When I have joined organizations to head up their brand management or marketing functions, others in those organizations have often conveyed to me that my primary role must be one of the following:

• Advertising
• Naming
• Logo management
• Creating brochures
• "Air cover" for the sales force
• "Putting a pretty face on the product"

Having been immersed in brand management for such a long time and with the recent pervasive coverage of brand management in the general business press, it amazes me how many people still don't "get" what brand management is all about.

A brand is the personification of an organization, product or service.  It is the primary source of a relationship with a customer.  It builds goodwill/equity over time.  People are loyal to brands, not products or services.  Your brand's equity is the result of the total sum of the experiences that people have with your brand, from its ads, its retail experience, its purchase, is use, its support services and its myths and legends.

Think of a brand as a person.  You want others to be attracted to you.  You want them to enjoy being around you.  You want them to admire you.  You want them to trust you.  You want them to consider you to be a good friend.  You want them to deeply care about you.  You want them to say nice things about you to their friends.

So what are the most important duties of an organization's lead brand champion?

• Ensuring that the CEO shares the primary brand champion role with you
• Ensuring that the brand has a carefully crafted mission, vision and promise
• Maximizing relevant brand differentiation
• Ensuring that the brand has an attractive personality
• Making sure the brand stands for something important to the target customer
• Making sure all employees understand what the brand stands forAligning organization strategy with brand strategy
• Creating and sustaining organization-wide passion for the brand's mission, vision and promise
• Ensuring that the organization delivers against the brand essence, promise and personality at each point of contact the brand makes with employees, customers, shareholders, the press and any other stakeholders
• Ensuring that the brand acts with consistency and integrity
• Maximizing the target customer's awareness of the brand
• Infusing the brand with relevant innovation
• Keeping the brand alive and "vital"

Sponsored By: Brand Aid