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B2B INC. WILL GUIDE YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES IN "LIVING YOUR BRAND"
In b2b branding, living the brand requires that a company is committed to engaging its customers on an emotional level.
Can any company make this happen? Theoretically, yes. Practically, it takes quite a bit of effort and a well-planned b2b branding strategy.
Branding and change.
Long-established business marketers may have a rough time changing (re-branding) from a so-so brand to a fabulous one. These firms may have a lot of baggage and may have an infrastructure that is hard to turn around to the satisfaction - indeed to the undying loyalty - of customers.
Newer firms may have an easier time creating a brand that endears its customers. That is, if the owners and executives decide to build a company that actually focuses on true brand-building, and commits to a b2b branding strategy. The firm's managers and customer service people - in fact everyone else in the company - has to be on the same page.
The brand and the Internet.
Has the Internet affected the b2b branding process?
Some companies that started as Internet firms have proven that a superb brand can be built in a very short timeframe. Take consumer-brand Zappos, which went from sales of less than $2million in 2000 to more than $1billion in 2009. Zappos built an enviable brand because right from the beginning, they consciously decided to focus on superb customer service. The Internet had everything to do with building its brand so quickly; such a timeline would have been unheard of 10-15 years ago.
Management's emotional investment.
The key to successful b2b branding - and in living the brand - is this: just as customers become emotionally engaged as they experience a wonderful brand, so must company owners and managers have an emotional attachment (and an unfaltering commitment) to the brand-building process.
Emotional engagement and commitment on the part of managers and owners breeds a culture within the organization that is felt by the company's customers.
Such a culture stems not from a mission statement, but from living the brand internally, and communicating it externally. And from having a b2b branding plan.
Branding strategy.
Living the brand calls for a carefully-planned and executed image-and-emotions-based communications strategy. Every touch point with customers and prospects - from advertising to answering the phone - must be consistent, and carry the brand look and feel. (see Telling Your Story)
Living the brand may also call for internal training, especially in more established firms. Some firms formulate a specific b2b branding strategy for building their brand internally, reflecting their commitment to the total branding process.
Of course, living the brand calls also for careful attention to the design process to ensure quality and consistency in all points of communication.
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