The seven highly effective habits of brand champions

The ability to operate effectively within the 'Experience Economy' is one of the key differentiators distinguishing winning brands from the rest of the pack. Think Outsurance, Virgin, Apple, Starbucks, Kulula, Discovery... heavy hitting brands secure the loyalty of high value customers through the consistent delivery of an 'on-brand' experience, across all points of interaction, at all times. Simply put, increasing competition in a shrinking global market demands that brands differentiate their offerings through the brand experience.

'It sounds simple enough, the 'on-brand' experience. But the reality is inevitably more complex than the marketing jargon,' says Janice Spark, Founder and Director of brand strategy and reputation management consultancy, Idea Engineers.

'Ensuring an 'on-brand' experience for all your customers, regardless of where or how they interact with your company, means ensuring that the company itself - its people, its systems, its products - is always 'on-brand'. And therein lies the challenge...'

While many companies are launching internally focused brand alignment programmes, getting the right results is no fait accompli. Indeed, it is the exception rather than the rule when a company manages to radiate its brand intent, internally and externally, across all touch points.

'Two of the most common failure points for internal brand programmes are a lack of top level commitment to the process, and an almost inevitable 'rah rah' paradigm, where the brand programme becomes an enforced self congratulatory session, and not a meaningful intervention that marries marketing and HR practices to drive change,' says Spark.

For companies seeking to lower customer churn, rise above the competition and deliver the elusive 'on-brand' experience that is the foundation of a loyal customer base, it is helpful to isolate the habits of those who are already enjoying the results a truly brand-centric business.

'Before you leap into the world of employee motivation sessions and brand workshops, you should look at the footprints of those who have been successful,' says Spark. 'Champion brands, both locally and globally, have developed good habits when it comes to mobilising the company around the brand. Others can learn a lot from the way these champions have designed their internal brand processes.'

Habit 1: Know Thyself

Before you can look at getting the company working, living and interacting 'on-brand', it is critical that the brand itself is clearly articulated. It seems simple enough (after all, how can you mobilise staff around the brand if the brand itself isn't clearly defined?), but many companies try to develop an internal dynamic around a brand that doesn't yet have a clear identity.

'A strong, robust brand system is necessary to begin the journey,' says Spark. 'If the brand identity is not clearly articulated and defined, the journey could take you anywhere - but it won't take you where you need to go.'

Habit 2: Top Level Evangelists

Try and imagine Virgin without Richard Branson at the helm, or Discovery operating without the drive of Adrian Gore and Barry Schwarztburg. No luck? Of course not. Successful brands are defined by passionate CEO's who are committed to the brand and its resonance across the company. They are also characterised by a top level management team that understands the brand and its relevance to staff behaviour and the customer experience.

'Without top level evangelists that clearly articulate the importance of 'Living the Brand', internal brand mobilisation will diffuse - quickly,' says Spark. 'The one thing all highly successful brands have in common is passionate CEO's who understand the importance of the brand experience, internally and externally. Also, high impact leaders realise that 'Living the Brand' is a long journey and not a silver bullet campaign - and they are committed to the journey.'

Habit 3: The Brand Council

Vertically structured internal brand initiatives repeat the power structure of the organisation - never letting the brand itself take centre stage. If the company is going to orientated itself around an 'on-brand' ideology, cross functional teams are essential. These teams, consisting of staff members from across the internal hierarchy, are the only method through which to place the brand itself at the heart of the business.

'Our experience has shown that the creation of a company brand council, consisting of staff members from all levels, is critical,' says Spark. 'This council can cut through internal dynamics and power plays inherent in any organisation and focus on the health, relevance and role of the brand itself within the company.'

Habit 4: The Marriage of Marketing and HR

'Roles, responsibilities and rewards within the company must be brand-led to create a vehicle for long term sustainability and delivery of the brand experience,' Spark continues. 'Brand infusion, education and alignment has to be underpinned by brand-led HR practices and change management interventions. If this does not happen, the brand remains an abstract, largely theoretical concept, and not a fundamental element of the business.'

In other words, the brand promise must be tied to performance management in order to create brand champions across the organisation. Marketing and HR may seem like strange bedfellows, but then again, think of Outsurance and its highly successful marriage of the two - internally and in media campaigns. The result? A brand that radiates, no matter where you are or how you experience it.

Habit 5: The Touch Point Analysis

Although internally focused, internal brand programmes must nevertheless be designed around an understanding of where, how and when customers are coming into contact with the organisation. Understanding each point of interface means that you can impact on the customer at each point, consistently.

'The touch point analysis is so obvious, it's amazing that many companies still don't get it right. If you don't know where and how you are interacting with your customers, you may as well forget the whole programme,' says Spark.'

Habit 6: The Segmented Organisation

Your staff are also your customers - they need to understand, buy-into and act according to the brand identity and experience.

'Just as you would segment your customer audience (tailoring messages and mediums of interaction according to each segment), segment your internal audience, and tailor your messaging and communication for each distinct internal audience to bring about real change in behaviour,' says Spark. 'Different people respond to and absorb information in different ways - these differences have to be catered with all internal communications.'

Habit 7: Measure and Manage

'Live The Brand' programme should be a dynamic intervention. As such, the brand needs to clearly define its position before the programme starts, and set clear (and realistic) goals for delivery.

'Unseen issues will arise, limitations will be exposed and delivery will not be constant,' says Spark. 'The key is to continually measure and manage the programme to deal with the reality of daily life.'

Great Brands Don't Grow By Accident

'It is not only possible, but imperative to create 'Live The Brand' programmes that differentiate the business for bottom line growth and sustainable business advantage,' Spark concludes. 'Just look at the success of brands like Virgin, Dell, Wal-Mart, Seers, Outsurance, Kulua, FedEx, Discovery and others have had through focusing on the internal brand. All these businesses are very successful, and they have the happy customers to prove it. The most obvious example of all is Coca Cola - a company that has focused on the internal brand for over 100 years. There is no doubt that this sort of focus delivers bottom line results.'

However, merely initiating an internal branding process without paying attention to the details is a fatal mistake - one often repeated locally.

'Unfortunately, it happens often,' says Spark. 'Decision makers accept the imperative, but do not pay enough attention to the details of how others achieved their successes. The result of poorly designed internal brand programmes is confusion, and a brand that is unable to differentiate itself in the market. In a highly competitive environment, the results can be devastating.'