Rebranding? Why Bother?

Greg DicksonPosted by Greg Dickson on April 19th, 2010 | 0 Comments

Andre Agassi once said “. . . image is everything.” Everything? Perhaps not everything, but it is a significant factor in first impressions, both personal and at the corporate level. Over time, Agassi went to great lengths to change the public’s perception of him as a longhaired, wild kid who was a loose cannon on and off the tennis court to the thoughtful, polite, intelligent, mature gentleman he became in later years. In the same manner, corporations spend millions of dollars tweaking, fine-tuning, and in many cases completely remaking their brand image for the same reason—to create a lasting first impression that pays dividends to their bottom line.

In an effort to achieve distinction in the market place, corporations hire marketing firms and branding consultants, sometimes at great cost, to help them redefine who they are and how they are perceived. This work can be painstaking and expensive, requiring a substantial commitment in terms of corporate man-hours. Their efforts often pay off in the delivery of a high quality product that is the enterprise’s new and improved brand image.

But where does it go from there?

We’ve seen it all before. Company leaders determine that a rebranding will help the bottom line. The marketing department, brand image taskforce, or high-priced consultant, launches into action and comes up with the new brand image. A corporate rollout ensues: Bands play, balloons wave in the air, everybody cheers. The new brand, with logo, tagline and mission statement, is plastered across every available surface, with announcements and decrees reverberating down every hall. “Our image is remade,” they declare. “Hurrah for us!”

Then—everyone goes back to work. Business proceeds as usual with little or no follow-up on how to implement this new image over the long term. The efforts of so many, and in some cases the expenditure of millions of dollars, fade away—another memory of another unfinished corporate initiative.

There is no question that brand image is critical to the success of many companies. Moreover, there is no question that rebranding may be important to claim, or reclaim, market share. However, the question begs to be asked, why curtail the rebranding effort when it is only half-complete? Why halt the initiative on the threshold of success?

In order to eliminate the business-as-usual syndrome, a branding initiative must become a strategic imperative that goes beyond banners, slogans, and new marketing materials. You must actively engage those who matter the most—the employees that carry that brand image to the customer and out into the market place—by making the brand a way of life within the company.

The associates and employees of a company are the voice of that company. They speak to customers and clients, they speak to venders and partners, and they speak to family and friends. In short, they carry the image of the company into the world at large. Without the acceptance and commitment of the entire workforce an image makeover is destined to fail.

So how do you attain associate buy-in? Start at the top. The direction must be set at the top echelons of the organization. Everyone at the senior level must be on board, speaking with one voice, living the cause. Then, the message must be handed down so everyone at every level not only sees the brand, and hears about the brand, but actually experiences the brand in every aspect of corporate life. Through educational programs, town meetings, and special visits to staff meetings, everyone must be speaking with the same voice—over the long term. With perseverance, dedication and consistency, the organization will become the brand, and true employee acceptance and the culture change that comes with it will have been achieved. The company and the brand image will have become one.


0 comments

The floor is yours! Say something awesome!

Leave a Comment