Branded Customer Service: The New Competitive Edge
Based on our experience, managers—and staff for that matter—generally have a similar set of questions about their brands (see table 6). Ideally, these questions should be answered on both a rational and an emotional basis.
| BRAND SPACE QUESTIONS | LOGICAL CONNECTION | EMOTIONAL CONNECTION | BRAND CONNECTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHAT ARE WE AIMING FOR? | Goals | Meaningful purpose | Brand promise |
| HOW WILL WE DO IT? | Strategies | Shared values | Brand values |
| WHAT'S MY ROLE? | Tasks | Individual attitudes | On-brand behaviors |
| ARE WE SERIOUS? | Behaviors | Walking the talk | Brand integrity |
| HOW ARE WE DOING? | Measurement | Encouragement | Brand alignment |
| WHAT'S THE RESULT? | Compliance | Building commitment | Branded service |
Providing managers with rational answers may engage them at an intellectual level by telling them what they are required to do. If these questions are also answered with feelings taken into account, emotional connections can be created so that managers want to do what they need to do. It is at this level that engagement, and not just compliance, occurs.
Once you have defined the spirit of the brand and what it means in terms of behaviors, it needs to be inculcated into every possible form of organizational communication. Why? Because reiteration reinforces brand awareness and messages, as advertisers are quick to tell companies.
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