Brand, it's not just what you see, it's what you get.

I'm in the final stretch of preparing for the marketing launch of our BU's new brand architecture (Elsevier R&D Solutions). If you've ever worked on a brand project, then you know how much work it takes. The short check list includes: updating sales enablement materials, email templates, newsletters, social media channels, etc. The long check list is well, long to say the least and goes well beyond that. My team works very closely with our global brand team to ensure we are aligned, and we also work very closely with our product and integrated marketing colleagues to ensure everything on our check list will be completed. The truth is, without this level of collaboration and team work, we'd be far from the finish line that is fast approaching. 

Central to collaboration and team work is frequent commmunications.  We have weekly calls and provide other regular updates to ensure everyone knows who's doing what, and  what to expect when.  Along the way, I've also delivered presentations about the marketing launch to our entire BU.  In this process, I've considered a variety of important things to communicate. I've provided timelines, details about where to find logos, brand guidelines and other items on our corporate intranet, etc. Yeah, yeah all of this is good and useful.  But, I also provided details about our mission and what our brand represents.

Often people think about the "look and feel" of a brand. For all of the work that goes into marketing and raising awareness of our brand, success is ultimately measured by what our customers, prospects, employees and others experience. Consistency between words and action.  Everyone has a role to play in this regard.  It's all encompassing.  It's what people think when they enter our lobby, it's about the interactions they have on the phone, during meetings, at conferences and other locations.  It's what they experience with our products, customer support etc.  This is the same for every company whether B2B or B2C.  This means you have an important brand role too, whatever your role, whereever you work.

I'll conclude with an example. A few years ago, I was at a work conference in Atlanta. After dinner, I wanted to get exercise, so I decided to walk back to my hotel from the restaurant. I think it was about 2 miles. I like to walk, so that's not a big deal.  As I was trying to get my bearings, and as the GPS on my phone was slowly calibrating, I looked around for someone who could point me in the right direction. I walked over to man in front of a hotel.  It turns out the hotel was the Four Seasons, and the man was the official hotel driver.  He asked exactly where I wanted to go. He gave me directions, but he also immediately offered to drive me. I declined because I wanted to get exercise.  He looked at my dress shoes and politely persuaded me to reconsider. He said, it's hot (it was), tells me I'm not wearing comfortable shoes (true) and the distance is further than I think (still doable for me).  Ultimately, I took the ride he offered in the hotel car. It was a beautiful Jaguar - not as sexy as a classic XJ16, but nice. The point of the story is that he provided excellent customer service, and I wasn't even a guest at the hotel.  He knew I wasn't a guest at the hotel.  I was staying at a much cheaper hotel down the road. But, the Four Seasons has a reputation for excellent service, and they deliver. I can't tell you what's on the Four Seasons' website or the color of its logo. But, I can tell you they have excellent customer service and treat people very well. The hotel driver was the best example of a brand ambassador. He understood the company's mission, and he incorporated the essence of it in his work.