The Forrester Corporation

2Brand or not to Brand is that a question? Well, in business we build brand without even knowing it! Yes, every day that we operate with suppliers, customers and other key stakeholders we are building the intangible essence of brand.

The first viewing of the London 2012 Olympic logo hit the headlines for the wrong reason. Will it turn out to be a classic of our time - only time will tell!

Many organisations consider brand to be the logo or mark they use on their building or stationery. The reality is the mark is one element of the equation. Here are just some of the other things that may contribute to brand equity or value.

• Your facilities - Are they clean? Built for purpose?  Allow access for all?
• Your people - Do they know what they are doing? Are they courteous  and informed about their role?
• Your mark - Does it reflect the organisation? Do your customers recognise it as you when they see it in isolation?
• Your products or services - Do they meet the markets needs? Are they seen as superior? Are they over priced?

The above items may be getting you thinking about your own brand and organisation?

For consultants brand is a great mystery to solve on behalf of clients. But, if we look at some of the great brands, we see that they have some common elements that all organisations can simply grasp. Lets look at Coke-Cola^®.

• A great product that delivers on the claim - Delicious and refreshing!
  
• A consistently applied and communicated brand - Coke Cola's logo or mark has not changed in over 100 years!
  
  
• Time - Your market needs time to build trust and emotions 

The defining of an organisations brand strategy is intertwined with that of the organisations mission, aims and objectives. Simply creating a great logo will not endure time or poor customer experience. We all have experience of the new kid on the block looking to replace the iconic brand in the form of a beverage or entertainment system or perhaps our choice of transport provider. They may appear more modern, slicker and perhaps cheaper, but they will have to stay around long enough and with sufficient consistency to truly challenge the legacy of brands from the 20th Century.

Contact us now for a free impartial chat about brands and brand strategy in communication.