09.29.03
 By
Ray George
Branding has grown into far more than a marketing buzzword, as an
increasing number of organizations recognize and value their brands
as strategic assets that are built through deeds, not merely words
or images.
While there has been a noticeable increase in more traditional
marketing and communications among product and service companies,
the right starting point is a thorough examination of how the brand
is being built today. It begins with identifying each point of interaction,
or brand “touchpoint,” between the company and its constituents, where
the “deeds” of brand building are actually carried out. Here, a company
can uncover the various opportunities for its brand to be positively
upheld or negatively represented.
Each activity falls within the three touchpoint experience categories:
pre-purchase, purchase (or usage), and post-purchase. |
Pre-purchase
experience touchpoints represent the various ways potential customers
interact with a brand prior to deciding to do business with a company.
Some typical pre-purchase touchpoints include Web sites, word-of-mouth,
direct mail, research, sponsorships, public relations and advertising.
Each pre-purchase touchpoint interaction should be designed to shape
perceptions and expectations of the brand as well as heighten brand
awareness and drive its relevance, while also helping prospects understand
its benefits over competing brands and the value it brings in fulfilling
their wants and needs. As the pre-purchase experience for prospective
customers is examined, the focus should be on refining those touchpoints
that most effectively will drive customers to put the brand into their
consideration set.
Purchase (or usage) experience touchpoints are those that move a customer
from considering a company’s brand to purchasing a product or service
and initiating a brand relationship. Examples of purchase touchpoints
include direct field sales, physical stores and contact with customer
representatives.
The main objective of these points of interaction is to maximize the
value that prospects see in offerings and instill confidence that
they have made the right decision in choosing the brand. During these
interactions, it’s critical to instill trust in the minds of prospects
by demonstrating beyond a reasonable doubt that a company’s product
or service offerings are better than those of the competition.
Post-purchase experience touchpoints come into play after the “sale”
and maximize the customer experience. These can include loyalty programs,
customer satisfaction surveys and warranty and rebate activities.
These touchpoints are frequently under-leveraged or ignored as brand-development
opportunities, even though they offer the potential for businesses
to drive sustainable and profitable growth. Three goals of post-purchase
experience touchpoints are to deliver on the brand promise, meet or
exceed customer performance and usage expectations and increase brand
loyalty and advocacy.
The long-term benefits of assessing a brand’s touchpoints are tremendous.
This knowledge can help build a strong, powerful brand that keeps
its relevance in the minds of customers. But even more important is
how this exercise fully equips an organization to better control the
most important interactions customers have with the brand.
Here’s what typically emerges as a result of a touchpoint assessment:
- New Opportunities. Many of the identified touchpoints
won’t fall in the category of typical “brand-building” activities,
but if they’re aligned with the company’s current brand message,
they can instill strong customer preference and loyalty. By demonstrating
how they impact customer perceptions, they can be used to give
the company a fresh perspective on its brand-building activities.
- Control. It’s a common misconception that brand development
is the sole responsibility of the marketing department; in reality,
the responsibility for the development, execution and ongoing
maintenance of each touchpoint may fall within several different
functional areas of the company. In fact, some touchpoints—word-of-mouth,
for example—may seem to be impossible to control altogether. In
such instances, analysis of what’s driving word-of-mouth exposure
may reveal a greater degree of control over this touchpoint than
initially thought.
- Complexity. Managing all the different points of interaction
customers have with a brand is a multifaceted and interdependent
responsibility. Unless the business has a brand strategy that’s
compelling and relevant to guide this complex effort, it’s almost
impossible to align each touchpoint. Estimating the company’s
current spending on brand, determining responsibility for each
point of interaction and understanding the customer experience
are key steps in managing this complex process.
It’s a worthwhile exercise to look outside traditional thinking regarding
brand development in your industry to consider innovative techniques
from other industries. Looking at the strongest brands in a variety
of categories can uncover new ideas that will drive competitive differentiation.
The following list is meant to get the creative juices flowing by
demonstrating some unique brand-building techniques from a variety
of industries; they are examples organized by the three brand touchpoint
categories that highlight tactics being used effectively by various
companies:
- Pre-Purchase: The Zippo Car, Oscar Mayer Wienermobile,
and Mary Kay Cosmetics’ pink Cadillacs. Considered by some as
throwbacks and corny, symbolic brand representations can provide
unique and bold statements. They can create grassroots awareness
while generating substantial press coverage and publicity. What
symbolic embodiment of your brand would generate the same buzz
or nostalgic attraction as these examples?
- Purchase: Commerce Bank retail branch approach. In an
age of ATMs, online transactions and automated billing, the person-to-person
service of a bank branch was going the way of the dinosaur. Yet
for many who seek personal guidance and assistance, that transformation
has been alienating. Commerce Bank’s attempt was to capture the
disenfranchised by making retail banking enjoyable again, with
friendly personnel, free services (such as coin-counting) and
flexible hours. And gaining a foothold on an individual’s checking
account gave Commerce the ability to cross-sell credit cards,
loans and other, more valuable, products and services.
- Post-Purchase: Kiehl’s word-of-mouth. Despite product
packaging that doesn’t always work and only three retail locations,
Kiehl’s has built a fiercely loyal customer base through the quality
of its products and its quirky, boutique-like mystique. Kiehl’s
lab-coated style and exclusive locations have a cult-like following
of customers who swear that the products are the best quality
that money can buy. And while Kiehl’s does not invest in traditional
communications, the brand’s mystique and heritage have generated
tremendous positive publicity. Kiehl’s has maintained this distinctive
approach despite having been acquired by cosmetics giant L’Oreal
in 2000. What are the distinctive, heritage elements of your brand
that resonate with customers?
Once all current and potential customer-experience touchpoints have
been identified, the next step is to determine which are the most
important, and why. Trying to control every touchpoint can be an overwhelming
and costly endeavor. However, prioritizing the touchpoints and identifying
which have the greatest impact on customers ensure that customers
are being spoken to where and when most relevant. Additionally, prioritizing
the touchpoints maximizes the use of corporate capital and human resources.
Consider the following factors in prioritizing the touchpoints:
- Value in decision-making. What impact will the touchpoint have
on the overall customer decision-making process?
- Ability to control. To what extent is the touchpoint within
an organization’s ability to control?
- Degree of misalignment. How is the touchpoint diluting or contradicting
the brand message, and how quickly must it be aligned?
- Achieving business objectives. Does the touchpoint support the
underlying business objectives?
Companies across the board are facing numerous challenges that require
leadership to take a hard look at how well their brand strategies
position them with customers. Competition is fierce and growing and
customers are both wary and confused, particularly in the face of
largely undifferentiated products, services and messaging.
Businesses that intend to successfully stand out from among the competition
would be wise to scrutinize the core of where and how they interact
with customers and communicate the essence of their brands. That sort
of thoughtful and measured assessment is what will lead to brand investments
that are most likely to create powerful results.
*Originally Published at MarketingProfs.com
About the Author:
Ray George is a Director in the New York office of Prophet (http://www.prophet.com),
a management consultancy that helps clients achieve competitive advantage
by creating and implementing integrated business, brand and marketing
strategies. Prophet works with companies from strategy to execution
to develop, grow, and protect one of their most valuable assets: their
brand. Prophet has offices in Chicago, London, New York, San Francisco
and Tokyo. Ray can be reached at rgeorge@prophet.com.
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