It’s probably best to start with what a brand is not. It is not a product or a logo or a trademarked name or a company. We could all start companies tomorrow and make interesting products and put them out in the marketplace with clever names, and none of them may ever truly become a brand. A brand isn’t a thing, it’s how that thing makes us feel. And us collectively, because how I feel individually is just my opinion. But when we respond en masse with the same feeling – good or bad – then a brand has truly taken hold. So how do you establish a brand? With every decision you make. The way you run your business. The people you hire. The way they treat your customers. The ingredients you use to make your products. The efficiency and quality control of your production lines. Can your customers find what they’re looking for quickly and easily on your web site? They should if your brand is ‘friendly and easy to do business with.’ Can they rely on you for support if they have a problem? They should if your brand is ‘always there when you need us.’ How you engage them and how you make them feel at every touchpoint has an impact on your brand. I’ve been paying very close attention in the past year or two to the emergence of the Dove soap brand. Prior to their ‘Real Beauty’ campaign, I’m not sure Dove was a brand, but just a product. A creamy, smooth bar of soap for women. Ask me how it made me feel. I dunno, clean? But Dove decided to stand for something more than just a bar of soap. They started featuring real women, not models, in their advertising. Real women with maybe a few more years, a few more gray hairs or wrinkles or pounds than they would have liked. But, truth is, these were their customers, not supermodels. ‘Real beauties’ that were clearly comfortable in their own skin, and it showed in the advertising. Dove’s message of feeling good about yourself resonated with women, and the response was tremendous. Women’s self-image as a topic garnered feature attention in national news media and became a focal point of every major talk show – and Dove got credit as the source for all the attention. Their web site and workshops continue to be forums for self-esteem issues with pre-teens all the way to seniors. Although the message would probably not appeal to a male audience (who cares? they’re not the target), probably one of the boldest moves of Dove’s campaign was the ‘every girl deserves to feel good about herself’ spot that ran during the Super Bowl. Why there? Well, let’s start with the fact, per Neilsen Media Research, that among the adult viewers of the Super Bowl, almost half – 45% – are women. It was a great place to be and not a bad message to deliver not only to females, but also to their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons, as well. Was Dove’s passion and commitment to establishing their brand worth it? Two years into the campaign, sales are up almost 30% and today, their loyal consumers can tell you exactly how the brand makes them feel. Dove’s challenge now becomes one of maintaining the brand’s promise. Once you’ve captured the loyalty of that collective mass, you must stay true to your brand’s essence, because expectations are now in place. Nike’s brand is clearly associated with performance dominance. Jump higher, run faster, strive to be the best in whatever you pursue in sports or life. So what happens when one of their star athlete’s misconduct – on or off the court – makes national news? On many levels, I think we’ve come to accept the risks associated with athletes as sponsors, so we’ll cut Nike some slack if one errs. It’s less about the act of the athlete and more about the act of the brand. Did Nike do the right thing by not walking away from Kobe Bryant? They did pull his image from their spots for two years, but other sponsors like McDonald’s and Nutella completely walked away. Did Nike compromise their brand? Not sure, but it sets a tenuous precedent for the brand. When do they stick with their athletes and when don’t they? Protecting the brand should determine the right answer. It’s a continuous process, but maintaining and protecting your brand is just as important as establishing one in the first place.

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