reportonbusiness.com: Build your brand - but don't forget to deliver an experience

While readers of this blog will know that the ideas in this article are at the core of why the Brand Experience Lab exists, but it's always good to see other people thinking the same way. Especially when the author is with the Boston Consulting Group and yo know that this is coming from a business POV. I have excerpts here, but click on the link for the full article.

For most companies, branding is about positioning, advertising, packaging, and catchy logos and slogans. That is not enough. Branding in today's marketplace is about the total experience a customer has with your products or services. It is about enticing customers, gaining their trust, and making the experience so pleasant that they are proud of their choice and will tell others about it.

The challenge of managing a customer's experience comes from the fact that it happens out on the front lines of the company. In many cases, few employees know firsthand what is happening to customers. More frequently, managers who are making major decisions on new investments or process redesign have little idea of the end-to-end impact those decisions will have on the customer experience.

Brand relationships are not confined to consumer products. They exist with hospitals, taxi companies, cleaners, garages, airlines, restaurants, and more. The strength of a brand experience is inextricably linked to every aspect of buying and using a product, not just to the inherent performance of the product itself.

Before launching that next advertising campaign or promotion, ask yourself how your investment decisions affect the customer experience, and if everyone - from senior executives to counter clerks - is aware of how much the brand's value hinges on the quality of experience you deliver.

Link: reportonbusiness.com: Build your brand - but don't forget to deliver an experience.