to be woven into marketing communication , and the marketing communication needs to speak in a language that is dear to the customer . To make marketing great again , brands need not compete on outshining each other with glittery marketing campaigns , but compete internally to polish up uniqueness with the customer as the polishing cloth .
Brand Stories
In response to the proverbial 5 W ’ s and 1H questions , the brand story as an integral part of the brand DNA - as needs to be communicated by marketing and structured around customers - should be challenged to ask and comprehensively answer the following questions : What is the true brand story ? Where has the brand come from ? Which direction is the brand going ? What has the brand been doing and / or not doing ? Why does the brand do what it does ? How is this important in any way … and most importantly , for whom is the brand in existence ?
With the conviction that the customer is not just the main driver of business but the key purpose of it , then these questions take on a new dimension when replaced with a customer centric direction . Going back to the drawing board , the 5 W ’ s and 1H would with a customer focused flavor , get transformed into : What is your customer story ? Where have your customers come from ? In which direction are your customers going ? What have they been doing ? How is this important in any way towards serving them better and for whom would this service be delivered ? Why are they the way they are and what makes them that way ?
A combination of these two directions from the brand perspective and the customer experience excellence perspective , would make for a powerful narrative that the brand can use in weaving its DNA , creating its genetic make-up , and providing an engaging story to be told across different platforms .
Human beings love stories and are naturally captivated by them . In this light , brand stories need to be customer focused to dim out the marketing and communication noise that the world is constantly throwing out .
Stories create refreshing moments for all , and to make marketing great again , the brand story and the customer story need not be handled as mutually exclusive items , but harmonized to ensure that fodder to feed marketing efforts are customer infused .
Brand Carriers
What is a brand really without the people behind it , who started it , carry it and live it daily - The internal customer . The make-up of a brand ’ s DNA if devoid of its people , will be headed the mutant gene route and without acknowledgement of its internal customers , would have resultant genetic disorder .
Human centeredness and the human side of the brand is an important aspect , right from the historical perspective of the brand ’ s beginning , the inspiration behind the brand ’ s genesis , the inception stories of struggle and triumph , the current successes and future plans . All of that forms the brand ’ s integral make up as driven by its people .
Very often brands are loathe to describe their so called ‘ humble ’ beginnings , mistakes made , failures experienced and embarrassing outcomes , thinking that a perfect outlook to positively ‘ market ’ the organization is what works . Contrary to that , marketing that humanizes brands , makes organizations relatable and triggers human connection , is what endears customers and potential customers to engage .
Human beings are empathetic and generally root for the successes and victories of others , and brand need not take a different route . Customers are very relational and the previous and current brand carriers need to get real in order to connect . The staff that work for an organization being the current brand carriers that hold its DNA , are encouraged to be passionate about delivering on the brand promises , and to hold fast to the brand values .
A focus on internal customer excellence by identifying the right people , to work in the right way , for the right reasons and towards the right outcomes will entrench the brand ’ s positive DNA further . Consistent belief in , and support for the staff by leadership at all levels , will raise a tribe of internal brand ambassadors who have positive sentiment towards the brand .
Internal brand carriers who are emotionally aligned , will be passionate enough to believe in the brand vision and mission and live by them day to day . Customers are discerning enough to evaluate their individual and collective customer experiences , and can tell those that are plastic and those that are delivered by brand carriers who care .
As the world seeks to recover from the unprecedented effects of Covid-19 , and continues with the battle towards piecing things together and reconfiguring what from the previous norm still works and what doesn ’ t , so must marketing rebuild its credibility and rightful place in the DNA of business success . The time for reconstruction , restoration and retrofitting is now , when the general global mindset is in this gear .
To effectively do this , normalizing customer experience excellence and the role of customer success as a key marketing agenda will form the crux of the matter . In as much as alignment between all the P ’ s of marketing towards a fruitful outcome is the silver bullet to ensure a sustainable turn round , creating and communicating a compelling brand promise anchored on customer experience excellence is the cartridge from whence it must be propelled .
Making marketing great again and placing its fibre and strand in the DNA of organizational business success , is a journey of unlearning , learning and relearning what marketing greatness needs to be . Communicating this and delivering impactful outcomes across industry vide sector wide shared and sharing platforms will ensure common ground is covered and that efforts are combined .
The case for customer experience excellence being the ‘ learning material ’ for these lessons still remains the most convincing motion in the debate . Over to Marketing and CX professionals to restore greatness one brand at a time , one marketer at a time , one CX professional at a time .
Carolyne Gathuru is the founder and director of strategy at LifeSkills Consulting . She has several years of experience in customer experience strategy development and training . You can commune with her on this or related issues via mail at : CGathuru @ life-skills . co . ke .