoanaspectofyourbrand.This isnotthesameassendingoutsomebottlesofwineorboxesofchocolates merelyasone-offgiftsthatareunrelatedtoyourbrandactivities.Thisisapart
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ofthesensoryexperienceyouwishtocreate,andaslongasitcanbepackaged andpostedwithoutleaking,ordamaginganyothercontentsofthemailing, you can send almost anything. (Ensure that any food and drink items are properlyandlegallylabelled.Ifyou’remailingnuts,forexample,beaware thatsomepeoplehavenutallergies.Youwanttodelightyourcustomers,not makethemill.) HerearesomefoodanddrinkitemsI’veusedsuccessfullyindirectmail campaigns that you can incorporate as a taste-sense connection in your business.I’llleaveyoutoworkoutpossibleassociations. personalisedsaucesachets(hot,mild,cool) lemons sparklingwater mints crisps nuts isotonicenergydrinks packetsofraisins teabags Eastereggs lollipops(personalisedwithamessage) popcorn bananas cheese
toffee chewinggum/bubblegum crackers marshmallows miniaturechampagnesor spirits packetsoup chocolatebars jellybeans rock(personalisedwith namerunningdown centre) apples
Youneedn’tlimityourmaterialsforyoursenseoftastepromotionsto drinks.TMB(TheMarketingBureau)intheUnitedKingdomwanted to promote the hire of executive boxes at AFC Bournemouth’s footballstadium.ThefootballclubisknownastheCherries,soTMB sent a direct-mail package that included cherries to key business decisionmakers. Thepackageledtherecipientstoamicro-sitespeciallycreated toprovidefurtherinformationandhandleresultantenquiries.The mailingachievedastaggering70percentresponserate.
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Tastebudsandbusinesstie-ins Customersdonotnecessarilyhavetosamplefoodordrinktoconnectitwith aproduct.Usingthenovellinkapproach,justastrongcreativeassociation–if donewell–canbeenoughtoengagethesenseoftasteandmakeaconnection. Anexcellentexampleofthisisthetelevisionadvertisingcampaigncreated in2007byLondonadvertisingagencyFallonforthelaunchofŠkoda’snew –atthetime–Fabia. Theagencywantedtogetacrossthepointthatthecarwas‘tasty’,sothey bakedalife-sizedcakecarthatlookedjustliketherealthing.Rivetswere swappedforraisinsandsparkplugsforsugar.SomeoftheUnitedKingdom’s finestchocolatiers,bakersandbricklayerswereenlistedtoconstructthecake car,whichwasmadeusinghundredsofkilosofrawmaterial.Theradiators wereconstructedfromchocolateblocks,headlightsweremadefromboiled sweets,foglightsfrommeringueanddoormirrorsfrommarzipan.Figures 11.1–11.6showsomeclipsfromthetelevisioncommercial,whichendswith thestrapline‘ThenewFabia.Fulloflovelystuff.’ Thepromotiondidn’tjustendwithtelevisionadvertising.Athrough-theline campaign was also developed, including point-of-sale and dealership materialscontinuingthethemeoftheFabiabeingso‘moreish’andhowmuch extrayougotfromthetastynewmodel.Thepromotionsincludedsending outairfreshenerswithachocolatearomatotieinwiththecakeconcept. Thepublicityresultingfromthecampaignwasexceptional,withcoverage in all the national media – in some cases double-page spreads featuring numerousstage-by-stagestillsofthecarbeingconstructed. Asifthatwasn’tasuccessinitself,extramediacoveragewasgivento whathappenedtothefoodoncefilmingwasfinished.FallonandŠkodahad planned to cut the cake car up and distribute it to local charities, schools andhospitals.Unfortunately,asthecarhadbeenunderhotstudiolightsfor severaldays,itwouldhaveposedahealthriskifeaten.Someparts,such asthemarzipanwingmirrorsandchocolatespeedometerwerepreserved, whiletherestofthecarwascompostedandusedbyresidentsofClapton, eastLondon,tofertilisetheirgardensandallotments. AccordingtoŠkoda,thenumberofvisitorstoitscardealershipswasupby 160percentinthefirstweekofthecampaigncomparedtothepreviousyear. It’sobvioustoallthatthecakecarcampaignmadeasignificantcontribution tosuchimpressivestatistics. OK,you’reasmallerbusinessthanŠkodaandyoudon’thavethemoney to put a television commercial together, let alone one that involves more
Brandingthetastebuds 161
Figure11.1 Chocolatemix–clipfromtheŠkodaFabiaTVcampaign.All stillscourtesyofFallonLondonLtdandŠkoda.Reproducedwithpermission
Figure11.2 Engineoil
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Figure11.3 Rearlight
Figure11.4 Tyres
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Figure11.5 EndframeofTVad
Figure11.6 AlongwiththeSkodaTVcampaign,thishumorousdirectmail packtappedintotheconfectionerythemebyfeaturingacar-shapedchocolate fudge-scentedairfreshener.Picturecourtesyarchibaldingallstretton.Used withpermission
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ingredientsthanyouconsumeinanentireyear.Thepointis,youcanstill create successful sensory perceptions of taste on much smaller budgets. Chocolates,miniaturedrinksandpacketsofpersonalisedmintsarenotthat expensive.Theydon’thavetobeoriginalrecipes,either,ifyoucannotafford togodownthatroute.What’smostimportantishowyouusetheseitems. Thekey,aswithmostthingsinbranding,isconnectionandassociation.Get itright,andyourbrandexperiencewillleaveanicetasteinyourcustomers’ mouths.
12
Brandtouchandfeel
We’veallbeentostoreswherethe‘donottouch’noticesoutnumberthegoods ondisplaytwiceover.Whataturn-off.Granted,someobjectsarefragileand expensivetoreplace,so‘handsoff’noticesmaybeunavoidable.Butthis shoulddefinitelybetheexceptionratherthantherule.Notbeingabletotouch somethingiscontrarytothewayhumanbeingsarewired.Foroutofallthe senseswepossess,touchisthemostbasic.It’sthefirstsenseweexperience whenstillinthewombandit’sthelastonewelosebeforedeath. Very often, touching a product is second only to the visual sense as a precursortopurchasingit.Wesqueezeafruitto‘feel’itsfreshness.Weput atoweltoourfacetoexperienceitssoftness.Wepressourhandsdownon amattresstotestitsspringiness.Andalthoughfunctionalityispartofthe purchaseconsideration,ourtactileexaminationofthegoodswillbeakey factor–onelinkedtoourpersonalityandoursocialandlifestylewantsand needs. Forinstance,writinganotetosomeonecanbedonewithacheap,throwaway ballpointpen.Youdon’tcarewhatitfeelslike,orevenhowitlooks,aslong asitdoesthejob.Butwhenitcomestochoosingawritinginstrumentthat reflectsstyleandpersonality,afinepensuchasaMontBlancisinatotally differentleague.You’llwanttoexperiencehowitfeelsbetweenthefingers ofyourwritinghand.You’llexplorethetextureofthebarrelandcap,feeling theweightofthepen’sbodyasyoumakethoseinitialsweepsofthewords youwrite.Andasyoudo,thesephysicalpleasuresevokestrongemotionsand feelings.It’sthesamewithawatch.Iftellingthetimeweretheonlyfunction requiredofawristwatch,companiessuchasRolexorCartierwouldbelow onsales!Butwhenyoustrokeyourfingersoverthegoldcase,orfeelthe platinumbezelsurroundingthewatchface,emotionsbegintorisethathave nothingtodowithtimesanddates.
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Aswithmanyoftheothersenses,however,smallbusinesseshavebeen slowtopickupontheadvantagesofincludingthisfifthsenseintheirbranding. Withtheadventofthefast-route-to-purchaseonlinestore,alotofcompanies haveassumedthatthesenseoftouchisfarlessimportanttoday.Afterall,you can’tincorporatetouchintoawebsite,canyou?(Actually,itispossibleina way.We’llcoverthatlater.)Buttherearestillmanycustomersouttherewho visitshopswhereproductscanbetouchedandexaminedbeforeapurchase ismade.They’llwanttotryontheirnextpairofhand-madeshoes,walka fewpacestofeelhowcomfortabletheyare,andbrushtheirfingersacrossthe detailedstitchingandpolishedleatherbeforeplacingtheirorder.
Gettingintouchwithyourbrand Oursenseoftouch,then,isanythingbutredundant.Theskin’smillionsof sensoryreceptorsaretherereadyandwaitingtoexploreshape,weightand texture.Inaddition,wecansenseheat,vibrationandpressure.Andit’snot justourhandsthataresensitivetotheseelementsoftouch.Allpartsofthe bodycontainsensoryreceptors.Considerhowweexperiencethefeelofa deep pile carpet beneath our feet, the comfort of a leather recliner or the softnessoffurasitbrushesagainstourface.Evenwithoutthebenefitofother sensessuchassight,thereismuchwecandiscoversimplybyusingourtouch sensealone.Thosewhoarevisuallyimpairedrelyheavilyontheirabilityto detecttheworldaroundthemusingtouch,whichisoftenattunedtorespond moresensitivelythanforpeoplewiththeaddedadvantageofsight. If you run a business that manufactures or sells products, here’s an exercise.Reachinsideyourfoodcupboardathome,eitherwithoutlooking orwithyoureyesclosed,andseehoweasilyyoucanidentifytheproducts andtheirrespectivebrandspurelybytouch.WhenI’vetriedthis,Iusually enduprecognisingjusttwoitems:abottleofoliveoil(tallerthanalltheother bottles,soIknowwhatitisandwhomakesit)andajarofMarmite(seethe photographofmycupboardinFigure12.1).TheshapeoftheMarmitejar hasremainedprettymuchthesamesinceitwasintroducedin1920,anditis immediatelyidentifiableinanytouch-onlytest.(ForNorthAmericanreaders, Marmiteisasavouryspreadthat’sarealbreakfastandsandwichfavouritein theUnitedKingdom.) Sonowlet’sask:ifyourunabusinessthatmanufacturesorsellsproducts, could your customers differentiate your products from those of your competitors–withtheireyesclosedandrelyingontouchalone?Ofcourse,
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Figure12.1 Bottles and jars from my food cupboard. The marmite jar standsoutfromthemall
ifyousupplyhugeindustrialgasturbines,thenthissimpletestmayneed modifying! But even with large engineering products there is always the opportunityforsomepartofthedesignorstructuretocontainanengraved metal plate, raised plastic lettering or your logo etched into a particular surfaceareaofyourproductthatgivesasense-of-touchclueastowhatbrand is behind it.All too often, such identification is merely a small stamped platerivetedontothebackoftheunit,completewithserialorpartnumber, tuckedawayfornoonetofinduntilthere’saproblem.Whatawaytotreata brand. Sohowdowedeterminethebestwaytousethesenseoftouchforour products?Therearetwobasicroutestotake:
1. Use product design features to differentiate your brand from thecompetition.
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Productdesignhaschangeddramaticallyoverthepast30yearsorso.Prior tothis,functionalitywasoftentheonlyareaoffocusforaproductdesigner. Eventhen,thedesignwasconceivedmoreasaconceptinthemindofthe designerthanthroughdiscoveringwhattheenduserreallywanted.
Addanemotionaltouchtoyourproduct Thecustomer’sheightenedexpectationstodaymeanthatfunctionalityisa given.And,aswe’vediscoveredthroughoutthisbook,emotionalbenefitsare moreimportantthaneverbefore.Productdesignisnowapproachedusing sophisticatedmethodologies,includingkanseiengineering,meaningthatthe functionalaspectsofaproductarebalancedagainstthedesireforemotional expressiveness. Althoughthevastsubjectofproductdesigniswaybeyondthescopeof this book, we can ask some simple questions that might evoke a deeper consideration of how well thought out your product’s tactile features are. Forexample,whatdoesyourproductconveyintermsofitsshape?Doesit havetraditionalcontoursorisitcontemporaryinform–andhowdoeitherof theserelatetoyourbrand?Amodern-shapedproductbackedbyatraditional brandidentitycouldcreateconfusion,justasatraditionalproductshapethat conveysyearsofexperiencewillifit’smadebyabusinesswhosebrandis modernandflashy. Whataboutthesurfaceonyourproduct?Isitplainortextured,coated oruncoated?Doesitmakemewanttorunmyfingersoverthefront,back andsides?WhatdoIfeelwhenItouchthedials,buttonsorswitches?What doeseachpress,pushorslideactionconveyaboutyourbrand?Evenifyou manufacturewhatsomemightconsideramundaneindustrialproduct,there mustbesomewayinwhichyoucanenhancethetactileexperience,nomatter howsmallincomparisontothetotalunit.Forexample: Ifyourtypeofproductusuallyhasamattsurface,whatwouldhappen
ifyouusedaglosssurface,evenforjustapartofit? Ifallthedialsandswitchesareofstandardtouchandfeel,couldyou includeone–aspecialone–thatfeltdifferentintermsoftactileresponse?Ifso,youcouldusethisasabrandidentifier,becausenone ofyourcompetitorswouldhavesuchanaddition.
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ThinkabouthowApplehasreallyscoredmajorpointsintouchandfeelwith itsiPodseries.PlaceanynumberofMP3playersonatablealongsideaniPod and,usingtheclosed-eyestestagain,seehoweasyitistodistinguishthe Applebrandsimplybyfeelingitscontours,itssurfaceandthequalityofits fourclick-wheelbuttons,thetactilefeedbackofwhichislikenoother.Even withoutanApplelogoinsight,ithasApplewrittenalloverit.
Sometimeago,IspilledacupofcoffeeontomyPCkeyboardand itstoppedfunctioning.AsanemergencysolutionIhadtopurchase averylow-priced,unbrandedkeyboardfromthelocalstore(itwas alltheyhadinstock)untilIcouldorderaproperreplacement.No wonderthekeyboarddidn’tfeelworthyofabrandidentifier.The keysweretotallyunresponsive.Thespacebarhadnospringtoit.Its design felt uncomfortable when I placed my hands in position to type.Eventhetransfersonthekeysthatshowedthevariousletters ofthealphabetfeltlikesandpaper. I breathed a sigh of relief when I took delivery of my topbrand keyboard. With its stylish contours it felt modern and very comfortabletouse.Itskeyswereajoytopress.Ifeltthemrespond to even the gentlest of pressure, while their engraved tops gave meanextratactileexperienceundermyfingertipsasItyped.The attachable wrist rest provided additional comfort and the whole keyboardjustassuredmethatherewasabrandthatreallythought aboutitsenduser. AsIranmyfingersoverthelogoproudlyembossedinavividblue rubbersquarethatstoodoutfromthesurroundingsurfaces,Iknew thatIcouldstaywiththisbrandforaverylongtime.
Aproduct’sshape,textureandweightcandramaticallyaffecttheperception ofthecompanythatproducesit.If,forhealthandsafetyreasons,orcertain rulesgoverningproductdesigninyourparticularindustry,youareforcedto keeptoaspecificdesignthatlookslikeeveryoneelse’s,thenatleastconsider howyoumightincludeyourlogoinacreativetactileway.Inamarketof increasinglylook-alikeproducts,thatalonemaybeenoughforyoutostand outfromthecrowd.
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2. Create a connection between the product’s tactile packaging andthebranditself.Inotherwords,thepackagingbecomesa basicbrandidentifier.
Inthefiercelycompetitiveretailworld,gettingyourproducttostandouton theshelvesisaconstantchallenge.Yetjustthelookandfeelofaproduct’s packagingcanbecomeakeybranddifferentiatorandsalesbooster.Studies have shown that even if a tactile experience from the packaging has no directbearingonanyfeatureorbenefitrelatingtotheproductinside,sales may still increase. The perfume industry recognised a long time ago that althoughconsumersbuyproducts,theyexperiencethepackagingfirst.After all,whowouldthinkofpurchasinganexpensiveaftershaveorperfumeifthe packagingdidn’tdenoteitsstatus?Wouldyoubuyanopulentjewelleryitem asagiftiftheboxitcameinwasanythinglessthanvelvet-lined? Formanyyears,companiesintheluxurygoodsmarketgainedenormous brand differentiation advantages with their packaging, while most other businessesfocusedonthelogisticsandfunctionalside(forexample,how secure was the item, how many could be stacked on a pallet and so on). Anything else was simply – if you’ll pardon the pun – cosmetic. And expensive,too.Butnow,withtheenormousstridesinprintingandpackaging technologythathavetakenplace,anybusinesscangiveproductpackaginga tactileexperiencethatprovidesbrandidentification–anditneedn’tcostthe earth. Consider, first, the contour and shape of your packaging and how this alonecanbecomeamajorbrandidentifier.Takebottles,forexample.In1916 theRootGlassCompanybasedinIndianadesignedwhatwastoturninto theworld-famousCoca-Colaglassbottle(showninFigure12.2).Thebrief fromCoca-Colawastwofold:first,thebottleneededtoberecognisableasa Coca-Colabottleevenincompletedarkness;andsecond,ifthebottlewere broken,apersonstillhadtobeabletotellwhatitwas–andwhatbrand ownedit.EventhoughthroughouttheyearscompetitorssuchasVirginCola haveproducedtheirownsimilarversions(Virginlauncheditscoladrinkin 1996andusedabottledesignallegedlyinspiredbytheshapeofBaywatch starPamelaAnderson),nothinghasreallyreplacedthetimelessdesignofthe originalCokebottle. InAugust 2007, Coca-Cola in the United Kingdom commissioned Sir PeterBlake,oneoftheleadinglightsofthepopartmovementinthe1960s,
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Figure12.2 Theworld-famousoriginalCoca-Cola‘Classic’bottle.Photographreproducedwithpermission
tocreateahugepieceofartonLondon’sSouthBankfeaturingthefamous bottle, coinciding with the company’s sponsorship of the British Film Institute’sAndyWarholfilmseason.Warholwasanotherfamous1960sartist whopaintedseveralworksofarthighlightingtheiconicCoca-Colabottle. (Imentionthiseventbecauseitshowspreciselyhowyoucangainimmense leveragewhenyouhaveawinningcombinationofsensoryconnections.Just thinkofallthepublicrelationsopportunitiesandmediacoverageCoca-Cola hasmanagedtoobtainforgettingcloseto100yearssincetheintroduction ofthatclassicbottle.) Glass is only one of many materials that can be given a unique shape. In1993,Coca-Colaintroducedaversionofitscontouredbottlemadefrom polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a thermoplastic polyester that’s much lighterthanglass,andenvironmentallyfriendly.In2000thecompanybegan using the even lighter Ultra-Glass contour bottle, which gave improved impactresistanceandreducedproductioncosts.
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In 2007, Evian® Natural Spring Water, part of the Danone Group, launched its luxury Palace Bottle™ in North America. Aimed specificallyatthefinediningmarket,wherebottledwaterbrands compete largely on the basis of innovative packaging, the bottle wasdesignedtorepresentthemodernEvianbrandbutatthesame timemaintainastrongtietoitssourceintheFrenchAlps. ThePalaceBottleshapeissleekandcontemporary,andhasan etched‘mountain-top’reliefdesigntowardsitsbase(seeFigure12.3). Alongwiththebottle,Evianproducedauniquepouringinstrument called the Palace Pourer. The pourer not only prevents splashing asthewaterispouredbutalsoprovidescustomerswithaspecial experienceoforderinganddecantingabottleofwaterinstyle.As CarolineKibler,brandmanagerofEvianNorthAmerica,says,‘Isee packagingtakingonalargerandlargerroleasconsumerscontinue tohavemoreoptionsandfeelempoweredtodemandpackaging formsthatfittheireveryusageoccasion.’Clearly,thePalaceBottle wouldhavenoprobleminpassingthe‘touch-only’testtodetermine thebrandbehindit.
Figure12.3 Evian’s Palace Bottle™. Photograph courtesy of Evian® NaturalSpringWater
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Ofcourse,shapeappliestoallkindsofpackagingformats,notjustbottles. Thankstomoderndie-cuttingandcreasingtechnology,cardboardorplastic cartonsdonothavetobelimitedtosquareoroblongshapes.Sharpcurves, zigzags, concertina-like folds and cut-outs can all change the shape of packagingfromdrabtofab. ConsiderthefamousTobleronetriangularbox.IfCoca-Cola’scontoured bottleisthebenchmarkpackagingforasoftdrink,thenToblerone’scardboard cartonistheequivalentinconfectionerypackaging.What’sinterestingisthat bothhavebeeneasytoadapttoshiftingtrendsovertheyearswithoutmaking anysignificantchangestotheiroverallshape.Whetheryourpackagingis madefromcard,glass,metalorfabric,thereareplentyofopportunitiesto createatactileexperiencethathelpsdefineyourbrand.Perhapsit’stimeto takealookatyourproductpackagingandseewhatshapeit’sin.
Bringingyourbrandtothesurface Alongwithshape,texturealsoprovidesawaytoreachouttotheconsumer via the touch sense. Research conducted by the School of Mechanical EngineeringattheUniversityofLeedsshowedevidenceofalinkbetween thetextureofacosmeticbottleandapositiveconsumerreaction,namelythat asmoothersurfaceincreasedtheperceptionofstylishnesswhenmeasured againstaroughersurface.Thisnotonlyshowsthattactilequalitiescanalter aperceptionabouttheproductbutalsointroducestheprospectofaligninga surfacetexturewithabrandpersonality. Hereareafewideasthatcanencouragecustomerstorespondtothetouch andfeelofpackaging: Mostpackagingmaterialscanincorporatesurfacesimulationsthat
includemetal,suede,silk,woodandfabricsurfaces.Findthesurfacethatprovidestherightsenseoftouchtorelatetoyourparticular brand.Someyearsago,whenUniversalStudiosmarketeditsScarface ‘Limited’DeluxeEditionDVDintheUnitedStates,itusedprinting andembossingtechniquestocovertheentirecaseinblackimitation snakeskin(the‘scales’ofthereptilecouldbefeltasyourhandstroked thebox).Thewholetactileexperienceevokedfeelingsofmasculinity anddanger,perfectlyreflectingthethemeofthemovie.Ifyourbrand operatesina‘masculine’market,whatsurfaceortexturecouldyou utilisetoconveyyourbrandpersonality?Or,ifyouserveapredomi-
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nantlyfemalemarket,whatsoft-surfaceoptionswouldprovidethe bestsensorycue? Whereappropriate,usepolypropylenepackaging.It’saversatileand recyclablematerialthatallowsthecreationofexcellenttactilepackaging ideas.Itcanbetransparent,withetchedorembossedinkshighlighting thebrandorproductdetails,orfrosted,withjustyourlogopickedout intheclearmaterial.Again,thetouchexperiencecanbeassociated withthepersonalityofyourbrand:strong,professional,trustworthy, etc. Blisterandclamshellpackingnotonlyoffersexcellentproductvisibilitybutitsformandshapealonecanseparateyourbrandfromthe rest(it’sthe‘closedeyes’testagain).Theblisterpackcanalsotake advantageofinkandvarnishtechnologytoenhanceitssurfacefeel. Theblisteritselfwillobviouslybemouldedtoholdtheproduct.That doesn’tmeanyoucan’treserveaparticularpartofitjustforthelogo, whichcanbeembossedorengravedintotheplastic. Ifyourpackagingisofnecessityveryplain(egoff-the-shelfbubble wraporstandardcorrugatedcardboardboxes),considerusingatactile addresslabeltoaddasenseoftouch.Embossing,goldfoilblocking orvarnishingcanstillprovideapointofdifference.Orifyouareinto conservationandenvironmentalconcerns,theuseofarecycledand basiccartonmaybejustthethingtouniteitstactilequalitywithyour brand. BraillebecamemandatoryonpackagingforpharmaceuticaluseinEuropeancountriesfromSeptember2006.Butwhynotincorporateitas anadditionalextrainyourownpackaging?Apartfromassistingthose withvisualimpairment,theembossedBrailleiconscreateaunique tactilepattern,aswellasshowingthatyouareasociallyresponsible businessthatcaresaboutaccessibilityandinclusion. Inalloftheseareas,considerhowyoucouldleveragethetactileexperienceforuseinotherpartsofyourbusiness.Ifyouuseahighly varnishedpackagingapproach,howcouldthatsameglossfeelbe appliedin,say,yourpromotionalmaterials,oryourshowroomarea? We’vecoveredtheimportanceofconsistencyintheuseofthesenses, andtouchisnoexception.
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Brandingonthecan Although PET bottles are widely used as drinks containers, the steel and aluminiumcanisstillafavouritepackagingdevice.Withmoderntechnology offeringmanydifferentprintingoptions,it’spossibletocreateanarrayof tactilefinishesthatspruceupany‘flat’canofthekindthat’softenused. Forexample,tomarktheRugbyWorldCupin2003,BallPackagingEurope createdatactilebeercanforHeinekenthatusedembossingtechniquesto depictthetraditionalrugbyshirtswornbyplayers(seeFigure12.4).Eventhe shirtbuttonsfeaturedonthecansweretruetotheoriginal.Anotherexample ofanembossedcanfromBallPackagingEuropeisforPolishbeerbrand Z˙ywiec(Figure12.5).Thecan’sembossingemphasisesthebrewery’scoat ofarmsandgivesthecanasuperiorfeel,highlightingthequalityofboththe beerandthebrand. Finishesotherthanembossingcanalsobeusedtoaddahighlytactile
experience.Aspecialcombinationofinkandvarnishcancreatea‘soft touch’feeltometalcontainers,whileothercombinationscangive anorange-peelsurfaceeffect.Lettersandnumberscanbeengraved onbothends,andthetabsforopeningcanbeincisedwithapicture, symbolorcharacter.So,justonasimplecontainerlikeacan,thereis muchthatcanbeaddedtogivethesenseoftoucharealboost.
Aswiththeotherfoursenses,creativityisamajorkeyhere.It’snotjustwhat materials, inks and varnishes you use, it’s how you use them. Sometimes makingtheentirepackagingsurfacesatactileexperiencewillbejustwhat isneeded.Inothersituations,lessismore,andasmall,subtleapplicationof varnish,embossingorotherenhancementwillbeallthat’srequired.Onlyyou candeterminewhichroutetogo,dependingonthetypeofbusinessyourun andtheproductyouarepackaging.Theimportantthingisthatyouinclude atleastsomethingtactiletogivetoyourcustomers.
Usingtouchinaservicebusiness Let’snowconsidercompaniesornon-profitsthatprovideaservicerather thanaproduct(althoughinfacttheseideasareapplicabletoboth).Ifyou fit into this category, how can you exploit the sense of touch? The most obviousareaisthatofpromotionalmaterials.Herearesomehintsandtips onincludingatactilecueinyourcollateral:
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Figure12.4 EmbossedHeinekenbeercansfortheRugbyWorldCup2003. CourtesyofBallPackagingEurope.Usedwithpermission
Figure12.5 Z˙ywiecbeeralsousesembossingtohighlightitsbrand.CourtesyofBallPackagingEurope.Usedwithpermission
Brandtouchandfeel 177 Considerbrochures,forexample.Theapplicationofspotvarnishto
accentuatespecificpartsofabrochure’scontentsisprettymuchold hatnowadays,butit’sstillextremelyeffectiveasasenseoftouch mechanism.Thereareamyriadofotherinkorvarnishcombinations, too.Inaddition,considerdiestamping,engravingorthermography, whichcreatesraisedprinting.Therearesomanyoptionsforcrafting somethingspecialinprintedmaterialstoday.
Noneoftheseprintvariationsneedbeexpensive.Forveryshortruns,you couldevenincorporatesomedo-it-yourselfenhancements.Asafavourtoa friendwhoranaveryup-marketbutsmallfinancialservicesconsultancy, Iproducedamailerthatwasclosedwithgoldsealingwaximpressedwith anoff-the-shelfstampofthefirstletterinthefirm’sname.Theuseofthe waxwascombinedwithaqualityparchment-likepapertexture,andthefeel ofthewholemailerconveyedqualityandexperience,evokingemotionsof confidenceandtrust. Eventhoughthemailingwas‘cold’inthatitwentouttoacompletely unqualifiedlistofpotentialcustomers,itgeneratedaresponseofover70per cent.Manyofthenewclientsremarkedhowthefeelofthemailingpiecewas sodifferentfromthosenormallyreceived,somuchsothattheykeptreturning toitthroughoutthedayitwasreceivedto‘re-experience’itsoverallfeel. Becausethemailingwaslimitedtoaroundahundredrich-listprospects, thecompanydidthesealingwaxpartitselfinatwo-hoursessionwithjusta coupleofstaff.Thecostofthewaxsticksandafewbrasssealswasminuscule comparedtotheincomegeneratedbymailing. Butremember:oneswallowdoesn’tmakeasummer.Itwasessential
thatthefirmcarriedthistactileapproachthroughtootheraspectsof itsbrandpresentation.Theownerofthebusinessheldawelcome eveningforthenewclients,wherehegavethemallacomplimentary bottleofwineinanoff-the-shelfdecorativecarrierbagsealedwith... youguessedit,sealingwax.Asmallswing-cardattachedtothewine bottlethankingthemforbecominganewcustomerwascreatedusing thesameparchmenttextureasinthemailing. Thereceptionareafeaturedvariousblow-uppicturesofthemailer andseal,accompaniedbycaptionsusingpunssuchas‘Stickwith us...’and‘Businessthat’ssigned,deliveredandsealed...’.OK,itwas rathercheesy.Butthepointis,thewholebrandingexerciseworked becausethesuccessofthefifthsensorycuewaspurposelyconnected
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totheotherfoursensestocreateatotalcustomerexperience.This wholeexperientialthemerelatingtothebrandcontinuedforfiveyears, whenthefirmwasacquiredforasubstantialsumbyamajorfinancial servicescompany. Promotionalmaterialscanalsoincludetactilesamplestoconveythe senseoftouchrelatingtotheservicebeingoffered.Whetheritbe noveltiesthatconnecttothebrandthroughmetaphorsandallusionsor actualitemsrelatingtotheservice,asenseoftouchmeanstherecipient canexperiencethetactiledimensiononapersonallevel.References viaaplayonwordscanbemadetoallkindsofobjectsthatconvey abrandorproduct/servicequality,orknockthecompetitionfortheir weaknessinaparticulararea. Considertactilewordslikedull,straight,edge,curve,spongy, springy,bumpy,soft,slimy,silky,velvety,rough,coarse,rigidand flexible.Isyourcompany‘flexible’inaccommodatingcustomerspecifications?Thendon’tjustsayit,linkittoaflexibleobjectthatyou includeinthemailing.I’msureyougetthepoint.
Charitiescanbenefitfromatactileapproach Not-for-profitorganisationscanuseitemstoconveyissuesrelatingtothe causetheysupport.Forexample,in2006theUnitedKingdom-basedfirm Whitewater, a leading direct marketing agency specialising in non-profit causes,createdamailpackforPracticalAction,acharityinvolvedinpoverty reductioninthedevelopingworld(seeFigure12.6).Aimedathigh-value donors, the pack contained the usual letter and background material and donationform. Butinaddition,themailingincludeda6-inchlengthof8mmgalvanised steelcable.AsNickCouldry,creativedirectorofWhitewater,pointedout, ‘Thesteelcableaddedanextradimensiontothemailer.Donorscouldhold intheirhandswhattheirmoneywashelpingtobuy.’Thepackresultedina donorresponsethatbeatthetargetincomeby59percent.Thepackwasalso afinalistinthe2006DirectMarketingAssociationECHOAwards.
Figure12.6 Charities,too,canbenefitfromatactileapproach:amailpackforPracticalAction
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It’syourturntobetactile Put your creative hat on and try this mental exercise. Consider how you couldcommunicateyourbrandvaluesinamailerthatincludedoneofthe followingitems: squareoffabric(leather,velvet,fur,etc) button pieceofbalsawood candle flower sponge pairofchopsticks shoelace magicwand hotwaterbottle Let’s take the chopsticks as a possible mailpack item (duly personalised with your company logo and details, of course). Given that many people (includingclientsandpotentialclients)wholikeeatingChinesefoodstill can’tusechopsticksproperly,youcouldmailoutapairofchopsticksalong withasmallleafletshowinghowtogettogripswiththem.This‘educational goodturn’couldhaveastronglinktoaparticularpartofyourcompany’s service,whetheritbeanemphasisonyourbrilliantcustomersupport,your supertrainingdepartmentorthequalityofyourtechnicalmanuals. Canyouimaginetherecipientsintheirofficesatlunchtime,playingaround with those chopsticks, reading the instructions, perhaps even showing off to someone else how they’ve suddenly perfected the art – and all of this revolvingaroundyourbrand? Butyoumustn’tstopthere,becauseyouwanttocreateenoughleverageto pushthebrandintolong-termmemory,notjustcreateaone-offpromotion (whichisoftenwhathappenswithsmallbusinesscampaigns).Whatifyou heldacompetitionfortherecipientwhocouldpickupagrainofricethe fastest,andofferedahigh-qualitywokasaprize(asinFigure12.7)?What ifyoutiedthispromotiontoalocalcharitythatcouldbenefitinsomeway fromtheproceeds?Forexample,hiresomeChinesecooks(youcoulddo thisatlowcostthroughajointpromotion)topreparefoodandinvitelocal homelesspeopletoamealonthehouse.Ofcourse,you’dmakesurethepress weretheretoprovidemediacoverage.It’sawin–win–winsituationforthe
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Figure12.7 Possiblecampaigninvolvingthesenseoftouch customers,thecharityandyourbrand.Allfromasmalltactileitemthatyou canbuyfornexttonothing. Thinkaboutalltheotherpromotionalopportunitieswhereform,shapeand feelcanbeapplied.Forinstance,displaystands,brochureholders,leaflet dispensers, posters, signage, presentation folders and corporate stationery arestrongcontendersforatactiledimension.Allcantakeadvantageofthe variousprint,embossingandengravingtechniqueswe’vejustdiscussed,to giveadditionalfollow-throughfromyourotherpromotionalmaterials. Tactile books are used widely in education because they stimulate and engageyoungchildreninexploringthemeaningofwordsthroughtextures and shapes. Why not consider producing a tactile book to promote your businessandenhanceyourbrand?Paperengineeringandbookprintingtoday allowyourcustomerstheopportunitytocarryouttactileactivitiessuchas pulling,lifting,strokingandevenshaking.Whatifyourinstructionmanuals, forinstance,weretactile,ratherthanflatandone-dimensional?
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Touchingwhatsurroundsyou Whetheryousellproductsorservices,youneedtoconsiderthetouchsense in your customer environments. Give some thought to your reception or showroomareaintermsofsurfacesandshapes.Forexample: Whatkindoftactiledesignsbestreflectthebrandyouwanttoportray?
Solidlinesorjaggedlines,curvesorroundedcorners?
Whataboutfurniture?There’snothingworsethanattendingalong(and
usuallyboring)meetingwhenthechairyou’resittinginisextremely uncomfortable. Flooringisalsoanimportantfactor.Iscrossingfromtheentrancedoor tothereceptiondeskapleasantexperience?Dovisitorsgetthe‘red carpet’treatment,eveniftheflooristiled? Every tactile aspect of décor in a customer interface can be important, whetherit’sahandleonyourshowroomdoorortheplasteronyourwaiting roomwalls,sochoosethosethingsthatalignwithyourbrand’svaluesand personality. Anddon’tforgettheall-importanttoiletfacilities.Doyouprovideatypical noisy hand drier and bland paper towels – or are your customers treated to Egyptian cotton hand towels that are light and fluffy to touch? If you don’tthinkitmattersthatmuch,tryvisitingoneofthebest-brandhotelsin yourareaandexperiencethecareitsstafftakeoverallthesense-of-touch opportunitiestheywanttheirgueststoexperience.
Asenseoftouchontheweb Finallyinthischapter,whatabouttheinternet?Isitreallypossibletoput thesenseoftouchontoawebsite?Ibelieveitsoonwillbe.Eventhoughthe techniqueisstillverymuchinitsinfancy,manyresearchlabsarecurrently engagedinfinalisinghardwareandsoftwarethatwillputimpressivetactile experiencesintothehandsofwebsitevisitors. Touch-screentechnologyhasadvancedrapidlysinceitsintroductioninthe 1970s.OurowndomesticPCs,PDAsandsatellitenavigationsystemshave madeextensiveuseoftouchscreens.Retailsettings,point-of-salesystems, informationbooths,trainingroomsandATMshaveallincorporatedatactile userexperience.(Haveyouconsideredhowatouchscreenmightboostthe
Justwhatisabrand? 183
senseoftouchforyourcustomers?Youcouldprovideaninformationpointin yourreceptionorshowroomareaoronyourexhibitionstandgivingoptions toviewvariousproductorservicedetails,lookatadvertisements,orlisten topre-recordedmessagesaboutyourcompany.) The real progress in regard to websites is occurring through haptic technology, which uses motions and vibrations fed through controllers to createatactileuser/computerexperience.Examplesofhapticsthathavebeen aroundawhilearejoysticksandgamecontrollers,andsomedefinitionsof hapticdeviceswouldincludemobilephonesthatvibratewhenyouhavea message. Perhaps the game controller represents one of the first opportunities to developatactilewebsite.InaconversationIhadwithIanCocoran,authorof theexcellentbookTheArtofDigitalBranding,heconveyedhisexcitement about the whole development of the sense of touch for the internet. In conversationwithme,Iansaid: Theconceptoftouchwillbehuge,asitbringsyetanothersensorydynamic intoplayforwebuserswhoarehell-bentonadailyfixofonebrandor another.Imagineloggingontothewebsiteofyourfavouritesportscar brand,forexample,andsimultaneouslyholdingagamingcontrollerin your hands.A virtual test drive is waiting for your command to wave thestartingflag.Asthepowerfulbeastroarsaroundthetrack,youfeel everyjudderasyouentereachhairpinbend,andeverygearchangeis experienceddirectlythroughyourfingertips.
Acombinationofstereoscopicimagingthatcreates3Dimageryisalsobeing developedinconjunctionwithhapticdevicestogiveanevengreatersense oftouchlinkingtheuserandthevirtualworldofawebsite.Inplaceofa mouse,visitorstoawebsiteputafingerontheendofaroboticarm,which allowsthemtomanoeuvrethroughthewebsite.Insidetheroboticarm,motors respondtothemovementoftheuser’sfinger,creatingaforceagainstit.These reactionsarepickedupbytheskin’sreceptorsandenabletactilefeelingsto beexperienced,includingtexturesandshapes. Atthetimeofwriting,thesehapticunitsarenotyetonsale,sowemust looktootherwaysofincorporatingtouchonourwebsites.Ifthereisnoway currently to feel fabrics, surfaces and textures without some intermediary device,thenthesolutionistoutiliseadditionaldeliverymechanisms.Let’s returntoourchopsticksexampleagain.Whatifthechopsticksweremailed outminustheinstructionsforuse,butwithacardthatdirectedtherecipient toyourwebsite,wheretheinstructionscouldbefound?Inthisrespect,your
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websitevisitorsareengagedinbothavisualandatactileexperience(justas theywouldhavebeenifthey’dreceivedtheinstructionsinthemailer),and bothareintertwined.Granted,the‘feel’partoftheexperienceisnotlocated onthescreen.Butitcanstillprovideatactileconnection. Now,whatifweaddedsomemusiconthewebsite,playinginthebackground(Chinesemusic,perhaps)?Howaboutifweincorporatedthesenseof smellintothemailingatthesametime?Whatiftherewasasachetofnoodles aspartofthecontents,orasachetofsoysauce?Suddenlywe’removingfrom asinglesensetoemployingallfive. Andthisisthekeytobuildingapowerfulbrand.Intheselastfewchapters we’velookedatallthefivesensesindividuallybecauseweneedtoappreciate how each one has numerous opportunities for use in building a powerful brand.Butwhenitcomestocreatingthattotalcustomerexperience,none canworkinisolation.Itisthecombinedforceofallthesensesthatmakesup yourmostpowerfulbrandweapon:yourBrandHalo™.Thatisthesubject ofthenextchapter.
5
Innovation Innovationdistinguishesbetweenaleaderandafollower. SteveJobs,co-founderandCEOofApple
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13
Buildingyour BrandHalo™
Innovationcanmeanmanydifferentthings,butinthecontextofbuilding apowerfulbrandit’saboutfindingnewandbetterwaystodeliverthatallimportantcustomerexperience.It’saprerequisiteforanybrandthat’sgoing to avoid the short-term memory trash can and take up residence in longtermmemory.Inourfast-movingworld,consumersgetboredveryquickly. Theground-breakingproductorservicethat’sgrabbingattentiontodaycan becomethestale,lacklustrenormoftomorrow. Deliveringyourbrandtothecustomeristhereforeamatterofcontinual improvement,notaone-offexercise.Itrequiresmorethanjustputtingtogether acollectionofisolatedactivities,whichisthewayinwhichmostbusinesses tendtooperate.We’velookedatthefivesensesinactionandseenhowthey canallmakeapowerfulcontributiontoyourbrand,butinnovationmustcome fromtheircombinedforcetohavethedesiredeffect.Don’tmisunderstand, however.Merelystringingthevariouscomponentstogethersothatallyour ducksappeartobeinarowwashowmanybusinessesapproachedtheconceptofintegratedmarketingcommunications–whichoftenturnedoutto beacostlyandfutileexercisethathadlittlegoingforit,especiallyfroma sensoryperspective.Theonlywayyoucanachievebrandinnovationina cost-effectiveandproductivemanneristohaveasystem–onethatnotonly defineseachpowerful,positivesensoryencounterwiththecustomerbutdoes soconsistently,yearin,yearout.It’sasystemthatneedstoberigidenough toenforceandtodiscipline,butflexibleenoughtointroducenewthoughts, ideasanddevelopmentsintoitsframework.
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ThatsystemisyourBrandHalo™.It’stheultimatemodelforpullingallthe elementsofyourbrandactivitytogetherintothetotalcustomerexperience. In this part of the book you’ll learn how to create a Brand Halo™ that’s uniquetoyouandyourbusiness.You’llunderstandhoweachinterfacewith thecustomercanbeatimewhenyourBrandHalo™ispolishedortarnished, dependinguponwhathappens.You’lldiscoverwhereyouremployeesfitinto theprocess,notaspassiveobserversofaschemesomeoneelseisresponsible for,orasautomatonsmerelyfunctioningasthedeliverymechanism,butrather astheoneswhoaretotallyinvolvedinrunning,improvingandadvancingthe customerexperience.Andyou’llrealisetheimportanceofdocumentingall thekeymethodsandsystemsthatyourbusinesswillusetoensureconsistency inyouroverallapproach.
TheideabehindaBrandHalo™ WhyisthissystemcalledaBrandHalo™?Toanswerthat,weneedtoturn oncemoretopsychologyinordertoprovidethebasisuponwhichtheconcept oftheBrandHalo™hasbeenbuilt.We’vealreadyseenthroughoutthisbook thatthewaywethinkcanhaveaprofoundeffectonouractions,especially whenitcomestopurchasingandbrandingdecisions.Manyofthesethought processesareautomatic,workingatthesubconsciouslevel,sothatweare frequentlynotevenawarethatweareinseveralrespectsbeingdriventobuy aspecificbrandbecauseofirrationalandillogicalemotionalforceswithin ourbrain. Inpsychology,variouspredispositionsofthiskindaregroupedunderthe headingof‘cognitivebiases’.Onesuchbias,whichoftenplaysamajorpart in our decision making, is known as the halo effect, which is defined as follows:
Thehaloeffectisthetendencytoassumeoverallpositiveornegative characteristicsinapersonasaresultofobservingjustoneortwo positiveornegativecharacteristics.
Inotherwords,ifwemeetapersonwhoisgoodatAandB,weautomatically thinktheyarealsogoodatX,YandZ.Conversely,ifweexperienceoneor
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twonegativethingsaboutsomeone,wearemorelikelytoformanegatively biasedopinionontheirwholecharacter.Theoldsayingthat‘youcan’tjudge abookbyitscover’maybetrue,butit’squiteoftenthewaywemakeour decisions. It’swrongtostereotypepeopleandhanglabelsonthem,buttypicallyit iswhatpeopletendtodo.That’swhythewholepointaboutbrandinghas todowithinfluencingperception,ratherthanrationalthoughts,becausethe emotionallydrivenhaloeffectsimplyunderminesourabilitytobeobjective inmakingjudgements. Oneofthemostcommondisplaysofthehaloeffectisajobinterview,where theinterviewermaydisliketheinterviewee’saccent,dressormannerisms. Anegativebiastowardsthejobapplicantinevenoneoftheseareasmay causetheinterviewertoratethatpersonunsuitableforthepositiononallor mostcharacteristics.Anotherexampleisthatpeoplewhoareseenasbeing physicallyattractiveareoftenviewedasmoreintelligent,kinderandmore successfulthanthosewhoareunattractive. Thiswholehaloeffectideamayseemsomewhatfar-fetched,butsavvy marketersuseittogreatadvantage.Celebrityendorsementsofproductsand servicesareaclassicexampleofexploitingthehaloeffecttoboostsales. A celebrity who stars in a television soap as, say, a doctor can increase sales of all kinds of healthcare products and services by endorsing them evenifheorshehashadnomedicaltraining(andplayedacopinanother series). Celebrities can even give approval to products that have nothing todowiththeirtelevisionorradiocharacters,becausetheirpersonalityor lifestylesimplyoverridesanyrationalconnection.Theycanevenbecome self-professedexpertsinworldaffairs.It’snotunheardoftofindpopstars whosuddenlybecomeauthoritiesoneverything,includingglobalwarming andThirdWorldissues–andmostofthetimetheygetagreatdealmore mediaattentionthanthe‘real’experts.
Therightpartsofyourbusiness–butnotall parts Thehaloeffecttellsussomethingveryimportantaboutourbrandingapproach. Itrevealsthatyoudon’thavetogeteverythingright,justcertainpartsthat givethecustomersafavourableimpression–onethat’sstrongenoughtocarry yourbrandtotheirlong-termmemorybanks.Afterall,dofamouscelebrities likeRichardBranson,TigerWoodsorOprahWinfreygeteverythingright,
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allthetime?Youmustbekidding.Oneofthegreatestbaseballplayersin history,BabeRuth,struckoutmoretimesthanhehittheball–buthehitit enoughtimesforthehaloeffecttoturnhimintoalegend. WhataboutNike,StarbucksorIBM?Istheircustomerexperiencebeyond improvement?Ofcoursenot–andthey’dbethefirsttoadmitit.Butthere areenoughpluspointsintheiroperationtogenerateapositivefeelingabout them.Andthat’sthekeytothesuccessofyourbrand.Putinplacethemost importantcustomerexperiencesandthehaloeffectwilldotherest,giving anall-roundpositiveimpressionofyourbrand.YouknowandIknowthat atotallyperfectcustomer-orientedbusinessdoesnotexistandneverwill. Butifyoudojustsomeoftherightthingsintherightway,you’llbestreets aheadofyourcompetitorswhostilloperateinafragmentedfashion.What’s more,dependinguponthedepthandconsistencyofthepositiveexperience, customerscanbeprettyforgivingaboutallthoseunfortunateerrorsthatany business–includingyours–willinevitablymake. ThisisthecoreconceptoftheBrandHalo™.Youneedtoensurethatyou areutilisingeverybrandtoolatyourdisposalsothatthecustomercontact(or supportercontactifyouareacharity)createsthemostfavourableimpression thatispossible–butnotineverynookandcrannyofabusiness,assome branding and management consultants would have you believe.That’s an expensivepursuit,andonethatthehaloeffectdoesn’tbackup.Ofcourse,if youcanaffordtodecoratethatoldaircrafthangaryounowuseasanindustrial warehousewithgoldflake–eventhoughyourcustomersdon’tknowitexists andwillneversetfootinthepremises–thenbemyguest.Butitwon’treally makeanydifferencetothehaloeffect.Instead,youneedtodetermineonly themostcriticaltimeswhenyourbusinessandyourcustomerconnectwith eachother,andinvestasmuchfinanceandresourceasyoupossiblycanon gettingthemtoüberlevel.
Customercontacttimeline Inpractice,allcustomer(andpotentialcustomer)contactsoccuratoneof threedistincttimes: Pre-purchase–raisingawarenessofyourbrand,productorservice.Typical contacttimesinclude:
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collateralmaterial website conference sponsorship telephone weblog deliveryvehicle clothing
PR point-of-salematerial exhibition salesperson e-mail textmessage stationery(businesscard,letter) TV/radio
Duringpurchase–ensuringthesaleisprogressingsmoothly.Typicalcontact timesinclude: product/servicedemonstration shoppingcart orderconfirmation face-to-face productpackaging deliverymethod travel/accommodation
e-commercelink/site retailspace pricelist shoppingbag product/serviceinstructions hospitality touroffacilities
Post-purchase–developingtherelationshipandmaintainingbrandawareness.Typicalcontacttimesinclude: follow-uppaperwork/information satisfactionsurvey/questionnaire invitationtoevent/show e-mail freesample
after-salesservice ‘thank-you’customerevening textmessage sell-onproduct/service referral/testimonial
Fornon-profits,youcouldconsiderthesethreephasesintermsof: supporteridentification(throughraisingawareness); supporterconversion; supporterretention.
Plotyourcontacttimesforyourparticularcharity.Someoftheabovecommercialexampleswillobviouslynotbeappropriateforanon-profitenterprise, butmanycanstillbeapplied.
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Determiningyourkeycustomercontact points Howevermanycustomercontacttimesyourbusinesshas,we’reonlyinterestedintheonesthatarethemostimportant.Thequestionis,howdoyou knowwhichonestheyare?TheanswerisbyplottingoutaCustomerContact map. Ifitsoundscomplicated,believemeitisn’t.Allyoureallyhavetodois tochartthejourneyyourcustomer(orpotentialcustomer)takesfromthe pre-purchase initial contact with your business right through to the postpurchase follow-up stage. Break each leg ofthatjourneyintoitsseparate contactpoints,thendeterminethehigh-importanceandlow-importanceones andidentifythemaseitheractivitiesyouareinitiating(outboundcontacts) or ones where your customer or potential customer makes the first move (inboundcontacts).Questionsyoucanaskthatwillhelpyoutodetermine whichcontactpointsarekeyincludethefollowing: 1. Whatisthepurposeofthisparticularcontactpoint? 2. Who is it for (eg existing customer, lapsed donor, potential new client)? 3. Howwelldoesitwork? 4. Whataretheprocessesinvolved(egstaff,software,hardware)? 5. Howresource-intensiveisit? 6. Whatwouldhappenifthiscontactpointdidn’texist? Onceyou’veconsideredthesepoints,youcanplottheoutcomeusingasimple two-axisscale,liketheoneshowninFigure13.1. Let’slookatapre-purchasestageCustomerContactmapforBrookman ExecutiveRecruitmentasanexample.SharonBrookmanrunsasmallrecruitment business, which identifies potential candidates, conducts interviews andthenselectstheshortlistforpresentationtotheclient.Sharonemploys fourothermembersofstaff,twoofwhomhelpherwithherbrandactivity, includinggeneralsalesandmarketingsupport. Betweenthem,theyagreethatmostclientsaregeneratedbyasmallset ofcomprehensivebrochuresthataresentoutonaregularbasis.Asthisis a contact point that Brookman Executive Recruitment instigates, Sharon placesitinthehighimportance/outboundquadrant.Thebusinesshasalso hadagoodresponsefromarticleswrittenforvariousbusinessmagazines,and thisisalsoplacedinthesamequadrant.Asaresultoftheseactions,clients
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Figure13.1 Asimpletwo-axiscontactpoint
telephonetoarrangemeetingswithSharon–aninboundcontactthatisof highimportance. Attimes,potentialclientsreferredbyanexistingcustomerwillcall,and againthisisclassedasanimportantinboundcontact.Sheusuallytravelsto meetthemattheirownoffices,sothisisanoutboundcontact–andapretty importantoneatthat,thusgainingaplaceinthehighimportance/outbound contactquarter. Sharonhastriedothermethodsofraisingawareness,includingtradeshows andadvertisingindirectories,butthesehaveonlyeverbroughtinahandful ofenquiries,mostofwhichdidnotleadtonewbusiness.She’salsotried coldcalling,whichwasfoundtobetheleasteffectiveandthemosttimeconsuming.Althoughthebusinesshasawebsite,thestatshavenevershown aparticularlyhighhitrate,orresponse.So,thesecontactpointsareplaced inthelowimportance/outboundcontactpartofthecustomercontactmap. Thecompanyrarelyreceivesanye-mailorwrittenenquiriesfrompotential clients,sothesecanbeconsideredinboundcontactsoflowimportance.The resultofthiscustomercontactmappingisshowninFigure13.2. Just by carrying out this simple exercise, Sharon and her staff can see immediatelythekeyareasofconcentrationforbuildingthebrandexperience.
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E-mails
Figure13.2 Samplecompletedcontactpoint
They can also appreciate where considerable time and expense may have been invested for little or no return. This may sound obvious, but many businessesarequitehappytocarryonwastefulactivitiesinthehopethey willeventuallyberewarding,whileatthesametimedoinglittleornothing toimprovethosepartsofthebusinessthatbringinthebestresponses. Pleasedon’tmisunderstand:itisnotacaseofneglectingtolookafteryour customersatanytimeorplaceinyourbusiness–thatmustneverhappen. Rather,it’saboutbeingrealisticandfocusingonthoseareaswhereyou– andyourcustomers–standtomakethebiggestgains.Inanaveragesmall business, as few as three or four main contact points at each of the three stages(pre-purchase,duringpurchaseandpost-purchase)shouldgiveyou enoughopportunitiestocreateanimpressiveBrandHalo™,butthiswillvary accordingtothenatureandsizeofyouroperation,themarketsyouserveand theamountoffinancialandhumanresourceyouhaveavailabletoinvest. Ifasasmallbusinessyoutrytoincorporatetoomanycontactpoints,you’ll finditanunwieldyandcostlyprocess.AsI’vealreadysaid,thewholeidea behindtheBrandHalo™isthatyoujustdon’tneedthatmanycontactpoints onwhichtodedicateyourresources,providedtheonesyoudoincludewow thecustomerlikenothingelseonearth.
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Involveyouremployees Ifyouemploystaff,theyshouldbeassignedthetaskofmappingyourcustomer journeyandidentifyingallthecontactpointsenroute,aswithourBrookman ExecutiveRecruitmentexample.(I’massumingherethatyouhaveexplained toyourpeoplewhattheconceptoftheBrandHalo™isallaboutandfollowed theinformationinyourBrandStorybook™,whichyouwilllearnaboutin thenextpartofthebook.) Oncetheentirejourneyisrecordedandthekeycustomercontactpoints in each stage of your business – pre-purchase, during purchase and postpurchase–havebeenagreed,breakthegroupintosmallerteamsandassign themtheresponsibilityofcreatinganddeliveringthebrandexperienceatthese points.Ifyouemployonlyasmallnumberofpeople,giveeachindividualthe accountabilityforalltheselectedcontactpointsinagivenstage–allthose inpre-purchase,forinstance.
CreatingyourBrandReflections Now comes the exciting part.At every singlecustomercontactpointyou havedesignated,youneedtocreateaBrandReflectionthatoverlaysit.
ABrandReflectionconsistsofthefollowingcomponentsthatenable youtoprovidethemostpowerfulemotionalbrandexperienceat thatpointintime:
thefivesenses; yourBrandStorybook™(whichwe’llcoverinChapter15); yourBrandLexicon; yourforegroundandbackgroundemphasis.
Everyactionperformedateachcustomercontactpointisaccompaniedby aBrandReflection(seeFigure13.3).Allactionsaredesignedtoelicitthe highestemotionalbenefitforthecustomerandpushthebrandintolong-term memory.Youwillusethefivesensestocreateatotalsensoryexperience. YourforegroundandbackgroundwilldeterminewhichelementsoftheBrand
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Figure13.3 ABrandReflection:vitaltoyourbusiness
Reflectionareemphasisedandwhicharesubdued,whileyourBrandLexicon willensurethatthelanguagespokendoesnotdeviatefromtheagreedwords and phrases that explain your product, service and brand. All of this is underpinnedbyyourBrandStorybook™,throughwhichyoucommunicate yourbrandphilosophy. Notethatacustomercontactpoint(sometimescalleda‘touchpoint’inother booksandarticles)isnotthesamethingasaBrandReflection.Ithinkit’s importanttoseparatethetwo.Acustomercontactpointmightonlyinvolve aparticularelectronicprocess,whichofitselflendsnothingtothebrand. OverlayitwithaBrandReflection,however,andyouhaveawholehostof sensoryassistancetomakethatprocesspartofyourtotalbrandexperience. RemovingtheBrandReflectiondoesn’ttakeawaythecontactpointorthe process.ABrandReflectionistheretoenhance,nottoreplace.
ABrandReflectionexample Let’sreturntoBrookmanExecutiveRecruitmentandseehowSharoncreates a very basic, but nonetheless impressive, Brand Reflection for one of her pre-purchasecustomercontactpoints:theclientmeeting.Ofcourse,before
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Sharonarrivesatthepotentialclient’spremisestherewouldprobablybean outboundcustomercontactwhereBrookmanExecutiveRecruitmentwould confirm the date and time of appointment, facilities, etc. This in itself is anotheridealopportunitytocreateamemorablecustomerexperience.But forthisexample,let’sassumethatthishasbeencompletedandSharonison herwaytothemeeting. Tobegin,Sharonhasfirstdefinedtheemotionalbenefitthatshewantsto evokeasaresultofthisparticularBrandReflection.Asthemeetingiswith aprospectivenewclient,Sharondeterminesthatafeelingofconfidencein hercompanyisthedesiredoutcome.
Incorporatingthefivesenses Sharon then considers how the five senses canhelpdeliverthis.Visually, she can create specific materials for the meeting – a slide presentation, for example, with accompanying handouts.This presentation will contain embeddedaudio,sothatthesoundsenseisalsoutilised.Ofcourse,sheis appropriatelydressedfortheoccasion,ensuringthatheroutfitmatchesher brandcultureandphilosophy–anotherpluspointforthevisualsense.As forsmell,Sharonalwayspersonallycarriesoutpresentationstonewclients, soshewearsaparticularperfume–onethatconveysanairofconfidence withoutbeingoverpowering. Thepotentialnewclienthasprovidedteaandcoffee,soSharonbeginsthe presentationbyplacingsomebrandedmintsonthetable‘asanaccompaniment to the drinks’. Throughout her talk, Sharon refers to specific parts of the handouts,whichareprintedonatexturedsurfacethatreflectsanupmarket, confident feel. She makes certain that key words and phrases from her company’sBrandLexiconareusedoftenthroughoutthepresentation,and anytechnicalwordsthatthepotentialclientmightnotunderstandarelistedin thehandout–rightatthefront,sotheclientdoesn’tneedtofeelembarrassed byhavingtoaskwhataparticularwordmeans. Inallofthis,Sharonhasmadecertainthatthekeyelementsofherpresentationareemphasised(ieintheforeground)whileotherdistractionsarekept firmlyinthebackground.Sharonalwaysbringsherownlaptopandprojector tomeetings,becausethatwaysheisintotalcontrolofthecircumstances. However,shedoesn’twantherlaptopandprojectorcasesclutteringupher presentationspace,soshemovesthemunderneaththemeetingroomtable, outofsight.NeitherdoesSharonwantvariouscablesandleadstospoilthe
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view,soshehasmadesomesmallvelvet-typefabricsleevesthroughwhich thevisiblecablescanbefed.Thesleeves,ofcourse,areinherfirm’scolours, with‘BrookmanExecutiveRecruitment’embroideredallthewaydownthe sleeve.TheclientseestheimpeccablydressedSharonandtheimpressive visualmaterials–butdoesn’tseethecablesortheotherbaggage. ThewholeofSharon’spresentationisclientfocused.Butintertwinedwith theemotionalbenefitsheisofferingandthesupportivematerialthatgoes withit,shenarrateshercompanystory:whyshestartedherbusinessand whatherpassionisfortheworkshedoesandtheclientsforwhomshedoes it.WhenSharonleaves,everyaspectofthatparticularBrandReflectionhas beencovered. Isthepotentialclientimpressed?Wouldyoubeimpressed?I’llleaveyou toconsiderthatone.
AcompleteBrandReflection This was a single Brand Reflection at its most basic.There were literally hundredsofotherwaystoapproachthisparticularcustomercontactpoint. Yetitcontainedsomeinterestingideasthat,despitebeingsmall,couldhave amajoreffectintermsofwinningthebusinessandcontributingtowardsthat brandexperience. Now, some readers might consider little things like the covering up of cablestobetotallyinsignificant.Butthatmissesthepointentirely.Branding, ifyourecall,isaboutgettingyourbrandintolong-termmemory.Thatcalls fordoingsomethingdifferentorunusual,nomatterhowsmall.Whenwasthe lasttimeyouwereinameetingwherethepresentercoveredupcables?Or handedoutmints?Idon’tdoubtforamomentthatifsuchthingshadoccurred amongthemyriadoftypical‘sameoldthing’approaches,you’dremember it.AndwhenyouputthatoneBrandReflectiontogetherwithalltherest,you havethebestopportunitythereistodriveyourbrandforward. Butitdoesn’tstopthere.Afteratime,Sharon’sBrandReflectionsatthe various mapping points may become stale. Branding is not static; it is a dynamic process that requires continuous improvement, cutting out the things that don’t work anymore and replacing them with new ideas and approaches.As Sharon’s business grows, she might be able to afford the purchaseoftechnologythatallowshertogiveherpresentationwirelessly, withfullsurround-sound.ItmaybeupgradedtoaDVDratherthanaslide show,andshemaygetherclienttobecomemoreinvolvedinthepresentation
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through tactile equipment. Changes of material, of textures and of smells willallkeepthebrandfreshovertime.And,assumingBrookmanExecutive Recruitment wins the new client, the pre-purchasestagewillmovetothe ‘duringpurchase’phase,thenthefollow-onstageofpost-purchase.Allthese willrequirecontinualbranddevelopment.
YOURBRANDHALO™
Figure13.4 YourBrandHalo™
WhenyouhavecreatedaBrandReflectionforeverycustomercontactpoint that you mapped, you simply join them together – and you have created your Brand Halo™. This holistic ring of sensory and emotional delivery encompasses your business to project a powerful brand every time in a constantandconsistentmanner.ItisyourBrandHalo™thatresidesinthe long-termmemoryofyourcustomer.
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Your Brand Halo™ is the total of all your Brand Reflections that deliverthebrandexperience.
EveryindividualBrandReflectionthatformspartofyourBrandHalo™is fullyalignedwiththerest.YourBrandHalo™willbedescribedinfullvia aBrandHalo™HandbookthatdefinesactivityateachBrandReflectionin termsofpeople,brandprocessesandbrandprocedures.Eachelementwillbe describedindetailsothatthereisalwaysconsistencyinthewaythecustomer experienceisdelivered.(We’lllookatthishandbookinmoredetaillater.) Doyouseehowthisapproachisdifferentfrommerelyattempting,insome fragmented fashion, to ‘exceed expectations’ or ‘love the customer’? I’ve consultedformanysmallbusinessesovertimethatspentenormousamounts ofhard-earnedcashtryingtoputinplacesomethingthatthecustomernever askedforanddidn’twantanyway.I’vewatchedsmallbusinessexecutives wine,dineandbestowgiftsonpotentialclients,thinkingthatthisabundance ofgenerosity‘delightedthecustomer’andwouldthereforewintheclient, only to hear the line, ‘Sorry, but I’m giving the business to one of your competitors.Goodsteak,though.’
Findingoutsomecontactpreferences Buildingapowerfulbrandisallaboutcreatingthestrongestpositiveperception inthemindsofyourcustomers.Butyourexistingcustomersalreadyhavea perception–onethat’stheresultofalltheexperiencesovertimethey’vehad indealingwithyourcompanyand,ifyouemploystaff,yourpeopletoo.The onlywaytofindoutabouttheircurrentperceptionistoaskthem.Buthow youdoitisveryimportant.Younotonlywanttodiscoverwhethertheyare happywithyourservice,butalsoneedtoknowwhat,fromtheirperspective, arethekeycontactpointsonyourCustomerContactmap. Manysmallerbusinessescarryoutlittleornomarketresearch,ascostis frequentlyaprohibitingfactor.Someresorttohandingout‘satisfactioncards’ thataskcustomerstorateproductfeaturesorservicelevels.Alltoooftenthe feedbackisverylimitedinwhatitsays,andinthemajorityofcasesthedata sitinafilingcabinetdrawersomewhere,nevertoseethelightofday.Ican’t recallthelasttimeaproductorservicewasmodifiedorimprovedbecause ofsomethingIwroteonacard.
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Our questionnaire is aimed at obtaining some basic information about levelsofsatisfaction,butgoesontodiscoverthebroadsensorypreferences yourcustomershavewhendealingwithyourcompany.Thequestionsare basedonanaspectofNeuro-LinguisticProgramming(NLP)todowithwhat areknownassensorymodalities,orrepresentationalsystems.
Modalities:apreferredsenseofcontact Hereiswhatweunderstand.Althoughweutiliseallthefivesenseswhen processing data, in any given context we will have a preferred sense – a modality–thatwilltakethelead.NLPclassifiespeopleintothreefixedtypes, aclassificationthatwecalltheV–A–Kmodel: 1. V – Visual people: those whose visual sense will dominate their focalpointinaparticularsituation.Theywillmakecertainbuying decisionsbasedonhowthingslook. 2. A–Auditorypeople:thosewhowillusetheirsoundsenseastheir focuswhenprocessinginformation.Theyprefertohearaboutyour productorservice. 3. K–Kinaestheticpeople:thosewhowillutilisetheirsenseoftouch, tasteandsmelltoprocessinformation,morethantheothersenses. They like to experience the product or service (touching, tasting, smelling)todeterminewhetherornottobuy. It is very important to understand that these are broad characteristics, and context dependent. I’ve heard many NLP trainers and coaches state emphaticallythatmostpeopleare‘65percentvisual,20percentauditory and15percentkinaesthetic’,asthoughthesestateswerefixed.Thatisan entirelyerroneousstatement,becauseitdoesn’ttakeintoaccountcontext.For example,whenyouareoutrunning,youareoperatinginahighlykinaesthetic stateanditwouldbesillytosuggestthatyourfocusisentirelyvisual.When you are reading, your focus is visual, and listening to music is obviously auditory. The brain shifts from one modality to another depending upon context;however,itstillremainstruethatinspecificcontextsaparticular sensorymodalitywilltakeprecedence. Anauditorypersonreadingabookwhilelisteningtomusicwillbeinclined tofocusonthemusicmorethanthebook.Itisnotunusualforthatpersonto stopreadingquiteofteninordertolistenmoreintentlytothemusicbefore
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returningtothebook.Modalitypreferenceshavebeenevidencedinschools andcollegeswherestudieshaveshownthatinstructionalresourcesmatching students’preferredlearningmodalitiesachievedhighertestscoresthanthe mismatchedmaterials.
Focusonthemajortrends Ofcourse,wecannotalterthesensoryfocusofourBrandHalo™tosuit everysingleindividualwhodoesbusinesswithus.Whatwearelookingfor arethemajortrends.The‘Paretoprinciple’,otherwiseknownasthe‘80–20 rule’,statesthat80percentofyourbusinesscomesfrom20percentofyour customers.Thesepercentageswillvarybuttheratioisusuallyaboutright. So,weneedtofindtheperceptionfactorsthatholdtrueforthemajorityof yourcustomers. Thefollowing,then,isabrandperceptionquestionnaireforyoutocopythat incorporatessensoryquestions.Becausebusinessesdifferintheproductsand servicestheyhavetooffer,youmayneedtomodifythequestionssomewhat. You can also add your own questions, but don’t make the questionnaire toolong,orpeoplewillnotwanttotakethetimetofillitin.Althoughthe questionnaireisquiteunsophisticatedwhencomparedtoprofessionalmarket researchstudies,theresultsshouldatleastindicatewhatkindofperception the majority of your customers have, and what ‘lead system’ they use to determinethatperception–visual,auditoryorkinaesthetic(V–A–K)–at certaincontactpoints.You’llseethateachsensory‘tickbox’questionfollows thesameV–A–Korder. Onceyouknowthepreferences,usetheinformationtohelpbuildtheBrand Reflectionsinyourbusiness.Forexample,if70percentofyourcustomers prefertohearfromyouratherthanseeyouinthecontextofannouncingnew productsandservices,thesenseofsound(music,speech,earcons,etc)will beabiggerfocusforyouthanvisualmaterialatthatpoint.
Askingthequestions You can conduct this survey in a number of different ways. Sending a questionnairethroughthepostisperfectlyallright.Soise-mail.Or,ifyou wanttokeeparegularcheckonyourcustomers’perceptionofyourbusiness, createitonyourwebsite.Thekeytoparticipationistooffersomeincentive
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fortakingpart,whereyoucan.Itcouldbeasmallgiftspecificallychosen forthosewhorespond,oryoumightgiveadiscountontheirnextpurchase ofyourproductorservice,orareducedrateoveraperiodoftime.Seehow innovativeyoucanbewithyour‘thank-you’totheresponders.
Usethiscoveringlettertoaccompanyyourquestionnaire.Addyour owninformationinsidethesquarebrackets. Dear[enternameofcustomerhere] Asthe[enteryourjobtitle]of[enteryourcompanynamehere],I wanttothankyouforbeingoneofourvaluedcustomers.Iwant to ensure that we always serve you as best as we can, and so I’d appreciateitifyou’dtakeafewminutestotellmewhatyouthink about our business and its product/service [delete as applicable]. This information will be used to evaluate our level of customer satisfactionandhelpusplanourserviceofferingforthefuture. Please return this form [or give alternative if sending via e-mail, or posting on the web] by [enter cut-off date]. As a token of my appreciationforyourhelpingus,I’dliketoofferyou[stateoffer/ discount/gifthere]withmycompliments.Ilookforwardtohearing fromyou. Kindregards [yoursignature] [enteryournameandjobtitlehere] PS[usethisPSwheredataprotectionlawsapply] Pleasenotethataspartofourdataprotectionpolicy,wewillnot attributethisinformationtoanynamedindividualwhencollating theresultsofthissurvey.
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Questionnaire Fromwhatyouknowabout[enteryourcompanynamehere],please answerthefollowingquestionsand/orticktherelevantboxes: 1.Whatdoyouthink[enteryourcompanynamehere]does(ina sentenceortwo,please)? –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 2.Inthinkingaboutthequalityofserviceyouhavereceivedfrom usrecently,howdidwefare? Extremelyunsatisfactory Unsatisfactory Average Verysatisfactory Firstclass
3. If you indicated ‘Unsatisfactory’ or ‘Extremely unsatisfactory’, pleasecouldyoutelluswhathappened? –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 4.Ifyouhadcausetocomplain,howwouldyoudescribetheway inwhichthesituationwasresolved? Extremelyunsatisfactory Unsatisfactory Average Verysatisfactory Firstclass
5.Overall,whenyoudealwithourcompany,what’smostimportant toyou?(Tickjustonebox,please.) Thetotalimageofyourbusiness. ThewayI’mspokentobyyourstaff. ThewayIfeelI’mtreated.
BuildingyourBrandHalo™ 205 6.Whenweintroducenewproductsorservices,howwouldyou preferustoletyouknowaboutthem?(Tickjustonebox,please.) Showyouwhattheyarethroughabrochure,maileroryourwebsite. Tellyouaboutthemthroughatelephonecallorvisitbyarepresentative. Provideasamplefor‘hands-on’experience.
7.WhenImeetwithpeoplefromyourcompany,themostimportant thingtomeis:(Tickjustonebox,please.) Howtheylook Whattheysaytome Howtheymakemefeel
8.Whatfour(4)wordsfromthefollowinglistwouldyouuseto describe[enteryourcompanynamehere]? Sincere Competent Sophisticated Open Conscientious Agreeable Reliable Innovative Successful Intelligent
Cooperative Organised Systematic Practical Creative Effective Efficient Punctual Friendly Polite
9. What makes [enter your company name here] different from otheroptionsavailable? –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 10.Whatisthemostimportantthingabout[enteryourcompany namehere]–thethingthatcausesyoutouse[enteryourcompany namehere]overanyothercompanyforitsproduct/service? ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
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Viveladifférence In 2007 the enlightened Harley-Davidson company named the women’s marketasitsfastest-growingsegment,citinganannualspendbywomenof around$300milliononHarleybikesintheUnitedStatesalone–nosmall sum,especiallyasitevenexcludedHarley-Davidsonaccessories,ridinggear andclothes. Womentodayhaveahugeinfluenceinbuyingdecisions,canoftenbefound atthehelmofgiantcorporationsand,thankstotheirshrewdinvestments, havecontrollinginterestsinmajoroperationsthroughouttheworld.Despite this, most businesses are still tending to treat target audiences as though theywereall-male.InaUKsurveyconductedacoupleofyearsagoitwas foundthat91percentofwomenfeltthatadvertisersdidn’tunderstandthem, despite the fact that a fifth of all media advertising was aimed at women ratherthanmen.Marketingtowomenisahottopictoday,andbusinesses whichassumethataddingafewpinkshadestotheirmarketingmaterialsor logowillsufficewillbeintheloser’sseatveryquickly.Inordertoinclude womensuccessfullyinbrandstrategies,weneedtounderstandthewaysin whichtheythinkdifferentlyfrommen. Ifyourbusinesssellstoapredominantlymaleoratotallyfemaleaudience, thenyouhaveaclearlineofdemarcationwithwhichtoworkandaddress accordingly.Butwhataretheimplicationsofreachingatargetaudienceof bothmalesandfemaleswhentryingtocreateappropriateBrandReflections? Muchwilldependonthekindofbusinessyouoperateandthetargetaudience youserve,butherearesomeoverallconsiderations: Menmakepurchasingdecisionsbasedonashorterpay-backterm
thanwomen.Mengenerallybuyproductsandservicestogratifyan immediateneed,withlessthoughtforthefuture.Women,ontheother hand,aremorepersuadedtobuygoodsthatwillsatisfytheirneeds overamuchlongerperiodoftime.Thelongevityofaproductmaybe amuchstrongerdecidingfactorthanformen. BrandReflectionconsideration:Useappropriateemotionalcues forthetwodifferentsexes.Generatingfeelingsofimpatienceand impulsivenessmaygetmentorespondthemost.Womenmayactin responsetoemotionsrelatingtoconfidenceintheirpurchasingdecisionandprudenceintheirchoiceofgoodsorservices.Ensurethat theyunderstandthebenefitsoftheproductoverthelongterm.Thisis
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ageneralisation,though,aswomenwithalargeamountofexpendable incomemaynotfeelsofutureoriented. Menjustifytheirpurchaseswithfactsanddatamorethanwomen, whooperateatadeeperemotionallevel.Thisdoesn’tmeanthat menaren’temotional;alldecisionsaremadeattheemotionallevel, regardlessofgender.It’sjustthatmenliketousefactsanddataasa reassurancethatthey’vemadetherightpurchasingdecision. BrandReflectionconsideration:Bothsexesneedadaptiveorsupportiveemotionalcues,butmakesurethatthereareplentyoffacts andfiguresforthementostudy(eventhoughinformationoverload meanstheyprobablywon’t).Atthesametime,ensurethatyourBrand Storybook™isinfullforce,aswomenwillfindemotivenarratives idealsensorycuesforthatdeeperemotionalexperience. Menwillmakepurchasingdecisionsbasedonapeer’sreferral, whilewomenprefertousetheirownpastexperienceasadecisionfactor.Inotherwords,menarequitehappytopurchasegoods orservicesonthebasisofafriendorcolleague’srecommendation. Women,ontheotherhand,willlistentootherwomen’sopinionsbut usethisinformationasasupportandwillmaketheirownmindup moreindependently. BrandReflectionconsideration:Forthemen,haveplentyoftestimonialsandreferralsavailable,and,wherepossible,usepeersfrom thesame‘tribe’orsocialgroupasendorsersofyourproductorservice. Forthewomen,youcanstillprovideappropriatetestimonials,butyou canalsogeneratefeelingsofindependenceandconfidenceintheir owndecisionmaking. Menaregreaterrisk-takersthanwomenwhenpurchasingonline andarenotwebsite-loyal.Womenwilltakefewerrisksandmake moreinformedpurchasedecisions.Whensatisfiedwithanonline brand,theywillgenerallyremainloyaltoit. BrandReflectionconsideration:Ifyourunanonlinestore,you’ve twochoices:eithertakethemiddlegroundandgiveplentyofemotional reasonstobothpartieswhytheyshouldtrustyourbrand,orbecreative andgiveyourwebsitetwoportals:oneformenandoneforwomen. Youcanthencreatesomegender-specificpagesthatultimatelyleadto thesameshoppingcart.Themen’spagescanfeatureamorecarefree, funapproachtothepurchase(dependingonyourproductorservice, ofcourse)whilethewomen’spagescantakeamoreconfidence-build-
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ingandbrand-boostingroute.Inbothcases,makesuretherearealso significantofflineBrandReflectionsinordertobuildthebrand. Menusuallystudythetrees,whilewomenfocusonthewoods.In otherwords,menaremuchmoreinclinedtofocusontheimmediate purchasingsurroundingsascomparedtowomen,whogoforabroader picture. BrandReflectionconsideration:Useinterestingfactsandfigures tocreateimportanttangibleproductorservicebenefitsforyourmale audience(butremembertobeemotionallydrivenatalltimes).Use yourBrandStorybook™toitsfullestextenttorelatepersonaland professionalvaluesthatwomenlookforintheirwiderbrandevaluationcontext. Menbuildrelationshipsthroughjointactivities,whereaswomen buildrelationshipsbytalkingtogether.Thedifferenceismostnotable insportsactivities,wheremenmayspeakveryfewwords,yetteam bondingcanbestrong.Womenpreferface-to-facecommunication wheretheycanfindcommoninterestsandshareexperiences.They alsoengagewithandunderstandbodylanguagemoreaccuratelythan men. BrandReflectionconsideration:Arrangebrandedhospitalityevents foryourmalecustomers(ticketstoamatchortakingpartinasports challenge).Yourfemaleaudiencemaybeinterested,too,butmake sureyoualsoholdcomplementarynetworkingor‘thank-you’evenings wherewomencanhavetheopportunitytotalktogether. It’s important to understand and incorporate distinctions between men’s and women’s thinking into your Brand Halo™. If that sounds a daunting task,takecomfortinknowingthattherearefarmoresimilaritiesthanthere are differences and a great deal of information that’s given out by pop psychologistsisanecdotalratherthanbackedupbysoundevidence. Ifyouarespecificallywantingtogainalargernumberoffemalecustomers only,thenyou’llneedtostudymarketingtowomeninmuchgreaterdepth(a goodplacetostartistheexcellentwebsitewww.rethinkpink.com).Otherwise, striveforabalancedapproachatalltimes.Thekeytorememberisthata sensoryandemotionalapproachtobrandingworksforbothsexes.Therest isreallyfine-tuning.
14
YourBrandHalo™ Handbook
Askanyfranchiseoperatortonameoneofthemostimportantpartsofhis or her business and you’ll always get the answer: the operating manual. Thisdocumentdefinesandcontrolsthemannerinwhichtheentirebusiness must be run.Without an operating manual, corporations like McDonald’s wouldneverbeabletoreplicatetheiroutletsworldwidewithsuchaccuracy andconsistency.Inshort,theoperatingmanualdefinesthesystemandthe processesthatkeepthewholebusinessrunninglikeclockwork. Insimilarvein,businessestodayoftenoperateaqualitysysteminorderto meetrequiredstandardssuchasISO9000.This,too,needsawell-documented manuallistingthestandardsandbenchmarksthatassureconsistencyinthe waythecompanyismanagedanditsproductorservicedelivered. Your Brand Halo™ also has a system and processes that need to be deliveredinaconsistentmanner,justlikeafranchise.Thatcanonlybedone throughwrittendocuments.Ifit’snotwrittendown,theneverythingisleft tochance.Itonlytakesamemberofstaffwhohasn’tbeentoldwhatoccurs ataparticularBrandReflectionforyourBrandHalo™tobetarnishedrather thanpolishedbecausesheorhewasjustwingingit. To maintain a consistent brand approach in your business, you need to createaBrandHalo™Handbook.Thisdocumentshouldcoverallthedetails ofthebrandactivitiesinyourcompanyandwhoisresponsibleforthem.It alsoincorporates,asseparatesections,yourBrandStorybook™,yourBrand Lexiconand,ifyouhaveone,yourVisualIdentityManual.
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Yourchoiceofcontents TheBrandHalo™Handbookshouldprovideawrittendescriptionofwhat takesplaceateveryBrandReflectionyouhavedefined.Justhowdeepyougo withyourdetailisyourchoicetomake.Somecompanieswillwanttospell outeverythingoverpagesoftext,whereasothersmaygetbywithaseries ofsimplechecklists.HowyourBrandHalo™Handbookisputtogether(a four-ringbinderoranelectronicdocument)isnottheimportantissue,aslong asinformationcanbeupdatedbynewdevelopments. WhatisvitalisthattheBrandHalo™Handbookhasenoughinformation about each Brand Reflection to be an accurate guide to delivering and innovating your Brand Halo™ – and that it gets used, rather than simply gatheringdustonthetopofafilingcabinetsomewhere.Asaminimum,your Brand Halo™ Handbook should address all the points you covered when creatingyourBrandReflection,including: whoandwhatisinvolvedintheBrandReflection; howitisdone–referring,ifnecessary,toothersectionsoftheHand-
book,suchastheBrandLexiconorBrandStorybook™;
whenitisdoneandunderwhatcircumstances; whetheritisoutboundorinbound; thedesiredemotionaloutcome.
Thereisnorightandwrongwaytolistthisinformation.Itisbesttokeepitas shortandsimpleaspossible,butyoudowanttoincludeenoughinformation inorderthatanyoneofyourstaff,giventraining,willbeabletorefertothe manualanddeliveraBrandReflectiontotherequiredstandard.
AsamplepagefromtheBrandHalo™ Handbook Using our Brookman Executive Recruitment example from the previous chapteroncemore,let’stakealeaffromSharon’sBrandHalo™Handbook toseehowthepagedetailstheBrandReflectionforthatparticularcustomer contactpoint.Inthisinstance,Sharonhasoptedforafour-ringbinderrather thananelectronicversion.
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ThefirstpageoftheHandbookcontainsadiagramofherBrandHalo™ thatshowsalltheBrandReflectionsinthethreepurchasestages.EachBrand Reflectionisgivenanumbersothatitcanbeimmediatelyidentified.Then, eachpageofSharon’sBrandHalo™Handbookactsasadetailedchecklist pertainingtoeachelementoftheBrandReflection.Referringtothesample pageshowninFigure14.1,let’sgothroughthecontentsthatareincluded. Asyoucansee,thepagebeginsbyestablishingwhichBrandReflection
itisreferringto,usingbothitsidentificationnumberandthepurchase stage.Theoutbound/inbounddesignationhasalsobeenestablished. Everyemployeewillhaveresponsibilityfordeliveringandinnovating atleastoneBrandReflection,thereforeit’simportantthateveryone knowswhoheorsheis,andsothisislistednext.AsSharonisthe onlyonetocarryoutnewbusinessvisits,herownnameisrecorded astheInnovator. Followingon,allthefivesensesareidentified,togetherwiththeir correspondingdetails.Noticethatthepagereferstoanothersection oftheHandbookthatcoversdresscodesinthecompany,aswellasan audioreference(toaCDthatisplacedinapocketatthebackofthe Handbook)andvariousstoragecupboardslocatedinthecompany’s offices. ProcessesandsystemsinvolvedwilltakeplaceatallBrandReflections. Thispagehighlightstheneedtocheckthehotelbookingconfirmation, althoughonthisparticularoccasionthepotentialclientisjustacar driveawayandthereforeahotelbookingisn’trequired. Equipment:alistofalltheelectricalequipmentneededforthemeeting andwhereitcanbelocated. Scripts/prompts:businesseswithasalesdepartmentorcallcentremay needtelephonescriptsoroutlinesaspromptsforthesalesexecutives. Inaddition,scriptsorpromptsthatcoverfixed-typepresentationscan alsobewrittenandcopiesincludedintheHandbook.Thiscanbeas apartoftheBrandLexicon’scontents,orasectiononitsown. Finally,theforeground/backgrounddivisionisdescribed,justasitwas whenconstructingtheBrandReflection.Theforegroundreferstothe cablecoverslistedunder‘Equipment’.
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slideshowandallslides.
Figure14.1 BrandHalo™Handbooksamplepage
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AHandbookforyourbusiness–andyour people Every employee should have a complete version of the Handbook. Your Brand Reflection innovators review their respective contact points and introduce new ideas and sensory approaches.After successful testing, the relevantpagesarereplacedwiththeupdatedversions.Thatway,yourBrand Halo™remainsfreshandcreative. Allofthismayseemsimplistic.Butlookatitthisway.Imagineyouwork forSharon’sexecutiverecruitmentbusiness.Onceyou’vereadthisonepage from its Brand Halo™ Handbook, what are the chances that with a little trainingandguidance(andknowledgeofwherethestoragecupboardswere), youcouldimplementthatBrandReflectionexactlyasdetailed? Not only that, what are the chances that by referring to the Handbook you could deliver that particular Brand Reflection 10, 50 or 1,000 times –inatotallyconsistentmanner?Now,whatarethechancesyoucoulddo itthatwellifyoudidn’thavethatchecklisttogoby?Deliveringthetotal customerexperiencecannotbedonebya‘seatofthepants’approach.Itneeds guidelines,managementanddiscipline. CreatingyourBrandHalo™Handbookwillgiveyouallthree.That’swhy it’sa‘must-have’ifyourBrandHalo™istobethehighlyeffectivedelivery mechanismofyourtotalbrandexperience.
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6
Communicating yourbrand Inthefuture,leaderswillhavetobecomestorytellersfirstand managerssecondinthenewsociety. RolfJensen,TheDreamSociety
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15
YourBrand Storybook™
Areyousittingcomfortably?Thenlet’sbegin. Once upon a time, many thousands of years ago, our hunter-gatherer ancestorswouldendeachdaybydrawingtogetheraroundacampfire.Aftera heartymeal,withthefirestillburningbrightly,themaineventoftheevening wouldbegin:storytelling. Tribal members would wait with anticipation to tell their stories with passionandconviction.Arecountingofthefood-gatheringactivitiesandhow thepreywastrackeddownbytheproudhunter,oralamentabletaleabout thefishthatmanagedtogetaway.Vividrecollectionsoftheirsurroundings, suchasdescribingthemajestyofthetallesttreesorthebrilliantcoloursof variousberriespickedthatday. Thesestorieswererichinimagery,repletewithactions,charactersand events.Listenerswouldbeenthralledashumour,excitementandimagination allmergedtoproducewonderfulnarrativesthatcontinuedtobetoldwellinto thenight.Diversethoughthestoriesmayhavebeen,theyallhadonething incommon.Theywerethegluethatboundtheclantogetherinhopeand expectation. Storiesaretheoldestformofinfluenceinourentirehistory.TheNational StorytellingNetworksaysthat,‘Storiesarethebuildingblocksofknowledge, thefoundationofmemoryandlearning.Storiesconnectuswithourhumanness andlinkpast,present,andfuturebyteachingustoanticipatethepossible consequencesofouractions.’
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Withoutstories,humancommunicationwouldbesadlylacking.Weare hard-wiredtoexperiencetheworldthroughmeaningfulnarrative.Bysharing experiencethroughstories,wetransmitaccumulatedknowledge,wisdom, beliefs and values across the globe.And with storytelling, we do it emotionally,notjustasdryfactsandfigures. Intoday’ssociety,technologyhasbecometheall-encompassingdriverof information. Previously fragmented media options have been replaced by technologythatjoinstogethervastarraysofcommunicationstreams,flowing asmutuallysupportedchannels. Thedigitalrevolutionoftodayhaslearnedfromtheformerdotcomdisasters andnow,atthetimeofwriting,itssuccessor,web2.0,isbusilygenerating newtechnologiesthatwillcreateamultitudeofbusinessandsocialnetworks ofinformation,wherecustomers,businesspartnersandothersarebrought together.Theriseofblogs,podcastsandsiteslikeFacebookandMySpace isanexampleofhowweb2.0hasalreadyevolved.Mobilephones,PDAs andlaptopsarenow‘old’technology.Inthefuturethedigitalrevolutionwill serve you even better. It will turn on your television when you get home withoutsomuchasavoicecommand.Yourrefrigeratorwillputitselfonline andorderproductrefillswhenthestockgetslow.Thereseemstobenolimit towhattechnologicaladvanceswillachieve.
Theneedforstoriestoday With so much information technology at our fingertips, together with an unbelievablefreedomofchoice,itseemscrazytothinkthatcustomerswould beinterestedinlisteningtostories,leastofallfromabusiness.Butit’strue. The digital revolution has given us so much, yet at the same time it has largelyignoredtheverybasicneedofeveryonetobemotivated,excitedand inspired.
Inhisbest-sellingbookAWholeNewMind(2005),DanPinkstates that: ...thelastfewdecadeshavebelongedtoacertainkindofpersonwith acertainkindofmind–computerprogrammerswhocouldcrankcode, lawyerswhocouldcraftcontracts,MBAswhocouldcrunchnumbers.
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Butthekeystothekingdomarechanginghands.Thefuturebelongs toaverydifferentkindofpersonwithaverydifferentkindofmind –creatorsandempathizers,patternrecognizersandmeaningmakers. These people – artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers,bigpicturethinkers–willnowreapsociety’srichestrewards andshareitsgreatestjoys.
Dangoesontoemphasisethatthebrain’scapabilitiesresponsiblefor poweringtheinformationagearenolongersufficientbythemselves todrivethefutureneedsoftheemergingworld,butratheritisthe ‘qualitiesofinventiveness,empathy,joyfulness,andmeaning’that willdeterminewhoflourishesandwhoflounders.
We’vealreadyseenfrompreviouschaptersthatinthismateriallysatisfied society,customerswantmeaningfuldialoguewithsuppliers,notanendless waveofboringmonologuebuiltaroundfactsandfiguresthatnoonecares about any more.They want a conversation with your business that’s rich inallthesymbols,metaphors,meaningsandexperienceseverygoodstory contains.Ifyoucanofferthatkindofcustomercommunication,youwillbe wellonthewaytocreatingapowerfulbrandforyourbusiness. Ican’temphasiseenoughthatbrandstodayarenotseparateentitiesfrom therestofourlives.Rather,theyaretheguidancesystemsforwhoweare andhowwelive.Thecarwedrivewasonceamerestatussymbol,reflecting anearningcapacityordemographicprofile.Today,thecaryoudriveandthe clothesyouweardefineyourlifestyle,ideologies,qualitiesandpreferences. Howcancold,hardfactsandfiguresaloneleadustosuchemotionallydriven choices?Thesimplefactis,theycan’t.We’vealreadyestablishedthatsmall businessesthatcompeteonlyonacommodityplatform(product,features andprice)havealimitedlifespan.Butgivecustomersareasontobelieve–a storyaboutyourbrandandhowitrelatestotheirlives–andyou’llhavethe bestchanceofgainingacustomer. Brands are built around stories, and stories of identity – who we are, wherewe’vecomefrom–arethemosteffectivestoriesofall.Thisisa powerfulwaytobringthemtolife. (BillDauphinais,globalleaderforbrandmarketingand communications,PricewaterhouseCoopers)
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Inpsychology,there’sasaying:‘Peoplewholikeyoutendtobelikeyou.’ In other words, their values, beliefs and ideas are similar to your own, which leads to a natural bonding. Likewise, when your brand values are espousedthroughcaptivatingstories,youcandevelopmeaningfulbusiness relationshipswithcustomerswhoareinalignmentwithyourparticularcredos, stanceandworldview.Andthosearethecustomersyouneedtoconcentrate youreffortson.
In2007,adidaslaunchedits‘Impossibleisnothing’campaign.Apart from its debut in the form of television commercials, it took in websites, print ads and documentaries, all aimed at encouraging everyonetotaketheirfirststepinreachingtheir‘impossible’dream. Thecampaignfeaturedstoriesofrealpeoplesuccessfullyattempting toovercomewhathadonceseemedlikeinsurmountableobstacles, andthroughtheirstoriesadidashopedtoinspirepeopletothink abouttheirowndifficultiesandhowtoovercomethem. Morethan30internationalathleteswereaskedtoillustratea criticalmomentintheirlives,usingtheirownhand-drawnillustrations and paintings. Here in the United Kingdom, the first one I saw featured David Beckham telling the story of how he faced deaththreatsfromfansafterthe1998FIFAWorldCup.Anotherad featuredUSbasketballplayerGilbertArenastellingviewerswhyhe worethenumberzeroonhisshirt. In all of this, I didn’t see one product demonstration. I didn’t gettoldaboutthequalityofthematerial.Noshotsofthepattern onthesolesofadidastrainers.Noclose-upsofthelaces.Andwould Inecessarilycareanyway?ButBeckhamopenedtheadbysaying, ‘I’mDavidBeckhamandthisismystory’(seeFigure15.1).Onaday that was full of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, I listened to him talk about how difficult life can be sometimes, but how it’s importanttostaywithit.SuddenlyIwasrevived.Ifhecoulddoit, socouldI.Thewholeadspoketome.Itwasastory.Short,yes.But fullofemotion.Toldbyacelebritywhoisaninternationalbrand.A storythatmotivates,onethatyouinternalise,onethatyoucanbuy into.Then(andonlythen)doyouhavetheproductshotinthevery lastframe.
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Figure15.1 Ascenefromtheadidas‘Impossibleisnothing’televisioncommercial.Usedwithpermissionofadidas
Now, if you were broke and simply needed a pair of trainers to wear, you might go for whatever was the cheapest in the store. That’s a commodity purchase dependent upon price alone, no brand required. Yet if you could afford it, you might just go for adidas. They’ll cost you a lot more. That’s OK, because you’ll be willingtopaytheextra.Notbecauseoftheirsuperiorconstruction, but because of how they make you feel. You put them on and immediatelyyouaretransformedintoasportssuperhero,dealing withadversityyetthroughsheerpersistencecomingthroughinthe end.Yourimaginationisfiredeverytimeyoudonthosetrainers.They becomeapartofwhoyouare...thepartthatbelieves‘impossible isnothing’.
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16
CreatingYourBrand Storybook™
Your Brand Storybook™ is the starting pointforcreatingpowerfulbrand communications.Itcontainsfourkeycomponents:
yourBrandMe™story; yourBusinessBrand™story; yourPeopleBrand™story; yourBrandBite™.
EachaspectofyourBrandStorybook™relatestoaparticularpartofyour overallbrand.Whilethedifferentelementsareallimportantasindividual branding devices, they should all be used holistically in order to create a powerful,cohesivebrandmessage.
YOUR‘BRANDME™’STORY Usage:Greatforpublicrelations,buildingawareness,creatingdifferentiation fromyourcompetitionandestablishinganemotionalbondwithcustomers. Your‘BrandMe™’storyis,asthenamesuggests,astoryallaboutyou.In thesalesandmarketingprofessionstheword‘unique’isprobablyoneofthe mostoverusedwordsthereis.Unfortunately,manysmallbusinessesfallinto thetrapofpromotingtheirproductorserviceas‘unique’wheninfactthere
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isverylittlethatanyonecanclaimasbeingtheonlyoneofitskindtoday.As thesayinggoes,‘There’snothingnewunderthesun.’ However,thereisonethingthatisuniqueandwillremainso:you.There isn’tanyoneelselikeyouonthefaceoftheearth!Notevenyourtwinbrother orsistercanclaimtobeanexactreplicaofyouineverysingleaspectofyour life. You have your own life experiences, individual dreams, aspirations, ideas,opinions,beliefsandpreferences.Whenyousharesomeofthesewith yourtargetaudienceinarelevant,interestingway,youwillalreadybewell onthewaytostandingoutfromthecrowd.Thekeyistomakethemrelevant toyourbusinessandyourcustomers(andpotentialcustomers). Whatkindofcontentshouldbeinyour‘BrandMe™’story?Herearesome subjectsandideasthatarealwaysinteresting: Yourhistory.Whathaslife’sjourneymeantforyou?Wasyourback-
groundoneofpovertyanddeprivation,butthroughyourdetermination yousucceededinbecomingwealthy?Themediainparticulararealways lookingtopublishstoriesthatwillinspiretheirreaders.Thinkabout thewell-knowncelebritiesandmembersoftherichlistwhostarted outwithverylittleandendedupbecomingfamous. Perhapsyouwerealreadywealthy,butthroughcircumstancesyou lostyourmoneythenstartedontheroadbacktosuccessagain.Many prominentfigurestodayhaveoftenlosttheirmoneyinthepastthen rebuilttheirempire.DonaldTrump,oneoftheUnitedStates’wealthiestbusinessmenandstaroftheUSversionofTheApprentice,losthis fortuneinthe1990sbutclimbedbackuptowhatisnowreputedto bebillionairestatus.Ragstoriches(andsometimesbackagain)isthe perfectcontentforbuildinggreatstories.Butyourstorydoesn’thave tobebuiltaroundadversity.Youcaninsteadcreateastorybasedon yourtravels,adventures,situationsyouhaveexperienced,humorous times,difficulttimes–anythingthatwillevokestrongemotionalties withyouraudiences. Yourmentors.Whohasprovidedthesourceofinspirationinyourlife? Familymembers,friends,teachersorcoaches,orperhapsthepeople youmostadmireintheworld,pastandpresent?Greatfiguressuchas MotherTheresa,GandhiorNelsonMandelahavegiveninspirationto countlessmenandwomenwhosawinthemqualitiestheyadmired, anddesiredtohavethemselves,whetheritbesucceedingagainstall odds,havingadisciplinedmind,livingwithhonestyandintegrityat thehighestlevelorreachingaparticularlevelofaccomplishment.If
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theyarequalitiesyouhavesoughtafterandappliedinyourbusiness, thenyouhaveastorytotell. Yourachievements.Whathaveyoudoneinyourlifethat’sworthtellingothersabout?Manysmallbusinessoperatorsfailtoacknowledge thatevenbystartingtheirowncompaniestheyhaveachievedwhat formanyisjustadream.BillGates,consideredtheworld’srichest man,beganhisbusinessinhisgarage,asdidJeffBezos,thefounderof Amazon.com.IttookSirJamesDyson,anotherwealthyentrepreneur, 10yearsandcountlessrejectionsfrommajormanufacturersbefore hewasabletolaunchhisworld-renownedcyclonicvacuumcleaners. Theachievementsofmanybusinessiconsofthiscalibrehavecreated greatstoriesforthemedia,andmosthavegoneontofeatureinautobiographies,givingtheirbrandsevenmore‘personalpower’(aswell asextrarevenuefrombooksalesandroyalties).
Tellyourstoryasthoughyoumeanit Ofcourse,whateverstoryyoutellmustbetoldwithpassionandconviction. Theaudience,whetheramagazinereaderscanninganarticleaboutyouor apotentialclientlisteningtoyourpresentation,mustbelieveinyou.Ifyou attempt to ‘con’ the audience by making false claims or paying only lip servicetowhatyouclaimtobelievein,they’llspotitinaninstantandyour brandwillsuffer. Today’scustomerisstreet-savvy.We’veallheardtheemptypromisescompaniesmake.We’veallreadtheunbelievablecompanymissionstatements, engravedonawallplaqueinacorridororreceptionareasomewhere,that makeallkindsofattractiveclaimsyetattractonlydustandspider’swebs. Ifyouwanttostandoutfromthecrowd,youhavetowalkthetalk,and nowhere is it more critical than in your BrandMe™ story. Be honest and transparent,orthey’llknowforsure.AsRalphWaldoEmersonsaid,‘Who youarespeakssoloudlyIcan’thearwhatyou’resaying.’Don’tmakethe mistakeofnotbeinggenuine.
YOURBUSINESSBRAND™STORY Usage:Apowerfulwaytoestablishanemotionalconnectionwithcustomers. Canbeincorporatedintosalespresentations,businessplansandproposals, aswellascollateralmaterial.
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Nowweextendthepersonalbrandaspectsintoyourbusiness.Thequestion this story needs to answer for your audience is: what does your business standfor?Thechancesarethatifyouaskedadozenofyourcustomersright now,you’dmostlikelygetadozendifferentanswers.So,youneedtocreate aconsistent,emotiveandresponsivestorythatbringsoutthebestpointsof yourbusiness. Unlike the typical corporate vision, which is often based upon sales revenue,growthstrategyorproduct/servicedevelopment,thisstoryisabout howyourcompanyoperates:itsethics,responsibility,andconnectionwith customers,andhowitalignswiththeirwantsandneeds.Thisisthechance foryoutogetyourcustomers(or,inthecaseofacharity,yourdonorsand supporters)onboardbecausetheyareofthesamemind.Thisstorywillbe one of involvement, something your ideal customer will find stimulating, involvingandinteresting.
Thereasonsbehindyourbrand Let’sbeginbyaskingwhyyoustartedyoursmallbusinessinthefirstplace. Wasitbecauseyouwerefiredandhadnootherjobaspirations,soyoustarted up on your own? Was it because you thought you could make or supply somethingbetterthanwhatwasonoffer?Didyouhavemoralreasonsfor creatingyourcompany,orweretheypurelyfinancial?
In1975ayoungwomanbythenameofAnitaRoddickneededa livelihoodtosupporthertwochildrenwhileherhusbandwasaway. Throughherearliertravelsaroundtheworldshehadbeeninspired bycosmeticandbeautyproductsfrommanydifferentcultures,so shedecidedtoopenashopsellingmoisturisersmadefromBedouin recipesandsoldininexpensiveplasticbottles.Theshopwaslocated betweentwofuneralparlours,andthe‘factory’washerkitchen. From the very start, Roddick had a passionate belief in ethical consumptionandbusiness.Shestatesthattheproductsweresold onthestoriesthatwerebehindthem:emotivepleasforissuessuch asnon-animaltestingandhumanrights.DameAnitaRoddick(who sadlydiedin2007)hadapassionforfairtradeandshedeveloped
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theBusinessBrand™storytogowithit.Asaresult,herBodyShop grewfromhumblebeginningstoaglobalcorporationandwassold toL’Oréalin2006for£625million.
Takingastandforyourbrand Couldyoujustifiablyclaimtobemorally,ethicallyorsociallymoreresponsible thanyourcompetitorsbecauseofyourcompany’sviewonissuessuchas employeetreatment,workingconditionsorsupportingthelocalcommunity? Somebig-namelabelssellingtrainers,T-shirtsandotherpopularsportsitems havebeenaccusedofmanufacturingtheirpremium-pricedbrandedgoodsin ThirdWorldsweatshopswherelowwages,poorconditionsandchildlabour arerampant. If you were a small business making similar items, what story could youtellthatmightgainasympatheticearfromcustomersdisillusionedby allegedbadlabourpractices?Ifit’srelevanttoyourbusiness,whatareyou sayingaboutfairtradeandgreenbusinessissues?Consumersarebecoming more ecologically aware and turning to those companies that can present anemotivecaseforsensitiveissuessuchasfairtrade,organicfarmingand sweatshop-freeproduction.
In2006,Cone(www.coneinc.com),astrategyandcommunications agencyengagedinbuildingbrandtrust,releasedtheresultsofits MillennialCauseStudy,whichexploredhowcorporatecause-related initiatives influenced millennials (those born between 1979 and 2001)asconsumers,employeesandcitizens. Fromasampleof1,800respondents,whichcomprised895males and905femalesbetweentheagesof13and25,thefindingswere eye-opening: Eighty-threepercentstatedthattheywouldtrustacompany moreifitweresocially/environmentallyresponsible.
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Seventy-fourpercentweremorelikelytopayattentiontoa company’smessagewhentheysawthatthecompanyhada deepcommitmenttoacause. Sixty-ninepercentsaidtheyconsideredacompany’ssocial and environmental commitment when deciding where to shop. Eighty-ninepercentsaidthattheywerelikely–orverylikely – to switch from one brand to another (price and quality beingequal)ifthesecondbrandwereassociatedwithagood cause. Sixty-sixpercentwouldconsideracompany’ssocialandenvironmental commitment when deciding whether to recommenditsproductsandservicestoothers. Moreover,thepollfoundthatasmillennialsbegantoenter theworkforce,theyhadhighexpectationsnotonlyofthemselvesbutalsooftheiremployers.Nearly8outof10wanted toworkforacompanythatcaredabouthowitcontributed tosociety,whilemorethanhalfsaidtheywouldhaverefused toworkforanirresponsiblecorporation. AsCarolCone,chairandfounder,stated: Corporationsneedtoaligntheirbrandwithacausethatisrelevant, authentic,sustainableandengaging,aswellasonethatistruetothe corebrandidentity.Mostimportantly,companiescannotbeafraidto communicate their cause commitments with honesty and sincerity. Millennials want to know how their support of a specific brand or productisactuallymakingadifference.
Thereiseveryreasontoexpectthatteenagersandyoungadultsin theUnitedKingdomreflectsimilarstatistics. (Thanks to Cone for permission to reproduce these 2006 Cone MillennialCauseStudyfindings.)
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Servicewithastance If you are in a service business, what are the equivalent concerns? What isdifferent–evencontroversial–aboutyourstanceonmattersrelatingto your profession? For example, a team-building and management training companyintheUnitedKingdomtooktheviewthatothertrainingcompanies were too quick to go into a client’s company, carry out a predetermined training programme, then leave without due regard for the individuals in theteam.So,itoffereditsclientsasix-monthfollow-upprogrammewith telephone and one-to-one support for all the members of the team it was training.Itsmanagersbelievedpassionatelythateverysingleindividualina teamneededpersonaldevelopmentatsomelevel,andwantedtoensurethat everyonehadanequalopportunitytoimprovehisorherperformance.Inthe wordsoftheteamtrainingbusinessowner,itwasn’tjustaboutearningfees. Itwastodowiththe‘buzz’thecompanytrainersreceivedatseeingsomeone developskillsandleadershipcapabilities,especiallyasaresultoftheadded valuetheteam-buildingbusinesswasproviding. WithappropriatePRandpresentationsthatemphasisedthepassionand drivetoimproveteam-buildingstandards,thebusinessbecameenormously successful.Ofcourse,eachtrainerwasaskilledprofessionalandtherefore theproductwasgood;buttheownersagreethatwithouttheBusinessBrand™ story,theymighthavebeenmixedinwithallotherteam-buildingcompanies whentryingtoapproachpotentialclients.
YOURPEOPLEBRAND™STORY Usage:DeliveryourPeopleBrand™storyinyourrecruitmentprocess–in advertisements,recruitmentliteratureandaspartoftheinterviewprocess. ThenmakesurethePeopleBrand™storyisupheldonacontinualbasis. How much do your staff, if you employ any, really know about you and yourbusiness?Dotheyfeellikemushrooms(keptinthedarkandfedon you-know-what),orhavetheygotsuchanin-depthunderstandingofwhat youdoandwhyyoudoitthattheycometoworkeachdaywithapassionto drivethebrandforward? Manycompanies,despiteoftenrepeatingtheworn-outphrase‘ourpeople areourbusiness’,arelostwhenitcomestodeliveringtheirbrandthrough employees.Butthinkaboutthis.Ifbrandingisallaboutengagingwiththe customerattheemotionallevel,isn’titprettyobviousthatyourpeopleshould
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alsobeemotionallyalignedwiththebrandaswell?Afterall,howcanthey conveytheappropriatebrandperceptionstothecustomeriftheydon’tknow whattheyarethemselves? Surveys conducted in both the United Kingdom and the United States showthatcompanieswhereemployeesunderstandandbuyintothebrand storycanexpectuptoa30percentgreaterreturnontheirstaffinvestment thanotherfirms.Atthesametime,incompaniesthathaveatypicalclichériddenmissionstatement,asmanyas75percentoftheirworkforcedon’t think they do business in the way the mission statement describes. The huge Enron energy company’s mission statement boasted that ‘We treat othersaswewouldliketobetreatedourselves.Wedonottolerateabusive or disrespectful treatment. Ruthlessness, callousness and arrogance don’t belonghere.’AfterEnronbecametheworld’sbiggestbankruptcorporation in2003amidallegationsofscandalandcorruption,copiesofthecompany’s missionstatementbecamebest-sellersoneBayaspeopleclamberedtoown acopyofEnron’smeaninglessrhetoric. Your PeopleBrand™ story should be written using the same emotive, passionatetypeofcontentasyourBrandMe™andBusinessBrand™stories. Afterall,ifcustomersareemotionallydrivenratherthanrationallydriven, yourownpeoplearenodifferent. Essentially, your PeopleBrand™ story needs to address the three key criteriaforsuccessfulstaffing:attraction,selectionandretention.
Attractinggoodcandidates Whyshouldanyonewanttoworkforyou?Whatdoyouhavetoofferthat’s betterthanyourcompetitordowntheroad? At one time, recruiting was mostly about what prospective employees coulddoforyourbusiness.Today,associetyandculturehavemovedtowards abrand-drivenframework,it’smuchmoreaboutwhatyoucandoforthem –if youwant to attractthe bestpossible staffforyourbusinessandyour brand,thatis. Employees, like customers, have perceptions and preferences, and are more inclined to look for roles where the business aspirations align with theirown.Ifyoucan’tmatchthem,thechancesofyourevenattractingthe right kind of potential candidates are slim. How do we know what those preferencesare?Generally,candidatesperceiveadesirableplacetoworkas havingatleastthefollowingfouressentialcriteria:
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1. Thebusinessissuccessful.Thisdoesn’tmeanthatyourbusinessneeds tobebig.Remember,it’sthestrengthofthebrand,notthesizeof thecompany,thatcounts.Therefore,yourstoryneedstoincludethe compellingpartsofyourBrandMe™andBusinessBrand™stories, whichwillshownotonlythatthebusinessisaliveandwellbutthat italsohasagreatfuture,which,naturally,candidateswillwanttobe apartof. 2. Theworkisinteresting.Evenmenial,repetitivetaskscanbeinteresting, can’tthey?Whilehumanresourcemanagementisbeyondthescope ofthisbook,thinkaboutwaysinwhichyouhaveincorporatednew waysofworkingtomakethingsmoreinterestingandenjoyablefor yourpeople.Forexample,ifyouoperateafactoryorassemblyline, areyoustillinthedarkagesofclockingin,oneworkerpertaskand strictto-the-minutebreaks,orhaveyoumodernisedyourfactory-floor productionsystems?Whereveryouhaveinnovatedinyourbusiness, includethatinyourstory–notthespecificmethodsyou’veused,but ratherwhyyou’veusedthem,whatmadeyouchange,whatyouplan todointhefuture. 3. Thereisscopeforlearningandcareerprogression.Again,yourstory shouldn’tbeabouttheprocessordetailsofcareerpaths;that’ssomethingtobediscussedaspartofongoinghumanresourcemanagement inyourbusiness.Whatyourstoryshouldconveyistheopportunity forstafftodeveloppersonallyandprofessionallyatanylevel.How passionateareyouaboutdevelopingpeople?Whatlimitsdoyouplace onyourstaff’sabilitytobesuccessful?Howwillyouhelpthemget towheretheywanttogo?
Whendesktoppublishing(DTP)wasfirstintroduced,secretariesand personalassistantssuddenlyfoundboxesofsoftwareandmanuals on their desks with notes from their bosses saying that DTP was goingtosavethecompanyalotofmoneyonprintinganddesign, soherewasachancetolearnnewskills.Thatwasoftentheextent of their induction into the new technology and the limit of their training.
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4. Thereisasenseofinnovationandachanceto‘makeithappen’.Will yourbusinessmakethebestuseoftheskillsandtalentsthatarewithin eachandeverymemberoftheworkforce?Willtheybeallowedto innovatesoastoimprovesystemsandprocedures,andwilltheybe giventheresponsibilityandaccountabilitytointroducenewmethodologiesintoyourbusiness?Whatemotivestorywillyoupresentto showthemhowyoufullyintendtosupportandfacilitatetheirhopes andaspirations? Remember,yourstorydoesnothavetobeatear-jerker,neitherdoesithave tohavewould-becandidatesrollingintheaisleswithlaughter.Whatitdoes havetobeisauthentic.So,ifyouandyourcompanytendtobereservedand somewhatintroverted,thendon’tgoouttomakepeoplelaugh.Remember, peoplewholikeyou(andwanttoworkforyou)tendtobelikeyou.Conversely, ifyourcompanyismoreextrovertandhasa‘fun’approachtowork,thereis nothingwrongwithusinghumourtogoodeffect.
WhenSirRichardBransonstartedVirginAtlantic,hewasridiculedby theheadofAmericanAirlines,whosaid,‘WhatdoesRichardBranson knowabouttheairlinebusiness?Hecomesfromtheentertainment business.’ButthiswasadistinctadvantageforVirgin.SirRichard, a‘rebel’who‘stoodforthepeople’,builthisstoryonthepremise that ‘work should be fun’ and has gone out of his way to avoid thestuffinessofhuge,facelesscorporations.Thissomewhatquirky, entertainment-ledapproachpermeatesallofVirgin’scommunication toitscustomers. EvenduringflightsonVirginAtlantic,thefun-lovingcabincrew are apt to lighten up an otherwise dreary (but important) safety demonstrationbysaying,‘Theremaybefiftywaystoleaveyourlover, butthereareonlyfourwaysoutofthisairplane.’Whencomingin toland,it’snotuncommontohearthepilotsay,‘We’dliketothank allofyouforflyingwithustoday.Andthenexttimeyougetthe insaneurgetogoblastingthroughtheskiesinapressurizedmetal tube,wehopeyou’llthinkofVirginAtlantic.’
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Whataboutsalary? NoticethatthroughoutthesekeypointsIhaven’tmentionedmoney.There’s agoodreasonforthis,onethatparallelsthedifferencebetweenabrandand acommodity.Ifthemainincentiveforacandidateismoney,thenforthat candidatethebrandislessimportant.Canyouriskweakeningyourbrandby hiringthatkindofperson?Youcan’taffordtoturnyourrecruitmentprocess intoastreetmarket,anymorethanyoucancreateagilt-edgedbrandbyprice bargaining. Ofcourse,peoplehavetoeat,sosalaryneedstobediscussed,asdojob titleandwherethepositionwillbelocated.Butit’snotuncommontofind candidateswhoarepersonallyalignedtothebusinessphilosophywhoare willingtotakesalarycutsandmovelongdistancesjustfortheopportunity toworkwithawinningbrand.Thatiswhysuchsubjectsaresimplypartof thecontractualdiscussions,notcomponentsofyourstory. Nowthatyouhaveyourstoryprepared,youcanbegintoutiliseitasthe basisforcommunicatingthroughoutallofyourrecruitingchannelssuchas recruitmentpages,onlinerecruitmentwebsitesandjobfairs.Whetheryou use an external supplier to design and produce your recruitment ads and materials,ordoityourself,thekeyistousetheessenceofyourstoryand ensurethatitdoesn’tloseitsemotivestrengthalongtheway. Figures 16.1 and 16.2 show how a company’s brand character can be communicatedthroughhumourwhilestillretainingits‘serious’side.
Selectingyourpotentialemployees Assuming you’ve had responses to your recruitment campaign, invite all thecandidatesyoufeelfitthebill(havingeliminatedallthosewhoclearly don’t fulfil your basic criteria) along to a group meeting before you start interviewingindividualapplicants. This is your opportunity to deliver your story seminar-style to all the hopefulsandgettheirreactiontowhatyouhavetosay.Evenifyourbusiness islargeenoughtoemployahumanresourceexecutiveormanager,thisisone presentationthatyoudefinitelyneedtofront–becauseit’syourstorythat youwanttotell. Theobjectiveofyourstorytellingatthisstageistogiveeveryoneinthe roomthemostaccurateideapossibleofwhatworkingforyourbusinesswill beabout.It’simportantthatyourownpassionandbeliefcomeacrosswith
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Figure16.1 Thishighlysuccessfulrecruitmentadvertisement,liketheone showninFigure16.2,bothbyEdinburgh-based60wCommunications,introducedanemotivefeeltowhatwasformerlydryandpurelyfactualnarrative. Reproducedwithpermission
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Figure16.2 Communicatingacompany’sbrandcharacterthroughhumour: anotherexample.SeealsoFigure16.1
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sincerityandconviction,becausealltoooftencandidatestakeajobonlyto discoverquicklythattheactualpositioninthecompanyisn’tanythinglike howitwasdescribedattheinterview!So,tellyourstory,andthistimeadd detailaboutwhatyouwouldexpectfromthesuccessfulcandidate.Gothrough anyspecificjobrequirements,thingsthatyoufeelstronglyaboutintermsof accountability,disciplineandcharacter.Don’tpullthewoolovertheireyes; tellitlikeitis.Andwhenyou’vetoldthem,givethosewhodon’tthinkthey’d fitinwithyourbusinessthechancetoleavewithnobadfeelings. Afteryouhavedeliveredyourstory,askforquestionsandanswerthem honestly.Ifyourstoryhasdoneitsjob,thoseremainingintheroomarethe candidatesyoucanthengoontointerviewseparately.
Retainingyourpeople Hiringgoodpeopleisonething.Keepingthemissomethingelse.Whyisthere ahugeturnoverofstaffinmostsmallbusinesses?Alltoooftenit’sbecause thestorythatwastoldduringtheattractionandselectionprocesshasbecome seriouslydilutedorwasaclearcaseofmisrepresentation.Theproblemis, onedisenchantedemployeecankillyourbrandfasterthananythingelse– especiallyifthatmemberofstaffisonthefront-linecustomer-facingduty. YourPeopleBrand™storynotonlyshouldbeacompellingintroductionto yourbusinessbutshouldbemaintainedandsustainedthroughoutthelifeof thecompany.Whileabrandisnotapromiseyoumaketoyourcustomer,it’s apromiseyou’vealreadymadetoyouremployees–andonethatneedstobe permanentlykept.RecountingtheearlydaysofStarbucks,HowardSchultz, chairmanandCEO,saysinhisbookPourYourHeartintoIt(1999): The only way to win the confidence of Starbucks employees was to be honestwiththem,tosharemyplansandexcitementwiththem,andthen tofollowthroughandkeepmyword,deliveringexactlywhatIpromised –ifnotmore.NoonewouldfollowmeuntilIshowedthemwithmyown actionsthatmypromiseswerenotempty.
Butthereissomethingelsethat’svitallyimportantifyourpeoplearetocarry thebrandforwardintheirheartsandmindsaswellastheiractions:make themapartofthestory.Nobrandcaneverstandstill.Theveryfactthat societyandculturechangeovertimemeansthatyourbrandmustkeeppace withwhat’shappening.Neverlosethefundamentalsofyouroriginalstory, butinnovateandaddmeaningfulcontent,usingyourpeopleasthesource.
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Forinstance,whenyoulaunchanewproductorservice,there’sastoryto betold.Whydidyoucreatethisnewitem?Whichofyourstaffwereinvolved –andareinvolved–intheprocessofmakingordeliveringit?Whataretheir views?Aretheyexcited,motivated,passionateaboutwhatit’sgoingtodo tohelpcustomers?Whatwouldtheysayaboutitifyouinvitedthemtoa discussionoverlunch?Didtheyworkthroughthenight,oratweekends,to gettheproductontotheshelves,orthenewservicedeliveredthroughthe relevantchannels?Wasthereanyoneparticularpersonwhowasthe‘hero’ initsdevelopment?Anyproductorserviceisrichwithcontentifyoulook forit. Youremployeescanhelpyoutoformulatethestory,addtheirownpersonal takeonsomeorallofitscontentandemergeasanevenmorededicatedand committed group because they have an active part in that aspect of your brand.
YOURBRANDBITE™ Usage:Providestheplatformforcreatinganeffectivestrapline,fordealing withtelephoneande-mailenquiriesandasthebasisforcreativeadvertising and promotions. Also vital for networking, and pitches to potential investors. Ifyoumetsomeonewhoasked,‘Whatdoyoudo?’,howwouldyourespond? Mostbusinessownersusuallyanswerinaverypredictablemanner.Theysay, ‘Irunawidgetcompany’,‘IsellXYZ’,‘I’malandscapegardener’or‘I’man accountant’.Evenexecutivesinnot-for-profitsarepronetosay,‘I’mtheCEO ofStAbraham’sHospice’,asthoughthelistenerisalreadytotallyfamiliar withtheirvaluablework.Alltheseanswershaveonethingincommon:they areusuallygivenintermsofwhattheirjobis,orwhatdutiestheyperform. The problem is, describing your profession in this way means that the listenerhasnoideaofwhatyoureallydoor,moreimportantly,howyoucan provideasolutiontoacustomer’sproblem.Intheabsenceofinformation, peoplewillusuallyresorttowhattheycanremember,orwhattheyalready assume is true. Thus, if you say that you own an accountancy firm, you haven’tdefinedyourserviceasbeingofanybenefit.Ifthepersonwhoasked the question has a worldview that accountants are nothing but expensive bookkeepers,guesswhat’sjusthappenedtoyourchancetocommunicatethe valueofyourbusiness?That’sright,it’sjustdisappeared.
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We’vealreadyseenthatpeopledonotbuyfeatures,theybuybenefits–and emotionalonesatthat.So,whenyougettheopportunitytodescribewhat youhavetooffer,thelastthingtodoisreeloffsomemeaninglessdialogue aboutyourproduct,serviceorcompany.Thisisespeciallytrueifyouare involvedinabusinessthatprovidescomplexgoodsorservicesthatarehard tounderstand.‘Mybusinessprovidesninge-wheelboggitspringsforheavydutycompressors.’Duh...describingyourbusinessorwhatitdoesinpure functionaltermsisaguaranteedwaytohalttheconversation.Veryfew,if any,customerscanmaketheleap(orbebothered,eveniftheycould)between whatyoudoandwhatitmeanstothem. Ontheotherhand,ifyouturnthequestiontoyouradvantageandrespond withananswerthatgetstheirattention,youhaveamuchbetterchanceof openingupthedialogue. Inthepastdecadeorso,anincreasingnumberofbusinesseshavesought investmentfromventurecapitalistsandbusinessangels.Butthesepeople are very busy and don’t appreciate time-wasters. So, they need to hear a short,succinctdescriptionofthebusinessideaandthepotentialrewardsit offerstothebacker.Thisdemandhasgivenrisetotheideaofthe’30-second elevatorpitch’:gettingyourpointacrossconciselyasthoughyouwerein anelevatorwithapotentialbackerandhadjustthejourneytotheinvestor’s floorinwhichtograbtheinvestor’sinterest.Not-for-profitexecutivesalso needagoodBrandBite™.Meetingpotentialsupportersandfinancialdonors atafunctionmeansanopportunitytoexplainfacetofacewhatyoudo.If youcan’tarticulateyourmessageinaconciseandattention-grabbingway, youmaynotgetanotherchance. Ididn’thavetimetowriteashortletter,soIwrotealongoneinstead. (AttributedtoMarkTwain)
Likeanelevatorpitch,yourBrandBite™isaconcisestatementaboutthe emotionalbenefitssomeonereceivesonusingyourproductorservice.Your BrandBite™ispurposelybriefbecauseitsfunctionistogetattentionand interestsothatfurtherquestionsareasked.Inotherwords,it’stheprimer, notthewholemessage.Ontheotherhand,it’snotastraplineeither(even thoughitisagoodbasisforthedevelopmentofastrapline),so‘JustDoIt’ won’tdo. Here’sanexampleofhowtoturnadescriptionofyourbusinessoffering intoaBrandBite™.MygoodfriendTerriBodellrunsalifecoachingand
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psychotherapy practice in London. It would be very easy, when someone askedher,‘Whatdoyoudo?’,toanswer,‘I’malifecoach’.Huh?What’s that?Whoknows?Worsestill,Terricouldsay,‘I’matherapistwhousesthe Ericksonianapproachtobehaviouralmodification.’ Yeah,right.Like,that’ssointeresting. Insteadofthesenon-starters,Terrisays,‘Ihelppeopletogetfromwhere theyaretowheretheywanttobeinlife,intheshortestpossibletime.’ NoticethatTerrihasmentionedthekindofpeoplesheworksfor(people whowanttomoveforward)andatthesametimecreatedanemotivehook –buthasn’tyetdescribedinanydetailexactlywhatshedoesorhowshe doesit.However,thelistenercouldalreadybetryingtoimaginewhatTerri meant.Doesshedealinfinancialsuccess(ragstoriches),ormaybeshehelps peoplemovehouse?Perhapssheprovidesaserviceforsingleslookingto findapartner?Thepointis,it’sastatementthatleadstocuriosity,becauseit hasarousedinterest.Whentriedon12listeners,allofwhomwereunknown toTerriortoeachother,thekindofresponsestheygavewerequestionssuch as,‘That’sinteresting.Howdoyouactuallydothat?’,or‘IknowwhereI’d liketobe.Canyouhelp?’,or‘Wow.Whatkindofworkdoyoudo?’Each response was a request for more information, which is exactly what your BrandBite™ismeanttoencourage.
Makeuseofmetaphors Dependinguponthekindofbusinessyouoperate,it’snotalwayspossibleto beoverlyvagueyetstillprovideenoughemotivecontenttocreateinterest. ThekeyistoconstructyourBrandBite™aroundthevaluethatyoubringto thecustomer,andthenuseemotivemetaphorstoenhancewhatyou’resaying. Inotherwords,what’simportanttothecustomerfromanemotionalbenefit viewpoint? Getting back to the accountant we mentioned earlier, instead ofsaying,‘Irunanaccountancyfirm’,howabout‘Ihelppeoplelikeyou keepmoreoftheirhard-earnedmoneybyshowingthemhowtopaylessin taxes.’ HerearesomekeypointsaboutcreatingyourBrandBite™: Keepitsimple.NoMBAlanguage,in-speakortechnicaljargon.
OnewayofmakingsureyourBrandBite™iscrystalclearistotellit tosome10-year-oldchildrenandseeiftheyunderstandwhatyou’re saying.
240 Communicatingyourbrand Emotionisnotthesameashype.Hypebelongsinempty,meaningless
missionstatements,notinaBrandBite.So,phraseslike‘maximising performance’,‘totallycost-effective’,‘uniqueapproach’,‘next-generation’and‘leading-edge’areoldandcold.We’veallheardthemsomany timesbeforethattheyhavelostallmeaning.Ifyourbusinessisable toimproveacompany’sperformance,whatistheemotionaloutcome ofthat?Remember,performanceimprovementisafunctionalbenefit butit’snotanemotionalone.Therehastobesomethingbeyondthe improvementthatthecustomerenvisions.Whatisit?Freedom?The abilitytosleepatnight?Afrustration-freeworksituation? Pointoutthedifferencebetweenyouandyourcompetitors–but doitemotivelyanddon’tmentionanyspecificrival.Thinkback toAnitaRoddick’sconceptforTheBodyShop.HerBrandBite™ couldhavebeen,‘Wecreatebeauty,butunlikeotherswedon’tdoit attheexpenseofhumanrightsandanimalssuffering.’Orwhatabout anelectricboatbuilder,whomightstate,‘Webuildboatsformessingaboutontheriverwithoutmessinguptheenvironment.’Corny, perhaps,butinfinitelymorememorablethan,‘Webuildelectricboats thatworkonarechargeablebatterysystemratherthanusingapetrol [gas]engine.’ Usesimilesandmetaphors.Similesareaneasywayforcustomers torememberyourproductsorservices,especiallyiftheyaredetailed orrathertechnical.Similesdescribewhatsomethingislike,onlythey doitwithgustoandemotion.Ifsomeonesays,‘Fredwentaboutitlike abullinachinashop’,youknowexactlyhowFredbehaved,without theneedforfurtherexplanation.Supermancouldbedescribedashaving‘superioraerodynamicvelocity’,butit’smuchmorememorable –andeffective–tosaythathe’s‘fasterthanaspeedingbullet’.Ifyou wereofferingbroadbandservicestointernetcustomers,whichwould bethebetterBrandBite™:talkingaboutmegabytesandgigabytes,or usingsimilessuchas‘connectingyouatlightningspeed’? MetaphorsarealsogreatforuseinaBrandBite™.Whilesimiles generallyusethewords‘as’or‘like’whenmakingacomparison,metaphorsmakeadirectconnectionbystatingthatsomethingissomething else,notjustlikeit.Forexample,abusinessoperatingatake-away coffeebarcouldusetheBrandBite™,‘Webrewcoffeethat’sBrazil inacup.’Orifyourunanonlinerecruitmentservice,youcouldsay, ‘Weprovideawebsitethat’sawindowonthejobworld.’
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Creatingasloganorstrapline WhenyouhaveacompletedBrandBite™,youhaveashort,pithyandemotive ‘taster’ofwhatyourbusinessisallabout.ABrandBite™shouldbelessthan 50–100words;theshorteritis,thebetterandmoreeffectiveitwillbe. Buteventhatistoolongforuseinanadvertisingcampaign,oraspartof apieceofcollateral.Customersarebombardedwiththousandsofmarketing messageseverydayandrememberveryfew.So,it’simportanttogivethem somethingtotakeawaythat’seasilyrememberedandatthesametimeprovides ahooktotheoverallmessagethatyouwanttogetacross.Thatiswhereagood slogancanhelptoreinforceyourcompanymessage.Advertisingslogans(or ‘straplines’,astheytendtobecalledintheUnitedKingdom)accompanyall thesuccessfulbrands,fromHonda’s‘ThePowerofDreams’toMicrosoft’s ‘Wheredoyouwanttogotoday?’. Most business slogans are like the worst mission statements ever constructed. Banal and meaningless, they include statements such as, ‘Solid, soundservice’,‘Weneversayno’(butIsuspectcustomersmight),‘Abetter dealforyou’,‘ThefinestXYZintheworld’,‘Quitesimplythebest’andso on.We’vealreadycoveredtheneedforanypartoftheBrandStorybook™ toconveyemotionalbenefits,sosorry,thesejustwon’tdo. OnewaytocutdownyourBrandBite™intoasloganistouseourmetaphor friends,becausetheygiveyouthechancetobebriefbutcreative.Forexample, oneofthemostfamousslogansevertobewrittenwas‘Adiamondisforever’, thestraplineofDeBeersConsolidatedMinesusedinaprintadvertisement in1948.(Sincethenit’sbeencopiedasatitleforaJamesBondfilmand the theme song that accompanied it.) Or how about ‘It’s everywhere you wanttobe’,thestraplineusedinalong-runningadvertisingcampaignfora creditcardcalledAccess.Thenthere’sthefamousUKHamletcigarsslogan, ‘HappinessisacigarcalledHamlet’.Ifyounotice,eachofthesesloganshas anemotionalbenefitattachedtoit–somethingthatisdesirable,romantic orsatisfying.AsSamuelJohnson,oneofEngland’sgreatestliteraryfigures, stated,‘Promise,largepromise,isthesoulofanadvertisement.’Thatpromise mustbeoneofemotionalbenefit–andshouldbeevidentinyourstrapline, whetherit’ssubtle,metaphoricalorin-your-face.
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AUKstorybooksuccess The storybook of innocent drinks, based in the United Kingdom, wasboundtobeawinnerfromthestart.Inthesummerof1998, threeCambridgegraduates–AdamBalon,JonWrightandRichard Reed – bought £500 worth of fruit and turned it into smoothies, sellingthemfromastallatamusicfestivalinLondon.Theirbusiness missionwasthreefold:tomakeonly100percentnaturalproducts, to procure all ingredients ethically and to use ecologically sound packagingmaterials. In less than 10 years, innocent have become the fastest-selling smoothiesintheUnitedKingdom,witha72percentshareofthe market,andstillgrowing.Theirturnoverhasspiralledtoaround£100 millionandtheirethicalandmoralbusinessstancehasgarnereda hostofdedicatedfollowers–nottomentionastringoftopawards acknowledginginnocent’svalues,businessandmarketingacumen. Today,innocent’sBusinessBrand™storyincorporatestheInnocent foundation, a grant-giving charity that works in partnership with community-basedprojects.Everywinter,innocent–withthehelpof supportersallovertheUnitedKingdom–raisesmoneybyknitting tiny woolly hats to put on the tops of its smoothie bottles and donates part of the sale proceeds to help elderly people. In 2007 thetargetnumberofhatswas400,000.Inaddition,innocenthas hostedafestivalinLondon’sRegent’sParkeveryyearasawayof thankingitsloyalcustomers,withtheproceedsgoingtoanumber ofnot-for-profitorganisations. The brand identity of innocent reflects its light-hearted brand character.FruitTowers,itsheadquartersinLondon,isAstroTurfed throughout, and some of the vehicles used by the company are covered in grass and daisies (see Figure 16.3), while others have horns,eyelashes,uddersandatail. Equally impressive is innocent’s PeopleBrand™. As co-founder RichardReedsays: Whenitcomestoemployingpeople,westartatthebeginning.We treatpeoplethewaywe’dliketobetreatedourselves,andwekeep
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thingspersonal.Ifyougetajobatinnocent,yourofferarriveswitha caseofdrinks.Oncethelegalbitisover,wesendyoualittlehandbook thattellsyouallaboutlifeatFruitTowers.Andwemakesurewegive youaringinthemonthbeforeyoujoin,justtosay‘hi’andmakesure everythingisOK.We’vefoundit’sthelittlethingsthatareappreciated best, such as having flowers on your desk when you arrive, and a nicelittletimetablethatmapsoutyourfirsttwoweeks.Wealsogive peopleapackofphotosofthepeoplethey’llbeworkingwithanda mapoftheoffice,sotheycanrecogniseandfindtheirnewmates.But thebitthatinnocentpeoplerememberabouttheirfirstfewdaysis the‘lunchmate’.Inyourfirsttwoweeks,youarescheduledaseriesof lunchdateswithallsortsofpeople,soyougettofindouttheoffice gossipandmakeabunchofnewfriends.Nomoresittinginthelocal park on your own nibbling at a sandwich on a bench because you don’tknowanyoneyet.
Figure16.3 Co-founders of innocent drinks, Adam Balon, Jon Wright and Richard Reed and one of their ‘dancing green vans’. Otherphoto:tinywoollyhatscovertheinnocentbottles For more information on Innocent drinks, visit Innocent’s website atwww.innocentdrinks.co.uk.Allmaterialisreproducedwiththe permissionofinnocent.
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17
Finalthoughts
We’vereachedtheendofourEPIC™journey.Fromlearningaboutwhat abrandreallyis,we’veprogressedthroughthevariousstagesofemotion, perception,innovationandcommunication.We’veseenhowBrandReflections canserveuptheoptimumcustomerexperienceandhow,linkedtogether,they formapowerfulBrandHalo™aroundyourbusiness. Some aspects of branding may have seemed daunting, and parts of the psychologytheoriesperhapsalittledry,butIhopethat,overall,theinformation inthisbookhasinspiredyoutostartbuildingauniquebrandforyourbusiness fromtoday.There’sagreatdealofpracticalinformationandideasinthese pagesthatyoucanbegintoincorporatealmostimmediately. I’vebeeninvolvedinadvertising,marketingandbrandingforalmost30 years.Duringthattime,numerousideas,modelsandapproacheshavebeen offeredtocompaniesasthe‘ultimate’solutiontoattractingnewcustomers and being successful. Many of these ideas have fallen at the first hurdle. Others,though,havingstayedaroundlonger,arenowwaypasttheirsellby date and do little, if anything, to help promote a business in the 21st century. Ibelievepassionately,however,thatsensoryandemotionalbrandingis heretostay.Afterall,ifourcustomers–andpotentialcustomers–experience theworldinwhichwelivebytheirsenses,doesn’titfollowthattoengageas manyofthesensesinourbrandingactivityaswecanwillthusensuregreater success? Ifyou’llforgivethepun,itmakesperfectsensetome. YourBrandHalo™isuniquetoyourbusiness.Noneofyourcompetitors willhaveexactlythesameBrandReflections,BrandStorybook™oreven BrandLexicon.Inthisway,yourbrandtrulyisanexclusivestatementabout
246 Finalthoughts
yourbusiness–andaslongasyoukeepyourBrandHalo™polished,itwill shineforaverylongtime. I’mremindedofastoryregardingagroupoftouristswhowerewalking throughthestreetsofalittleIndianvillage.Allofasuddentheynoticedan oldmanpickingupwhatappearedtobeascrapofwood.Withasmallrusty knifeheproceededtocarveoutthemostbeautifulminiatureelephant.No soonerhadhefinishedonethanhescoopedupanotheroldpieceofwoodand carvedanother,thenanother.Amazedatthespeedandaccuracyofthisold man,oneofthetouristscouldstanditnolonger.Walkinguptohim,shesaid, ‘Excuseme,butIsimplyhavetoaskyou,howareyouabletotakeavery oldpieceofwoodandwitharustyknifecarvesomeofthemostexquisite elephantsIhaveeverseen.Howdoyoudoit?’ Theoldmanpausedforamomentand,lookingherstraightintheeye,he smiledandsaid,‘It’ssimple,really.Ijustcutawayallthebitsthatdon’tlook likeanelephant.’ Ifyouwanttopromoteyourbusiness,attractcustomersandstandoutin themarketplace,youneedtocutawayallthepartsthatdon’tlooklikeyour brand.AndreplacethemwithaBrandHalo™thatnotonlylookslikeyour brandbutsoundslikeit,tastesandsmellslikeit,andfeelslikeit,too. IfyoutaketheleapanddecidetoimplementtheBrandHalo™modelin yourbusiness,whynotletmeknowhowwellyou’reprogressing?Orifyou needhelpatanystage,Icanprovideyouwithcoaching,trainingandin-house seminars.Youcancontactmeatjames@brandhalo.co.uk,orvisitmywebsite atwww.brandhalo.co.uk. Goodluckwithbuildingyourbrand.Ilookforwardtohearingaboutyour successinthenot-too-distantfuture.
References
Chapter1 Justwhatisabrand,andwhois thecustomer? Morgan,G(1988)RidingtheWavesofChange,Jossey-Bass,SanFrancisco Winkler, A (1999) Warp Speed Branding: The impact of technology on marketing,JohnWiley,Hoboken,NJ
Chapter2 Brandingtheheartaswellas thehead McCarthy,ED(1989)Emotionsaresocialthings:anessayinthesociology ofemotions,inTheSociologyofEmotions:Originalessaysandresearch papers,edDDFranksandEDMcCarthy,pp51–72,JAIPress,Greenwich, CT Reeves,R(1961)RealityinAdvertising,Knopf,NewYork
Chapter4 Perceptionandlong-term memory Frijda,NicoH(1988)Thelawsofemotion,AmericanPsychologist,43(5), pp349–58 Keller,KL(1987)Memoryfactorsinadvertising:theeffectofadvertising retrievalcuesonbrandevaluations,JournalofConsumerResearch,14, 316–33
248 References
Kempen,LACMvan(2004)Arethepoorwillingtopayapremiumfor designer labels? A field experiment in Bolivia, Oxford Development Studies,32(2),pp205–24
Chapter9 Puttingyourbrandontheright track Milliman,RonaldE(1982)Usingbackgroundmusictoaffectthebehaviorof supermarketshoppers,JournalofMarketing,46(Summer),pp86–91 North,A C, Hargreaves, D J and McKendrick, J (1999)The influence of in-store music on wine selections, Journal of Applied Psychology, 84, 271–76
Chapter10 Thesweetsmellofbrand success Hopkins, T (1983) How to Master the Art of Selling, Grafton Books, London Lindstrom,M(2005)BrandSense:Howtobuildpowerfulbrandsthrough touch,taste,smell,sightandsound,KoganPage,London Proust,M(1982)RemembranceofThingsPast,vol1,Swann’sWay,transC KScottMoncrieffandTKilmartin,Vintage,NewYork
Chapter12 Brandtouchandfeel Cocoran,I(2007)TheArtofDigitalBranding,AllworthPress,NewYork
Chapter15 YourBrandStorybook™ Jensen,R(1999)TheDreamSociety:Howthecomingshiftfrominformation toimaginationwilltransformyourbusiness,McGraw-Hill,NewYork Pink,DH(2005)AWholeNewMind:Howtothriveinthenewconceptual age,Cyan,London
References 249
Chapter16 CreatingyourBrand Storybook™ Schultz,H(1999)PourYourHeartintoIt:HowStarbucksbuiltacompany onecupatatime,Hyperion,NewYork
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Index
A-I-D-A 15,110 A-I-D-C-A 16 AcmeXYZsunglasses example 43–44 adidas 220–21 advertisements 34,70,74–75,79, 85,91,182,229,241 aftershave 147,151,153 airline 34–35,48,99,136,140–41 allergies 153 amygdala 32,68 Apple 169 aromas 137–41,143–46,148–49, 152–54 audience female 206 target 25,97,206,224 audiologo 123,125–29,134 auditorymodality 201–02 BA 88,136 background 79,81–82,95,124, 128,134,183,195,197 music 129–30,132–34 BallPackagingEurope 175–76 BadBrandOdour 144
beliefsystems 65,68–69,72 benefits 8,15,36–37,39,42 hierarchy 40 rational 42 biases 65–66,188 bodylanguage 97,101–02,104, 109–10 BodyBrand 99 bottles 170,172–73 brain 30–32,58–59,62–65, 67–69,84–85 brand definition 13 activities 158,188,192,209 name 74–75,96 personal 153,226 philosophy 196 touchandfeel 165 values 49,220 BrandBite™ 237–41 BrandEmotions™ 139 branding,sonic 134 BrandMe 223,225,230–31 BrandScent 141–42 BrandSoundtrack™ 125,129–30 Branson,Richard 189,232
252 Index
BrandHalo 2,4,19–21,71–72, 74,80–81,187–88,190, 194–95,199,200,202, 208–13,223,245–46 BrandLexicon 196–97,209,245 BrandReflection 72,81,195–200, 202,206–11,213,245 BrandSense 137,143 BrandStorybook™ 21,195–96, 207–09,245 BrookmanExecutiveRecruitment, exampleof 192,195–99,210 BusinessBrand™ 225,227, 229–31
conversation,critical components 111,238 customer contact 113,128,190,192,200 experience 14,21,30,48–50, 55–6,61,67–69,71–74,79, 83,87,89–90,109,126–27, 134–35,139–41 service 48,93,107,118 DigitalBranding,TheArtof 182
earcons 128–29,202 emotional branding,mythsof 70 cake 160–61,164 benefit 37–38,40–50 candidates 230–31,233,236 conflicts 48 cans 175–76 response 32,65–66,69,70,138 card,ediblechocolate emotions 20–21,29–35,37–39, business 158 42–46,48,50,53–55,62, cart-before-horse-ism 14 67–68,70–71,86,88–89, Caruso,David 45 111–12,123,137–38,141 celebrityendorsementsof evoke 55,79,124,153 products 189 generating 34,54 charities 46,144,150,178,180, employees 130,195,213,229–30, 190–91,226 236–37 checklist Enron 10,230 non-verbalcommunication 105, EPIC™branding 20–22,245 fromBrandHalo™Handbook Evian 172 210–11 experience CillitBang 96 customer 14 clusters 66 sensory 61–75,147,165,200 Coca-Cola 8,9,11,30,170–71, kinaesthetic 201 173 throughnarrative 218 colour 35,43,63,85–87 expressions,facial 100,102,105 commodity 3,20–21,233 eyecontact 100,102–03,105 communication 21,39,101–03 ConcordLitho 150–51 Fabia 160–16 coneinc.com 227–28 FallonLondon 161–63
Index 253
filters 64–65,68 flavours 62,155,158 food 155–56,158–59,161,180 foreground 79–82,93,95,195, 197 fragrances 137–44,146–50, 153–54 FruitTowers 242–43 genderdifferences 206–08 gestures 100–01,104–06 haloeffect 188–90 Handbook,BrandHalo™ 200, 209–11,213 handshake 103–04 hapticdevices 182–83 imagination 55,62,66,71,147, 217,221 influenceperception 66,76,79, 83,108 innocentdrinks 242 innovation 21,185,187,232,245 Intel 123 internet,senseoftouch 9,135, 145,182 interpretation,ofsensory experience 67–69 JCBcreditcard 140 jingle 124–26,135 Kanizsa’striangle 84 Kärcher 135–36 kinaestheticmodality 201–02 listenandrespond 110 logic 9,30,32,42,45,54
logos 83,86,88–90,93,96,125, 167,169 long-termmemory 10,59,61,70, 73–74,79,80,83,95,108–10, 114,117,125,136,147,155, 198–99 Madonna 8 manufacturer 146,166,168 Marjolein 135 Marmite 166 Maslow’sHierarchyofHuman Needs 38–40,42–43 MicrosoftSmallBusiness Center 118 mints 158–59 modality 201 Mortonsalt 20 music 108,123–30,132–36,183, 201–02 NewCoke 9 Nike shoes 143 swooshlogo 90 NLP preferredsense 201 non-profitorganisations 40,91, 126,143–44,150,175,178, 191,242 offices 95,129,134 packaging 146,170,172–73, 175 patterns 84–85 Pavlov 62,124 PeopleBrand™ 229–30,236 Pepsi 8
254 Index
perception 19,58,63–65,69,79, 80,86,100,114,124,169, 173,189,200,202,230,245 andlong-termmemory 61 isreality 51 perfume 141,147,150–53,170, 197 pre-purchase 190–91 preferredsense,modalities 201 presentations,making 55,85,144, 157,225,229,233 promotionalmaterials 175,180 Proust 138 questionnaire,brand perception 202 Ramsay,Gordon 156 rationalbenefits 42,45,47 reaction,emotional 69,70 reception,ofexperience 61 RetailChoice.com 131–32 retrievalcues 74–75 RedCross 86 sachet 147–48,183 scentbranding 137–39,141–50, 153–54 ScentDome 148–49 schema 66–69,73 scratch-‘n’-sniff 149–50 Selfridge,HarryGordon 72 sensation 57–58,62,64 sensory experience 64,67,74,140–41, 155,159 information 58–59 modalities 201 receptors 63,166
showroom,areas 151,158, 181–82 sight 90 SingaporeAirlines 140–42,151 Škoda 160–64 slides,usinginpresentation 97, 129,148,198,212 slogans 241 smell 137–50,152–55,157–58, 182–83,197,199,201 song 125–26,131,135–36 sounds 62,108,124–25,128–30, 134–35,143,150,202 space,personal 103 spatialenhancement 129–30 speech 62,108,202 staff 93,95,97,100,104,130-2, 151,192,195,200,210,229, 231,236–37 Starbucks,HearMusicCD 125 storedinformation 55,69 story 217–19,223–27,229,236 BrandMe™ 223,225,230–31 BusinessBrand™ 225,227, 229,230–31 PeopleBrand™ 229–30,236 Storybook™,Brand 49,217,223, 241 storytelling 39,217–18,233 strapline,creating 241 survey,brandperception 202–03 tactile 175,178–80 experience 168,170,173,175, 183 tangiblebenefits 37–45,47 taste 9,21,30,61,79,138,155, 158,160,164 technology 96,107,127,146
Index 255
telephone 107,128,193,229,237 textures 165–66,169,173,183, 199 TheMarketingBureau(TMB) 159–60 tones 129 touch 165–69,173,175,181–83, 201 trust 40,44,47–48,177,207 valuationofbrands 11 verbalcommunication 109,111, 116 Virginbrand 86 vision 88,90,128
visual identity 86–87,90–91 identitymanual 85,93,95,209 voice,toneof 101,116 voicemail 117,122,128 WarpSpeedBranding 16 web senseofsmell 148,203 senseoftouch 182–83 website genderportals 207 menususingearcons 128–29 Whitewater 178 women,marketingto 206–07
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