Jeff Bezos once said your brand is what everyone says about you when you’re NOT in the room. Over the last year and a half, our company “Athletes Global” has become more focused on what we want our brand to stand for. We want to align our “what”, with our “why” and our “how”. So our teammates echo and behave consistently with our mission and culture. Your brand is your BUSINESS. The operations of a company will impact the culture, by shaping how people work. The culture also impacts operations by making it work effectively and efficiently. Your culture defines your leadership. It actually affects how you provide your services, even down to the packaging of your products. It also affects customer service, how you win, and how you respond to failure and conflict. All of this defines your BRAND.
In the book “Fusion”, by Denise Lee Yohn, it introduces how integrating brand and culture powers the world’s greatest companies. Here’s nine different brand types that companies are defined by.
- Disruptive Brands. Completely changes the entire industry. Examples: Tesla, Apple, Amazon, Walmart
- Conscious Brands. Mission to make a positive impact on society. Examples: American Red Cross, Melinda & Bill Gates Foundation, and LinkedIn
- Service Brands. Deliver high quality customer care and service. Examples: Chic-fil-A, Trader Joe’s and BMW
- Value Brands. Offer low prices for basic quality products or services. Examples: Walmart, Subway, Amazon
- Innovative Brands. Consistently introducing advanced and breakthrough products and services. Examples: Tesla, Disney, Apple
- Performance Brands. Produce and deliver superior performance and dependability. Examples: Proctor & Gamble, Toyota, Cisco
- Luxury Brands. Higher quality at higher prices. Examples: Mercedes, Hermes, Louis Vutton
- Style Brands. Differentiated by the products or services look and feel. Examples: Nike, Airbnb, Starbucks
- Experience Brands. Differentiated by the experience they provide. Examples: Disney, AMC, Hilton, Apple, Amazon, Starbucks
What is your company brand type? What is your employee and customer experiences? How would they rate them? Your organizational culture is largely shaped by its purpose and values. Becoming clear on how you want you’re Brand to be defined, will help build a clear vision, mission and a company culture that is committed to success.
Quote of the Day: “Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind.”-Walter Landor