OBJECTIVE 2.06
Reinforce company’s image to
exhibit the company’s brand
promise
WHAT IS A BRAND?
 Brand: is all of the impressions and experiences consumers associate
with a company, a product, or a service. Brands relate to customers on
an emotional and rational level.
 A brand is a name, term, symbol, design, or combination thereof that
identifies a seller’s products and differentiates them from competitors’
products.
WHAT IS BRAND PROMISE?
 Brand promise: is what your business will consistently
deliver to the customer. This established your customers’
expectations for the quality and consistency of their
experiences with your business. Businesses want to control
perceptions, thoughts, and feelings customers have about
them. It provides guidance to employees as they interact
with customers daily. A brand must promise a relevant,
compelling and differentiated benefit to the target
customer.
BRAND PROMISE…
The brand promise is what audiences are assured of
receiving as a result of their relationship with the
brand.
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF A
COMPANY’S BRAND PROMISE?
A company’s brand promise establishes a base line
of customer service to be expected. It reflects the
core values of the company and should be
demonstrated by every employee throughout the
company. This has a direct impact on the
customer’s experiences with the company; thus,
developing a long term business relationship with
customers.
IMPORTANCE OF A BRAND PROMISE…
A brand promise is very important to a company
because it tells the customer what to expect
from the company. It makes the customer feel
comfortable.
WHAT ARE FACTORS IMPACTING A
COMPANY’S BRAND PROMISE?
Brand Champion is the one that analyzes
the business’s strengths. Brand Champion is
the CEO or manager. 100% commitment to
core values starts at the top. From the CEO
to the mailroom clerk or doorman,
customers need to know they are the first
priority. The champion keeps the brand alive
throughout the company.
CONTINUED BRAND PROMISE….
What does your business do better than anyone
else?
What does your business have, done, or provided
that your competitors don’t?
What makes your business unique?
IDENTIFY A BRAND PROMISE…
PHILIPS BRAND PROMISE…
By “Sense and Simplicity” Philips means
everything that they do for their
customers will be easy and simple.
Basically, really simple to understand.
NIKE’S BRAND PROMISE…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ItHarevJZYw&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active
WHAT IS A VISION AND MISSION
STATEMENT?
 Mission statement: is a brief summary of what you
want your business to be doing.
 Vision statement: is what your business will
become.
 Review your business plan for valuable brand clues.
 Understand your customer’s wants and needs.
 Understand the core values of the business.
 Consider your brand internationally and on the
internet.
WHAT IS COMPANY IMAGE?
 A corporate image is the perception that the general
public holds about a particular business. Many companies
invest a great deal of time and other resources in an effort
to influence the opinion that consumers hold about the
products offered by the business, as well as the business
itself.
CONTINUED COMPANY IMAGE…
Images could be based on so many different
characteristics such as quality of products, solid and
long positive reputation of the company, highly
trained sales team, lowest prices in town, integrity
of staff, long standing positive community relations,
and customer service.
CORPORATE IMAGE CONTINUED….
One of the most basic ways of shaping a
corporate image is establishing and
maintaining positive relationships with the
general public. This effort usually begins by
offering products that successfully meet the
needs of customers, thus generating
goodwill.
WHY IS COMPANY IMAGE SO
IMPORTANT?
Companies with strong corporate images, such as
Sony and Nike have an advantage in the market place
because their names adds value to their products and
reduces uncertainty in the eyes of distributors,
retailers and consumers.
HOW CAN EMPLOYEES REINFORCE
COMPANY IMAGE?

Employees should be trained and motivated to project a
positive image of the company. From training employees on
answering telephones, how daily decisions are made, to
establishing dress code requirements shows that companies
understand how important communicating a positive image
is to the company’s success
CONTINUED…
 Employees are walking, talking demonstrations of brand
values every day in everything they do. Employees connect
brand values with customers through touch points(all
opportunities that businesses have to connect with
customers and reinforce brand value) to make brands come
alive. Employees both reflect brand values and help shape
them.
TOUCH POINTS
Every instance a customer comes into contact with
a brand.
Think about Sundrop. Make a list in your notebook
of how many ways you come in contact with the
brand Sundrop.
HOW EMPLOYEES CAN REINFORCE THE
COMPANY’S IMAGE THROUGH THEIR
PERFORMANCE…
Every interaction a company employee has with a stakeholder
communicates something of the firm’s identity. This means
that employees should be trained and motivated to project
a positive image of the company. From training employees
on answering telephones, how daily decisions are made, to
establishing dress code requirements shows that companies
understand how important communicating a positive image
is to the company’s success.
BRAND IMAGE IS NOT JUST YOUR LOGO
Brand image is more than your logo. It is every
customer/prospect’s interaction with your
company that creates an impression.
It’s your company’s character.
It should communicate the difference between
you and the competition – your reason for
being.
How you stand out in the crowd
BRAND IMAGE
 Brand image is something you have whether you try or not – it is
what the public sees – it is the image they have of you – either
good or bad.
 The Nike logo was purchased for $35 in 1971 from Portland
State University graphic design student Carolyn Davidson.
According to Davidson, Phil Knight, Nike founder said at the time:
“I don’t love it, but it will grow on me.”
 What does the Nike swoosh mean to you?
CREATING A BRAND IMAGE
 Brand image should be created BEFORE you actually start
your business.
 It should be positive.
 It should look like you, feel like you and smell like you.
 It must be a reflection of your best traits.
 Example: You are the brand of your lawn company. It’s you
that makes a difference. It’s you that people remember. It’s
you that is responsible for the success of your lawn care
business. Build your lawn care image by being a consistent
positive performer; associate with quality things and people;
deliver what you promise.
A STRONG BRAND
 Creates a preference to purchase and an inclination to
continue purchasing (aka brand loyalty.)
 Branding forces the small business owner to focus on what
it is you do, what you want to do and what you will
become.
YOUR BRAND IMAGE
Using the company you created in 2.04 – Creating
your own little world answer the questions on the
next slides in your notebook.
IDENTIFYING YOUR BRAND IMAGE
Why are you in business?
2. What makes your business unique? What can customers
get from you they can’t get elsewhere? Price? Quality?
Service? Guarantee? Product?
3. Is there something about your service your customers
actually enjoy paying you money to do?
1. What are those qualities/services?
2. Think about what your customer would say and not
what you think they would say.
1.
IDENTIFYING YOUR BRAND IMAGE
4.
What part of your business are you passionate about? Can you
formulate that passion into one sentence?
5.
Pretend you have employees – what do you thing their perception
would be of your company? Why?
6.
What is your target market? Do you have a clearly defined service?
Customer profile? Prospect demographics?
7.
What do you offer your customers?
8.
In a sentence, what is your company’s promise to its customers? To
its employees?
BRANDING IMAGE ELEMENTS
In general, there are 3 building elements
used in your branded image:
Logo
Slogan
Image
BRANDING IMAGE ELEMENTS
Is your company image distinctive or does it look
the same as most of your local competition?
Logo – is it distinctive and does it imply
professionalism?
Are you comfortable with your logo?
Does your logo reflect your company’s image?
Slogan – in a phrase, what does it say about your
business?
BRANDING IMAGE ELEMENTS
 Are you using an image identifier that supports your
core concept?
 Are you using that image identifier throughout all of
your business elements?
 Letterheads/envelopes/business cards
 Brochures/estimate forms/folders
 Advertising media
 Truck signage
 Professional attire for techs working onsite
 Web site
 Every single piece of communication to customers and
prospects
IMPLEMENTATION OF BRAND IMAGE
 Steps in implementation:
 Development of the three elements
 Installation of the elements
 Educating the staff and management as to the importance
these elements imply
 Are the three elements aligned?
 Does the implementation include vehicles, equipment,
uniforms, signage, paper products, electronic media?
 Do employees believe and support the image?
REVIEW OF BRAND IMAGE
IMPLEMENTATION
 Once installed, review the results and make changes as
needed. Don’t wait, don’t procrastinate, seek areas for
improvement.
 Do you plan to do follow-up discussions on how effective the
implementation has been?
 What needs to be improved?
 Will you discuss what the market place thinks and says about your
company?
 Can you be objective in those discussions?
ASSIGNMENT: YOUR BRAND
Create the 3 elements of branded image about
YOU.
 Create your logo?
 Create your slogan?
 What is your image? What do you want others to
perceive about you?
 Create a survey of 5 questions that classmates can
complete about you to find out: What they really think
about you?