As business owners and brand managers, we all have a vision of what we want our audience to experience and feel about our company and product. Positive impression is always celebrated. Criticism is hard to hear and we want to get past it as quickly as possible. How did you handle the most recent criticism? Did you approach it as a single unique issue or is there a strategy in place to remedy the impact?
How customer complaints and compliments are handled tells how a company values their brand. Business coaches teach that you need a positive attitude to successfully navigate the challenges of running a business. Doesn’t it make sense to have a process to manage negative customer impression?
Every business I work with knows their product competitive points. Like an enthusiastic competitive team, they love their product and want to beat the competition in each challenge they face. Marketing advantages is not building brand impression.
Having objectivity is key to realizing opportunities and pitfalls of a brand’s position.
Staying objective is not easy when we understand the primary focus of business is on sales and operations. Marketing and advertising directors are given the responsibility of watching the competitive environment. But many businesses place other responsibilities on those who are assigned these positions. I ask my clients if they are getting testimonials from their customers? Their answer tells me whether they understand the impact of customer service on their brand. Believing your product or service is best in category doesn’t mean everyone else believes it or even knows it exists.
Consider implementing a vision board system for your brand management.
Maintaining a vision board for each product and corresponding competitor will have objectivity visible for daily brand conversations and creating a marketing plan. Working on brand is a daily activity so why should you only revue your brand once a year? A brand board should be updated as soon as information is found. On this board pin brand images: pictures of your package, web pages, ads, in-store impact, POP, etc. On the second board, track the competitive brand impression: in-store, on-line and available visuals of their marketing impressions.
The boards should be in continual transition, a daily and monthly story. Keep the vision boards accessible to everyone. Unique observations can come from unexpected sources. For those of working closely on the brand, it is easy to miss the obvious.
Relying on memory can be costly. The vision board is a great tool to illustrate retrospective, contemporary and future vision.
Brand management is not once and done.
Staying on top of competitive activity is crucial to planning brand activities including whether a rebrand is necessary. If you are an individual who considers a brand is always evolving, the vision board helps the team see the progression and goals. Include everything you want to achieve. Navigating the competitive sales landscape is never ending.
What are you waiting for?
Vision board is a brand love board. What could you see if all visuals and messages you create for your brand that is pushed to your audience are laid out to see, side by side in time progression? This concept is a valuable tool whether your company is large or small, selling products or services. Your team can rally around the vision board for every planning meeting, every challenge or achievement celebration. It will be a key tool for your brand and marketing efforts to stay the course.
A vision board can make a big difference for your brand reputation today.
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