Protecting the Company Brand :Protecting the Company Brand John M. Martinez


Why is a Brand Valuable? :Why is a Brand Valuable? Identifies who you are, what you do, what you stand for Sets you apart from the competition Creates a desire or demand for your company or product Allows you to innovate and introduce new products or services – but at the same time remain the same


What is a Brand? :What is a Brand? EVERYTHING generated by the company impacts the brand, from the product produced to the documents developed, to the employees answering the phone Creates an emotional experience - gives the organization its human qualities To be effective and stand for something, a brand must be consistent


What is a Brand? :What is a Brand? Your brand is your image and is the company’s most valuable asset Defined by every experience, product, action, and employee over the life of the company


What Should a Brand Do? :What Should a Brand Do? Your brand should define who you are to the individuals who matter most: Your customers Your prospective customers Your employees (past, present, and future)


What should a Brand Do? :What should a Brand Do? Give employees a common understanding of not what they do for a living, but how they do it – live the brand


Maintaining the Brand :Maintaining the Brand Every company should have an individual or group of individuals who are the “parents” or “keepers” of the brand His/her job is to protect the brand and present it in the best possible light whenever and wherever it may be found Keep in mind, you can’t entirely control a brand, at best you can guide and influence it


Maintaining the Brand :Maintaining the Brand A brand advisor should look at the entire organization to ensure all activities support the brand Identify and appoint other brand champions in key areas of the company Monitor what is happening in the organization to ensure current activities continue to support the brand Regular review of all business, marketing, and communication materials should be conducted All business ventures should assess the brand impact


How to Protect the Brand :How to Protect the Brand While it is critical to consistently demonstrate to the outside world that you know what your brand is all about, it is even more important to demonstrate this internally


How to Protect the Brand :How to Protect the Brand Employees are the faces and voices of the brand Absolutely everyone in the company should understand the brand Employees may have more influence over your brand than anything else you do


What Matters in Protecting a Brand? :What Matters in Protecting a Brand? When Dave Olsen, Starbucks Chief Coffee Buyer was asked what was most important to the Starbucks brand… was it the coffee, the store, the people, what? After thinking for a moment he answered, “Everything matters.”


The Employee Difference :The Employee Difference Starbucks Chairman & CEO Howard Schultz: “Ultimately, Starbucks can’t flourish and win customers’ hearts without the passionate devotion of our employees…Their passion and devotion is our number-one competitive advantage. Lose it, and we’ve lost the game.”