Brand Identity = Measurable Customer Behaviours (2 of 2)
An audit performed by an external company that employs a mixture of data science and interpretation, along with contextual industry insight, provides a clear anchor point that will help you understand where you stand today.
Rui Lapa
3/21/20234 min read
Brand Audit
An external brand audit, which combines industrial context, data, customer perspectives, and interpretation, offers a clear starting point from which to assess your current situation.
Reducing self-serving bias, illuminating internal blind spots, and deciphering what is authentic vs. noise require effort. Furthermore, when determining which archetype your business might be, considerable biases arise from relying just on internal experience, particularly in light of recent events. Lastly, brand identity is unique to your business, and if you want your customers to notice you walking down the street and actively seek to engage, being distinct is key.
Great job. You narrowed it down to one brand archetype from the 12 listed in our first article (1 of 2) about brand identity. Although it may be possible to be known for more than one, be cautious; don’t fall into the 'more inclusive' trap, i.e., provide something for everybody. In working with many organisations, I have seen less than a handful of organisations be successfully known for two archetypes, and this rare phenomenon is usually only within a distinct division or subsidiary.
Alignment: the challenging part
All facets of your company's behaviour and communications must be in alignment to undergo a thorough transformation. What do we mean?
Executives, senior leaders, and managers: leading by example, living and breathing the company ‘motto’ in all internal and external interactions.
Sales: sales enablement material, formation, embedding within the sales process, and all points of interaction with the prospect or client
Marketing: Events, press releases, product launches, website, content strategy, publications, social media posts, point-of-display areas, colours, etc.
Product Support (Parts, Service, Customer Service): phone calls, on-hold messaging, approach to the customer, warranty support responses, in-field support, mechanics’ interactions with customers, etc.
HR: the process of communicating with employees, onboarding, ongoing training, up-skilling courses, instant performance-based feedback, retiree communications (alumni), and much more.
Finance, IT, and all operations: the behaviours within these groups need to align as they inevitably spill over into customer interactions.
Partners and suppliers: the full supply chain can affect your brand equity, and partnering with the best overall option regularly outweighs the price only factor held dearly by many purchasing groups.
Measure
I have selected these five metrics as they provide a few customer angles to measure. Each one progressively represents a stronger indication of the health of your brand identity, demonstrating more engaging customer behaviour.
Keep your brand health metrics simple to understand
Are there more metric options? Yes. These five work well for most B2B organisations within the equipment manufacturer, dealer, distributor, and service provider industries.
3 branding pillars: Strategy, Identity, and Execution
We have only delved into one aspect of the identity pillar of the process, specifically honing in on personality and archetype. Many B2B industries often overlook this specific aspect, leading to mediocre, at best, brand differentiation. Reviewing and establishing a brand that stands out involves considering at least 19 core areas. From purpose to advocacy, it's a journey filled with twists and turns.
Your distinct brand identity must be linked to repeatable, scalable, and measurable customer behaviours.
Brand Audit
An external brand audit, which combines industrial context, data, customer perspectives, and interpretation, offers a clear starting point from which to assess your current situation.
Reducing self-serving bias, illuminating internal blind spots, and deciphering what is authentic vs. noise require effort. Furthermore, when determining which archetype your business might be, considerable biases arise from relying just on internal experience, particularly in light of recent events. Lastly, brand identity is unique to your business, and if you want your customers to notice you walking down the street and actively seek to engage, being distinct is key.
Great job. You narrowed it down to one brand archetype from the 12 listed in our first article (1 of 2) about brand identity. Although it may be possible to be known for more than one, be cautious; don’t fall into the 'more inclusive' trap, i.e., provide something for everybody. In working with many organisations, I have seen less than a handful of organisations be successfully known for two archetypes, and this rare phenomenon is usually only within a distinct division or subsidiary.
Alignment: the challenging part
All facets of your company's behaviour and communications must be in alignment to undergo a thorough transformation. What do we mean?
Executives, senior leaders, and managers: leading by example, living and breathing the company ‘motto’ in all internal and external interactions.
Sales: sales enablement material, formation, embedding within the sales process, and all points of interaction with the prospect or client
Marketing: Events, press releases, product launches, website, content strategy, publications, social media posts, point-of-display areas, colours, etc.
Product Support (Parts, Service, Customer Service): phone calls, on-hold messaging, approach to the customer, warranty support responses, in-field support, mechanics’ interactions with customers, etc.
HR: the process of communicating with employees, onboarding, ongoing training, up-skilling courses, instant performance-based feedback, retiree communications (alumni), and much more.
Finance, IT, and all operations: the behaviours within these groups need to align as they inevitably spill over into customer interactions.
Partners and suppliers: the full supply chain can affect your brand equity, and partnering with the best overall option regularly outweighs the price only factor held dearly by many purchasing groups.
Measure
I have selected these five metrics as they provide a few customer angles to measure. Each one progressively represents a stronger indication of the health of your brand identity, demonstrating more engaging customer behaviour.
Keep your brand health metrics simple to understand
Are there more metric options? Yes. These five work well for most B2B organisations within the equipment manufacturer, dealer, distributor, and service provider industries.
3 branding pillars: Strategy, Identity, and Execution
We have only delved into one aspect of the identity pillar of the process, specifically honing in on personality and archetype. Many B2B industries often overlook this specific aspect, leading to mediocre, at best, brand differentiation. Reviewing and establishing a brand that stands out involves considering at least 19 core areas. From purpose to advocacy, it's a journey filled with twists and turns.
Your distinct brand identity must be linked to repeatable, scalable, and measurable customer behaviours.
Measure
DIGITAL REVIEWS (TRUSTPILOT, GOOLGE REVIEWS, FB, ETC.)
NET PROMOTER SCORE (NPS)
CRM INTERACTIONS WITH CUSTOMERS (KEYWORDS)
CASE STUDIES & TESTIMONIALS WITH CLIENT ENDORSEMENT
DIRECT REFERRALS