At its worst, the organizational brand is a name and a logo that is inconsistently applied to an unrelated set of products and services.  It is overused and means nothing, and it reminds people of the worst of an over commercial society.  It feels cold and seems exploitative.  It is perceived to be a vestige of a past era.

At its best, brand management aligns organizations with value-adding activities. It keeps organizations focused on meeting real human needs in compelling new ways. And, at its best, the organizational brand defines how the organization best meets its customers’ needs in unique and compelling ways.  It serves as the organization’s unifying principle and rallying cry; it infuses the organization with a set of values and a personality; and it holds an organization’s employees to a consistent set of behaviors.  The organizational brand stands for something.  It establishes trust and a certain level of assurance; it makes it possible for people to establish relationships with the organization; and it creates expectations that must be fulfilled.  The brand can bring an organization to life in a very real way.

In the end, brand management is all about meeting people’s physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and other needs in unique ways.  It is the application of free enterprise to the timely and timeless needs of mankind.

Sponsored By: The Brand Positioning Workshop