Are your customers proud to engage with your brand?
I’ve been pondering the concept of “a brand,” how to define it, and then how to curate* one. I think the answer to the title question determines whether you have a great brand. That's our ultimate objective, right? A great brand is more fulfilling to be behind, and the business results follow.
This week, I stumbled upon a definition from Angela Ahrendts, Burberry CEO**, soon to be head of Apple retail. How she articulates a great brand starts at 9:12:
Long interview (34:25) with some interesting insights and business results. Under her leadership, Burberry transitioned from 75% wholesale to 75% retail in order to control their brand. They initially projected this would double revenue and profits in 5 years... and they doubled in 4 years.
tl;dw - what is a great brand?
Consumers want to be a part of that brand because they are proud to be a part of it. Because that brand makes them feel a certain way. They trust that brand. It’s authentic. It doesn’t let them down, and it exceeds their expectations. So, they want to engage with it. Attributes of a great brand are honesty, integrity, authenticity, and quality. There’s a trusting relationship between the brand and the consumer***.
Are you feeling motivated too?! Let's get to work!
So, proud customers signal a great brand... which wins more customers... which reinforces the brand. Perhaps this is circular; it's definitely symbiotic. How do we know if our customers are proud to engage with our brand?
Proud customers do repeat business because they like how it reflects upon them. They refer others, give positive reviews, participate, sign up for emails, follow you, read and watch what you have to say, like and share your content. Later in her interview, Angela says a great brand needs to have engagement and reach.
These are all metrics (most of them digital!) that marketers work with every day, each on measuring a piece of the puzzle of your brand. Yet, we need to achieve more than improved metrics****. Do your engagement and reach metrics tell the story of a great brand? The specifics will be unique to your industry, your brand.
Are your customers proud to engage with your brand?
*Are marketers the curators, rather than the creators, of a brand? (more on this in another post)
**Burberry have been leading digital and tech innovation in fashion. For example, they were one of the first to live stream fashion shows, and their Spring Summer 2014 was shot with the new-at-the-time iPhone 5S.
***It takes an entire company to create a great brand -- every department has some impact on the customer experience and perception.
****I fear we sometimes get caught up in the metrics and lose sight of the story the numbers tell.