one little cog

Branding. Branding. Branding. Everyone is worried about their brand and their reputation. Does it make a difference? If I made cardboard boxes and they were boring looking — where as my competitor had dynamic-looking boxes, my brand would gradually be identified as the boring one. Can I improve my brand by aggressively pushing it?

Likely not. Let’s look at it another way — if I were lazy (Not that I actually am … but yes I was told many times as I grew up that I was lazy and that I should work harder — it’s one of those things that you get accustomed to growing up in a Chinese Canadian family) and delivered rather work that was merely good enough — i.e. it served its weak purpose. Then that is what people would identify me with regardless of how often I can try and tell them that I am an innovative individual that excels in integrating new technology with evolving business objectives.

Let’s look at it this way, you can’t change your brand unless you change the approach to your product first. I was talking with a co-worker today about how annoying it was to have Rogers Communications suffocating us with their so-called “branding” attempts.

I get to see them on the subway, bus, station ads, tv ads, radio ads, and all the cell phones that are prominently displayed at various store locations. Not only do I have to deal with their constant presence wherever I go, but Torontonians have to deal with the fact that the SkyDome was officially renamed as Rogers Centre after Rogers Communications purchased the building. Can a business get anymore overbearing? Probably … but no matter how often Rogers keeps throwing their name at us, I’m still going to think and feel the same way.

The SkyDome is an integral part of Toronto’s identity so it represents a HUGE opportunity for Rogers to shove its brand in our faces. I think this is a flaw in handling branding. Branding shouldn’t be regarded as a way to inundate your potential customers with the name of your company. Rogers is generally identified by friends and acquaintances as a monopolistic, large communications corporation with plenty of policies but lacking in solid products that deliver true value to customers. Most of their customers are using their services because they have to, not because they want to. See the flaw in thinking? The goal should be to focus on delivering such great a product that customers WANT to use it and would not hesitate to encourage their friends and family to do the same.

The SkyDome (oops I meant Rogers Centre) and CN Tower in Toronto, Canada

Rogers is primarily an example despite I realize that their heavy branding push is meant for consumer attention. Nevertheless for businesses out there that have lengthy discussions on brands and whether it makes an impact on sales — the simple response is: your product defines who you are. If your product is lousy, then your company name is associated with lousy products. If the design on your packaging is lame — then your company is identified as the one with lame packaging. Don’t forget about what your own employees think about your product — they are a real testing ground. All too often employees and their opinions are overlooked. Why? Because we trust focus groups more? Fine — go spend ten thousand dollars for an opinion that you could possibly get by simply asking your employees for feedback.

The case for individuals and each employee works in an almost identical fashion. There are a lot of articles on managing online reputation or personal branding but most of them come to the same conclusion. By no means am I suggesting faking anything — the key is to simply be the best of who you really are.

As Stephen Covey and many others after him (including my old project management instructor) put it … “Begin with the end in mind.”

Who are you? How do you see yourself within the bigger picture?

What and how will you deliver?

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