branded for life

Archive for the ‘on branding’ Category

HR gave me a written notice about my attire for being too casual. There’s nothing in their policy that talks about what clothes to wear at work. Why should I listen to them?

Oh, Dior! Someone call the Fashion Police. You could be the person to win the Most Fashionable Employee of the Year award, if there was ever one, however, your sense of what’s fashionable is not the point. It’s not about HR or your manager’s personal taste either. The real issue here is the absence of a brand guide that explains the personality, values, spirit and tone of the business. While many global brands are more comfortable not providing a uniform for reasons such as cost cutting and not killing the employee’s individual sense of style and identity, they have this subject covered through clear guidelines. The idea is not to restrict the employees by telling them what to wear, but to inform them about what not to wear. ...read more

What’s the best way to measure the brand’s perception?

There are books, articles and lectures that talk about metrics for gauging brand perceptions. The tricky thing about brands is that the word brand itself is nothing but an impression in someone’s mind. It’s a mix of rational and irrational feelings, thoughts and experiences. Regular quantitative research with multiple options and tables is incapable of truly understanding that impression. Customer Satisfaction surveys can’t reflect the brand’s core perception. 40% of satisfied customers leave the businesses they purchase their products or services from regardless. Qualitative methods like focus groups can’t provide accurate information because there’s a certain gap between what people sometimes think, say, and do. It requires the mastered skill of research design and moderation to reach reliable results. ...read more

In one of your previous Two Cents answers you wrote, “Without defining your business, it’s difficult to tell which approach is more suitable for the business.” I find it difficult to come up with a vision for our business and I can’t see how important it is to have one when we’re actually making good profit every year. Is your statement mainly theoretical or am I missing something? ...read more

I’m a senior university student majoring in Marketing. Due to your constant praise of the power of branding, I got into a lot of reading. Actually, my social life is almost non-existent. So, thanks! One of the things that still have me confused is the need for a Brand Essence when the slogan or tagline is a strong one already. Shouldn’t ‘Just Do It’ be enough? ...read more

I can tell that some of our customers are lying to replace some pieces or get freebies. How can we stop this abuse without breaking “the customer is always right” philosophy?

To start with, it’s refreshing to see that you and your company are committed to customers. Some customers will always take advantage of flexible policies; it’s a fact. However, that doesn’t mean your company should punish all customers because of the acts of a few. So, let’s talk options. Assuming that there’s nothing wrong with your products, it’s possible that they’re returning them because they don’t suit their needs anymore. Putting good intentions aside, you need first to examine the incidents. Are the same customers repeating this behavior over and over? Or is it that many customers are returning their purchases once? ...read more

It’s difficult giving employees criticism about their performance without irritation showing on their faces and in their tone of voice and a lack of interaction for a few days after the talk. How can I let them know where they went wrong without the drama?

Would a T-shirt from the kids’ section fit you if I gave it to you as a gift? Unless, you’re a magic elf, the answer is no. Why? Because it doesn’t fit. You have to find out the best way that works for each employee. And when you provide constructive criticism be specific. Don’t say, “You did this mistake and it was wrong. Don’t do it again.” Instead, say, “Your action in project ABC was not up to your usual standard and this is how it affected the company…” Also, don’t have a bad-news-face when you talk to them about it. Here’s your roadmap: ...read more

People in this market are lazy. We invite customers and consumers to attend our products launches but they don’t show up. What can we do to get some attention?

We all read about the same boring corporate releases about a product launch or a new promo event. We all see the pictures that accompany these articles. You know, the ones with some executive management cutting a ribbon, pulling a fabric away to reveal the product, or my favorite, using flashing lights and smoke machines. Hurray! And we wonder why customers lose interest in attending or why the press is not eager about the event! How can anyone get energized about such events, seriously? ...read more