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| When it comes to branding,
Actions speak louder than verbs |
 A brand should be a window into the heart and soul of any business, medical practice or non-profit. In this issue we explore how your brand's image has more to do with your behavior than all of your ads, press releases, messages and logos combined.
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Bill Carlos
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Brand identity + Brand behavior = Brand image adline |
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"We have an image problem," the former president of a large insurance company once told his marketing staff. "Customers think we're too expensive. We need an ad campagin to change our image."
But a comparative survey of other carriers showed that we were the most expensive. Running ads to convince customers otherwise would have been a waste of money. In fact, it would have damaged the brand because it would not be credible. This highlights the difference between a company's brand identity versus its brand image.
Brand identity consists of elements such as a logo, color, typeface, formats and messages. All of these can be neatly controlled by the company.
Brand image, on the other hand, resides in the mind of the customer. It results from an accumulation of the customer's experience with the brand. It is more influenced by the company's actual behavior and it is formed over time, with each customer interaction.
In short, what you do and how you behave as a company is more important than what you say.
The insurance company president made the wise decision to forego an expensive ad campaign. Instead, he turned his focus on streamlining the organization, which brought prices more in line with competitors.' The ad campaign that ultimately was developed highlighted superior value, without directly addressing cost. Over time, the market adjusted its opinion of the company as being competitive, not the cheapest, but offering greater overall value for the money. |
Two companies responded to a crisis.
Only one brand survived |
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In 1982, seven people died after taking Tylenol that had been laced with potassium cyanide after leaving the manufacturer. Yet within a few years, the over-the-counter drug was more popular than ever and its maker, Johnson and Johnson, continued to be held in high esteem.
By contrast, in the late 1990's, many patients who had been taking the drug combination Fen-Phen, developed serious health problems including damaged heart valves. By 2002, its manufacturer, American Home Products, abandoned its name and adopted the Wyeth brand, which it owned from a prior acquisition.
Johnson and Johnson's reaction to a crisis was immediate, recalling its product and alerting doctors and hospitals. It spared itself no expense in ensuring public safety. Its behavior matched its well-known credo, which promises to put the needs and well-being of the people they serve first.
By contrast, it was shown that American Home Products' reaction was slower, studied, defensive and bureaucratic.
One brand stood by its promise and retained credibility and trust.
Today, J&J and Tylenol remain big, global brands. The name "American Home Products" is history.
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Avow Communications is a brand-building communications agency with more than 20 years in healthcare communications. If you have a question about branding, email us here and we'll answer your question in an upcoming newsletter.
Avow Communications is a member of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Advertising Club. |
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