Three things that all strong brands have in common are clarity,
consistency and constancy. These are the all-important `Three C's'
of branding that I addressed in a previous articles. And of all my
branding articles, it is the one that received the most feedback. So
I thought I would elaborate on one of the Cs to provide greater
depth into why it is critical to successful branding.
C Stands for Consistency
Although many brands are clear about what differentiates them from
other brands, they are not always consistent in communicating that
differentiation. Consistency is essential because consumers like to
know what they can expect from a brand. Incongruent experiences
leave them confused about the brand and far from loyal. Some
companies just understand the role of consistency in brand building
better than others. So to develop a greater understanding of the
role of consistency in branding, let's look at a couple of examples
of brands that really deliver consistent experiences to their
customers.
British Airways
BA is clear about the fact that they are one of the truly global
major airlines. And their desire to communicate the fact that they
are global is based in authenticity. Once known as British Airways,
now more often called BA, they have played down their national
heritage and emphasized their truly international scale. BA flies to
183 cities worldwide and has its major hub at Heathrow, the world's
largest connections airport. Their tag line, `The World's Favourite
Airline,' is backed up by the way they build and communicate their
brand.'
From the painted tail fins reflecting the countries in which they
operate to the black and white photographs of different cities
around the world that hang inside their planes, BA has developed a
plan to reinforce their message of `global.' And they have executed
it flawlessly. If you sit in business or first class, even your
china has similar black and white images of world cities. BA was
also one of the first airlines to make their business class seats
fully reclining. This is a great feature for business travelers on
overnight flights. And again, further consistency to the message of
international travel because there are no overnight flights within
the UK!
Even BA's philanthropy program is global. They could have chosen a
UK based charity, but instead opted for the Change for Good program.
This global program which is part of UNICEF allows passengers to
donate their foreign coins, which will become unusable when they
arrive at their destination. This further highlights the fact that
passengers are flying between nations, not within the United
Kingdom; and it reinforces BA's brand attribute of `global.'
Beyond their consistency around the message of global, BA is
consistent in other areas as well. Their advertisements feature an
aria from the Opera Lakme. And when you call to make a flight
reservation, their hold music is the same. And it is again the same
when you are on the plane waiting on the tarmac for a take off slot
at Heathrow (which is often for a long time). They have been so
consistent with this music, that this aria from a famous opera is
now known as `the BA song' to a lot of people. Just ask any sales
associate at Virgin on Oxford Street for the `BA song;' he/she will
take you immediately to the classical section marked `D' for Delibes.
W Hotels
W Hotels is another example of a brand that has got a handle on
consistency. W stands for chic, hip, trend setting. The W brand
promises the perfect combination of a trendy boutique hotel with all
the services you expect from a large hotel chain. So you can be in-
vogue and still use all the services of a large hotel and receive
points for your stay.
W has been incredibly successful in consistently communicating the
fact that they sit at this unique intersection of style and service.
From their web site, to their reception area, to the initial
impression of your room, they evoke the same feelings, images and
emotions. And they create a consistent experience for you. This
includes Aveda products in the bathroom, comforters on the beds,
trendy bars and lounges with DJs, high-speed internet connections
and the latest equipment in their fitness centers. Everything
screams high style and great service.
Even the hotel locations are consistent with their unique promise of
value. There is no W hotel in Bismarck, North Dakota. But you will
find W hotels in the most fashionable neighborhoods of the trendiest
cities. In San Francisco, for example, the W Hotel is in the hip
South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood. In fact, it seems that a
cities' hipness factor may be linked to W hotels. An ultra-hip
friend of mine who moved from Paris to Seattle said to me shortly
after arriving "You must come visit, Seattle is a really hip city.
We even have a W Hotel."
Every decision they make is consistent with their brand promise. And
this translates into customer loyalty. Pam, a marketing consultant
based in Boston says, "If I am traveling to a city with a W Hotel,
you will know where to find me – unless of course it is New York,
because there are five Ws there."
Consistency reinforces your message with your target audience and
allows you to build strong relationships with your customers. To
understand how consistent you are being with your brand, look at
every customer connection point and ask yourself two questions:
- Is the customer clearly experiencing our unique
promise of value?
- Is the experience the same among all connection points?
If your answer to both questions in yes, congratulations! You are
building loyal brand evangelists of your customers who will be able
to clearly communicate your message on your behalf.
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