How to increase brand consistency by understanding the needs of your brand users

One of my favorite shows is “Undercover Boss.” Not because I like watching reality TV (well, not only), but also because it’s a great example of why it’s so important to understand the needs of those who are expected to deliver on your brand every day.

If you haven’t seen the show, the premise is about a chosen CEO sitting in their office talking about how employees are “the problem” with the brand and business. In order to fix the problem, the CEO goes undercover in the field to find out what’s wrong with the employees. Once engaged, the CEO quickly realizes that it’s not about what their people are doing wrong, it’s about understanding what their people need so they can do things right.

It’s no longer enough to say, “here are the guidelines” and expect consistent use of the brand at every experience. Successful brands create a dialogue with their brand users.

Leaders of the most effective brands explain their objectives and why they are important. Further, they ask users what’s needed to meet the objectives. I believe that most employees would do the right thing if they had the right tools in place. Once you understand their needs, you can provide the best tools to achieve the collective goal(s). By going into the field, the CEO quickly learns not just how to fix a problem for a specific group, but how they can fix the problem across the organization.

To empower people to use your brand correctly, you need to understand their needs and make sure the solutions work for them.

Typically, senior management doesn’t have the time to put on a wig and fake moustache and spend a few weeks in the field to figure out what’s going on. At TenTen, we’ve developed a process to quickly get to the heart of where your brand lives, how your people use it, and the tools and resources they need for consistent brand building and execution. Whether you’re about to start a re-brand or you need to assess what’s not working, learning the needs of your people is a benefit at any stage and can help your brand work harder for you.

To find out more or see how we’ve helped others give us a shout.

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