Brand Integrity – Have We Made Any Strides This Year? – by John Hendrie
So how are our reputations faring with two thirds of the year almost gone?
In 2009 we were beset with challenges never experienced, stretching our resources, shaking our sensibilities. It was primal reaction time. We were all out, trying everything to survive.
Is our Brand still intact or has something new evolved? Our Customers validate our Brand integrity through their Experience. What Voices have you heard?
2010 was to be a year of Brand restructure, adding a new lustre to that battered reputation we held forth in the marketplace. We knew the priorities:
Revisit and bring back to the fold the Voice of the Customer;
Reengage our employees, the ambassadors who deliver on our promise;
Strengthen our Standards of Service
Reinvigorate our Product(s) and Facilities
Our progress has been slowed by a global economy with mixed signals. Disasters have torn apart Destinations and regions, threatening land (Haiti), waters (Gulf Coast, Pakistan) and even our skies with volcanic ash (Europe). Whole societies have reassessed how they go about their daily lives – new routines, spending and future aspirations. We still all look at that glass of water, considering: half full or half empty?
Many of us have done very well – working harder with fewer resources, more attentive to the marketplace, constantly reviewing our internal systems and approaches. We are more flexible and adaptive. We are also more open to innovation, learning, as Thomas Freidman of the New York Times pointed out with an assist from a recent Newsweekessay: “To be creative requires divergent thinking (generating many unique ideas) and then convergent thinking (combining those ideas into the best results).” We are not out of the woods yet and must invest to meet the priorities noted above, even during a most tumultuous time. Meeting those will position us for growth, prosperity and leadership going forward. It is all about the Customer Experience.
