I picked up a Tweet today that I thought was a pretty insightful: Brand is what you say about yourself; reputation is what others say about you (thanks, Bob Aber, for the RT). It got me thinking about how organizations and individuals both spend large investments to build their “brand” and how significant the acts and words behind it must be to maintain a reputation. Brands can take years to build, but reputations can be made or broken in a single act. It seems like a simple enough balance but I’m amazed at how often teams and organizations can miss how the individual acts determine this much more than dollars invested in branding.
For most of my career I’ve worked in two organizations that have been the pretty low on the public expectations: rental cars and cable. Going to social functions and mentioning you work in either of these industries can open up a fascinating stream of discussion. With rental cars I’d hear the horror stories of long lines, questionable vehicles, reservations that went unfilled, and occasionally a reference to OJ Simpson (for those who remember the Juice) running through an airport. And cable, need I say more. Cable and telecommunications providers generally rank the lowest in overall service across industries (here’s a sample ranking) so it has been many a dinner I’ve had to discuss the service issues that friends and colleagues have experienced (which I hope generally I can resolve). If you haven't seen it, check out this Conan O'Brien clip from his "Day in Cable." Not a typical day but certainly an entertaining look.
Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, but I like working in these types of industries. I actually find it fun to work in environments where customers take the products we are offering so passionately. A friend and mentor told me years ago when I worked at Enterprise that when he travelled he always tried to use them. Not because the cars were better or price was more competitive, but because of our relationship since he knew the values the organization tried to exhibit with every customer. This helped create loyalty to the brand. This was a significant moment when I realized that the reputation of an organization starts with the individual contact that team members make with every customer they meet, and it is a belief I still have today.
As I mentioned earlier, brands can take years to build. Over the past few years I’ve been an advocate of Apple products. With all the changes that take place with technology, Apple finds a way to keep things simple to set up and easy to use. There is a lot more user capability if you go past the basics of their interface, but for the person who simply wants something to work right out of the box (and yes, they have the devices charged so they can work right out of the box) you can be up and running in minutes. The simple use and easy integration are what they have committed to in their products but what has made their reputation with me are the visits to the Genius Bar.
If you haven’t been to one, each Apple Store has a service area in the back where at no charge you can get on the spot customer service. They will run demonstrations, troubleshoot, and assist with basic issues. Granted, you have to physically go to the store, but when you do the service you receive is always great. It are those personal interactions and how each representative makes you feel that builds the reputation. I know I’m going to get a good product from Apple wherever I buy it, but their reputation with me has been made at the Crocker Park location in Westlake, OH.
So how do you maximize this relationship of brand and reputation in a team or organization? Here are a few thoughts I have on what can help create a sustainable brand and reputation:
1. Identify what you want your brand to be. To build a brand you have to keep the concept simple for your consumer, whether it is having good product, being a low cost provider, or having great service. You can also apply this individually. Do you want to be known for being a tech whiz or do you want to have the brand as the “go-to” that everyone can count on?
2. Learn what you need to do to reinforce your brand. What I mean here is that I don’t think you can determine the brand and then just assume you can do the right steps to make it happen. There will likely be a learning curve in which you have to get the right people in the organization, reinforce the behaviors you want exhibited, and ensure continuous feedback and learning to ensure you’re achieving your goals. As an individual, getting this continuous feedback is critical to ensure you are on track with personal objectives.
3. Remember that every interaction drives reputation and builds a brand. It’s in our nature to talk about the bad stuff: poor service experiences, run-ins with coworkers, the poor products we spend our hard earned money on. When something goes according to plan, we’re happy because our expectations have been made but generally we're neutral to expectations being met. This is why it is critical for you to consider how can you exceed expectations in your organization, with your coworkers, or with your customers? These create memorable experiences and reinforce to a the target audience they have made the right choice in you.
4. And the bar will get higher. Once you are able to build a brand and reputation you want, know the expectations on your reputation will continue to be raised as competitors equal your performance. I had a friend who recently adopted a new approach to a process in his department, and because the response time to the field improved this now became the new expectation. He built a reputation that he can drive change, but once the change is realized the bar continues to be raised by expectations. Be prepared to respond accordingly!
Brand can sometimes be the logo on the box, the tag line of a commercial, or the signature line on your email. Reputation is built on the pride individuals take to those symbols and the actions they do day to day to make it a reality.
So what is your brand and what are you doing every day to reinforce and live it? Remember, your reputation is riding on it.
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