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This month’s blog was actually intended for May but as I was getting reading to upload and publish, I had a recurrence of the AFIB and pneumonia problems that hit me about 2 ½ years ago and I ended up spending a long week recovering in the hospital. So the May blog becomes the June blog but the message is just as valid even if the intro video is a bit out of sync! The ongoing discussion in branding these days is how to execute your brand strategy while using the new mobile and online media that has grown exponentially in importance and usage over the past couple years. I get asked that question consistently and my answer remains the same: The same principles of a solid branding strategy and communicating your brand value apply to the new media just as much—if not more—as with the traditional media that have been important in the past.
The most important thing to remember is that today’s new media can help keep the brand alive and build the emotional relationship faster and more effectively than ever before. Simply put, the interaction that customers can have with your brand is now easier and more spontaneous and as a result, it provides the opportunity to make the brand more relevant to your customers. Let’s take a look at how three companies are using the online capabilities to make the brand more relevant and to provide immediate value as well.
Williams is one of the top brands in household painting. They have built a loyal following over the years with a quality product sold in a service environment. The key to Sherwin Williams retail success—in the face of aggressive competition from the big box DIY stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s—is the reliance on the personalized service and expertise that their stores have provided almost since the beginning. Excellent selection in a convenient environment with experienced, friendly paint experts who can help you find exactly the right paint in the right color with right tools to make the job a success. However, Sherwin Williams has utilized the new media to add to the personalized value that they have always provided. Using its app, ColorSnap, makes finding the right color not only a snap but enables the customer to visualize how it will look in their home. The app enables the customer to take a photo or scan a color that he/she wants to match in their home project. You simply download to the app and SW analyzes it and provides you with the exact match to your color choice. Then they go a step further and enable you to take a photo of your house or room and then, using their app, you can insert the new color over the area you plan to paint. You can even mask it around windows or doors so you can really get an accurate picture of how the job will look before buying the paint or getting a sample and painting spots on the walls to see what looks best. Seeing the entire project in the right color makes it much more accurate and representative of what the finished job is going to look like. You can then save the various color applications on line/phone and bring into the store and discuss with the paint expert. The process adds technology to a great brand based on personalized service. And, speaking from personal experience, it really works.
Safelite AutoGlass has developed a national chain of auto window repair and replacement that makes this common problem easy and painless while saving you money and getting insurance coverage. The company advertises aggressively but as a national chain of over 5000 mobile repair centers, there is always the doubt about the expertise of the installer and the reliability. The company addresses the problem with its Technician Profile email system. Once you contact the company (either online or by 800 call), the company sends you an email with the name of the technician who will be servicing your need as well as his/her experience, photo, and credentials to build your trust before you make the deal and have them visit your home. Additionally, the site provides information that assures the customer that the job will be done correctly and professionally the first time so that you can back in your car and on the road immediately.
Quest Diagnostics has grown to be the largest provider of health diagnostic lab work in the US with over 2200 lab patient centers and over 41000 associates. As lab work has become an important part of almost any doctor’s appointment today, Quest has become the preferred choice due to its convenience and service. However, as a lab user for many years, it has not always been the most convenient or pleasant experience. In recent years, the company has really made the effort to make the experience easier, quicker and more professional and painless (in many ways). Now the company has added the My Quest app so that you can not only schedule an appointment online so there is literally no wait and you can also follow up on the results right from your smart phone. By simply registering online and installing the app, getting lab work done is easier and more convenient than ever and now works with your schedule rather than the lab’s availability. It also facilitates the communication between lab and physician so that your results are more timely and easily understood by the patient. In addition to building a preferred brand for a very important and frequently used service, Quest has used the new media to make the entire experience a brand building opportunity.
These are just three examples showing how building a brand can be enhance and accelerated by using the new media options to make the relationship a brand-building strategy as well.
DON’T FORGET THAT OUR BOOK, BRAINBRANDING. ACTIVATE THE BRAIN. STIMULATE YOUR BRAND IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AND KINDLE.
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