Portfolio 13 Objective 2.07A-B Reinforce company’s image to exhibit the company’s brand promise

Touchpoints Touchpoints are the many ways a business interacts with customers, whether through personal contact or by other means such as advertising. All aspects of a business should embody the core values about customer service. Creating positive customer experiences must be at the forefront of everything a business does. Each activity falls within the three touchpoint experience categories: pre-purchase: Websites, word of mouth, direct mail, research, sponsorships, public relations, advertising purchase: direct field sales, physical stores and contact with customer representatives. Post-purchase

What is a brand? Brand: is all of the impressions and experiences consumers associate with a company, a product, or a service. Brands relate to customers on an emotional and rational level. A brand is a name, term, symbol, design, or combination thereof that identifies a seller’s products and differentiates them from competitors’ products.

What is Brand Promise? Brand promise: is what your business will consistently deliver to the customer. This establishes your customers’ expectations for the quality and consistency of their experiences with your business. Businesses want to control perceptions, thoughts, and feelings customers have about them. It provides guidance to employees as they interact with customers daily. A brand must promise a relevant, compelling and differentiated benefit to the target customer. Companies lose credibility if they continuously fail to deliver on their brand promise iphone 6

Importance of brand promises A company’s brand promise establishes a base line of customer service to be expected. It reflects the core values of the company and should be demonstrated by every employee throughout the company. This has a direct impact on the customer’s experiences with the company; thus, developing a long term business relationship with customers.

What are factors impacting a company’s Brand Promise? Brand Champion is the one that analyzes the business’s strengths. Brand Champion is the CEO or manager. 100% commitment to core values starts at the top. From the CEO to the mailroom clerk or doorman, customers need to know they are the first priority. The champion keeps the brand alive throughout the company. What does your business do better than anyone else? What does your business have, done, or provided that your competitors don’t? What makes your business unique? Toms Shoes

What is a Vision and Mission Statement? Mission statement: is a brief summary of what you want your business to be doing. TOMS: With every product you purchase, TOMS will help a person in need. One for One.® Vision statement: is what your business will become. Review your business plan for valuable brand clues. Understand your customer’s wants and needs. Understand the core values of the business. Consider your brand internationally and on the internet.  

Demonstrate how to identify a company’s brand promise Involve employees in the development of the brand Employees should understand the brand values, personality and promise Conduct staff meetings to discuss brand development and continuous support of its branding activities Employees should know how to demonstrate the brand’s core values Businesses can provide general guidelines and suggestions for employees to incorporate into their daily activity Use brand cues to remind employees of their importance in maintaining the brand promise

What is Company Image? A corporate image is the perception that the general public holds about a particular business. Many companies invest a great deal of time and other resources in an effort to influence the opinion that consumers hold about the products offered by the business, as well as the business itself.

Continued Company Image… Images could be based on so many different characteristics such as quality of products, solid and long positive reputation of the company, highly trained sales team, lowest prices in town, integrity of staff, long standing positive community relations, customer service.

Corporate Image Continued…. One of the most basic ways of shaping a corporate image is establishing and maintaining positive relationships with the general public. This effort usually begins by offering products that successfully meet the needs of customers, thus generating goodwill.

Why is Company Image so important? Companies with strong corporate images, such as Sony and Nike have an advantage in the market place because their names adds value to their products and reduces uncertainty in the eyes of distributors, retailers and consumers.

How can employees reinforce company image? Employees should be trained and motivated to project a positive image of the company. From training employees on answering telephones, how daily decisions are made, establishing dress code requirements, to responding quickly to customers, shows that companies understand how important communicating a positive image is to the company’s success

Continued… Employees are walking, talking demonstrations of brand values everyday in everything they do. Employees connect brand values with customers through touch points(all opportunities that businesses have to connect with customers and reinforce brand value) to make brands come alive. Employees both reflect brand values and help shape them.