Great advice once given to me that has stayed with me for many years. At the time, my company was considering changing its name, and I reached out to a branding guru to ask his advice. His response: "if you are a lousy person, and change your name - you remain a lousy person. The same holds true for a company - if you are seeking to change your brand, focus on better management of your reputation and personality. What you call yourself, or look like is just icing on the cake."
To sum up his advice, branding is not simply about look and feel, logos and typography. To successfully build a brand with longevity, companies must understand that a brand is about action, personality and a customer’s experience with a company, individual, or industry. Transforming your company's brand reputation will not be achieved solely through the creation and display of a logo or the insertion of advertisements in magazines and newspapers. It is about the way your CEO leads; the customer service you deliver; the way you react when something goes terribly wrong; and the way your employees behave and interact every day.
For my creative friends, I don't mean to diminish the role of great design in constructing a brand image. A strong corporate identity can set the tone for your business and provide customers with an instant feeling/reaction that is then translated into a brand perception. Great advertising and media placement can be important reinforcement of your brand with external audiences. But if the inside of the organization is not fixed; if your culture is poisoned; your customer service stinks; and your CEO fosters internal politics -- well then, you remain just that -- lousy.
