January 13th, 2022

A brand’s identity is more than rudimentary statements and slogans on giant billboards or flashing screens. A brand’s purpose is symbolic of a beating life force of values and trust that spurs throughout its lifespan. It encompasses every interaction with the company’s product a customer comes in contact with and embodies the emotional appeal they draw from the experience and product itself.

A brand purpose that connects with the customers and that is consistently delivered could act as a driving force in eliminating competition and ensuring that there is long term customer loyalty. By being consistent and permeating a way of thinking, brand culture is cultivated for customers to conceive as part of their lifestyle. This reinforcement tends to build brand equity, allowing the company to respond to unsolicited events without compromising customer experience. Companies who prioritise their brand image tend to anticipate and effectively respond to brand risks. In an increasingly cut-throat competitive market, it becomes essential to adopt a distinctive approach that you consistently deliver on than those of your rivals.

The key narrative to be successful and consistent in your brand purpose revolves around:

  • Your brand adding value to the community as a whole rather than just a singular customer.
  • Your brand having a distinctive purpose to differentiate it from its competitors in the market.
  • Your brand purpose cultivating an emotional bond with the consumer building long term customer loyalty.

To achieve this consistency a brand needs to understand its customer and give consumers a dependable experience through all mediums of communication. Brands should comprehend their consumer’s needs and decision-making behaviour and evolve their foundations based on this, expanding on their brand promise and values. 

In order to understand your consumer better and ensure brand success by delivering on your brand promises and expectations, there are several strategic marketing practices that brands tend to adopt. The most known one revolves around seeking feedback from the customer’s experience. Reviews on a company’s social media and/or website, as well as carrying out surveys can help determine customers point of view and whether their needs are being met or not. Questions should be focused on measuring whether the brand resonates with them, if they find the products unique and appealing and if the brand and products meet their needs. Finding this out is crucial to set out new foundations for improvement.

Another key strategy involves measuring your company’s performance, reflecting on the delivery of your promises and values. Exercising key performance indicators could help measure your company’s standards through scheduled evaluations. This allows management to analyse the record of customer service that it offers by determining the number of complaints addressed within a two-day time frame, measuring the promptness of its employees. Such standards could protect a company’s brand image and allow you to improve your services.

Models to maximise your brand responsibility 

One strategy used by several brands is Carroll’s pyramid – this is where companies conjoin corporate social responsibility (CSR) with their brand strategy. By enacting this strategy companies can prove to their customers that they care about more than just profit, inspiring customer loyalty as their demand for the brand’s goods/service is no longer just for the benefit for the company, the customer is also having a beneficial impact on people and the world through the brands CSR programme. 

Adopting the Carroll CSR pyramid model also builds upon brand image. As businesses climb the hierarchical structure they meet ethical, economical, social and philanthropic objectives. Achieving these is key as research reveals that companies practicing CSR demonstrated higher profit margins, increased valuation, and they acquire greater consumer responsiveness. This is another reason why brands should closely monitor consumer behaviour, to understand their CSR expectations and to meet their set threshold in order to surpass competition.

As well as successfully establishing responsible practices with your consumers, it is important to increase employee involvement in sustainable business initiatives and corporate matching programmes. This builds a stronger team, that is passionate about what they are doing and results in long term commitment from employees. Strong employee commitment to the brand acts as an incentive resulting in 57% more effort invested on the job. It is also suggested that by nurturing a constructive environment that empowers the core of your business, 87% of employees are less likely to leave their jobs. 

This reveals that the right people can yield great results for your business and businesses should recognise the power of both consumers and employees as brand allies. Advocates of your brand, they align brand purpose with consumer values.

Consistently thriving

By following just some of the above insights and by consistently delivering on your brand purpose, your brand can become more than just a product or service. The association drawn from the brand beyond the product fosters consumer loyalty aiding the mission of your business. Being consistent as a brand and in your messaging, as well as being responsible, generates brand value that allows your business to scale up and establish a sound foundation for success in a competitive market. It is your responsibility to communicate authenticity to mindful consumers while being socially committed to the circle of the impact that your brand creates to ensure that your brand consistently thrives.

Written by Areeb Arshad, Writer.

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