Thursday morning, I got into a bit of a conversation about who really controls a company’s brand. It was started by a guerrilla, then the conversation turned a bit poetic, then I finally got it “on.”
In all of that give and take, my thoughts on branding became a bit more crystal clear in terms of any discussion of control. And, no, I’m not going He-Man on you.
The company has the most — but not only — influence over its brand. Afterall, the company is the one that started the brand, and is most active in promoting its brand (through various forms of public relations, advertising, its graphic treatments, how its customer service and sales personnel interact with customers and prospects and suppliers, etc.).
The company projects its brand with a certain focus. If that projection is consistent and clear, the brand — for the most part — materializes as it is intended. (Remember, you can’t please everyone all the time.)
How that brand is viewed, is determined — but not solely — by customers, prospects, vendors, etc., who voice their perceptions on that brand. That voice is communicated through sales, interaction with the company, talking to friends, comments on blogs, and even mumblings under their breaths.
If the company likes the brand being portrayed by its marketplace, fine. It strives to continue doing what it’s doing and adapting as necessary.
If the brand being shown is not what the company intended, it (ideally) makes the necessary changes and communicates those changes to the marketplace.
There. Is that clear?
– Mike
Technorati tags: branding, social media, Media Guerrilla, Hyku, On Message
