Brand Stories


Brand stories broaden and deepen the brand concept even further by relating memorable examples to human concerns, aspirations, and emotions. The stories point to a possible future. Ideally, brand stories capture both the essence of the past and a yearning for the future. Brand stories not only provide inspiration for customers but also provide motivation and direction for staff.

A good brand story tells the truth about an organization—if not today's truth, then a truth that is aspired to. Successful brands incorporate good stories. A tagline on a brand, such as Nike's "Just do it," can begin to tell the story. But it is just a beginning. If the tagline does not match staff behavior, then a great deal of the service an organization delivers will be seen as off-brand.

An important aspect of a brand story is that it be consistent with everything the company does. To a large degree, customers return because they believe that what they bought last week (products, experiences, and feelings) is still available today. Brand stories are assets of an organization because they generate pride and inspire staff. They show staff how it is possible to deliver the brand.

ARAMARK Harrison Lodging, whose brand promise is customer focus at all levels of its operation, has several such brand stories. A guest showed up at one of Harrison Lodging's conference centers looking a little dejected. When the front desk clerk asked if anything was wrong, the man, who had just flown in, said he had left his antique copy of an Edgar Allan Poe book on the airplane. To make matters worse, he had read only to chapter 4! The clerk took it upon herself the next day to go to a close-by antique bookshop to see if the book was available. She found it, purchased it, and placed it in the guest's room—with a bookmark deftly placed at chapter 4.

The by-product of this approach to service (when staff are imbued in the brand story, committed to delivering its promise, and empowered to do so) is that more often than not, staff will aim to excel and will find the experience of service delivery far more stimulating. The customer will feel this as well. And the brand will be remembered for its attributes—in ARAMARK Harrison Lodging's case, "customer focus."

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on-brand

We recently heard a speaker discuss his strange penchant for not fastening his seat belt upon plane takeoffs. He said that most flight attendants let him know in no uncertain terms to buckle his seat belt. In contrast, on Southwest Airlines (the successfully branded high-spirited and fun airline), a flight attendant came up to him and said, "Whoops, look at that! Your seat belt is in two pieces!"

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Therein lies the magic of brand Southwest Airlines—fun and love.




Branded Customer Service(c) The New Competitive Edge
Branded Customer Service: The New Competitive Edge
ISBN: 1576752984
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 134

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