Will You Do What is Necessary to Create Your Brand Movement?

It's been said that their perception is your reality.

Many companies believe that they have complete control over their brand. They believe that whatever they say, their customers, prospects and the market will blindly believe! Some of these companies also believe this to be true for their employees—as if it isn’t possible for them to discover the company's skeletons.

There was a time when that may have been true, but in the world of yelp, Facebook, and every other social media tool on the market, a company’s success is dependent on its ability to adapt to change, to build relationships, and to listen. In just a few years, all the rules of the game that we call marketing have changed. Leadership roles are converging, traditional structures are crumbling, and the consumers’ voice carries more weight than ever. If that isn't enough, what consumers value has also changed.

No longer are price and quality their only priorities. David Packard co-founder of HP said it best with, "Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department."

I challenge you to accept that as true and to embrace it within your company. People want to connect with others. They want to be surrounded by people that have the same morals and values. They choose to align themselves with brands that reflect the image as they wish to be seen. Transaction-based interactions between brands and consumers are shifting to relationship-based interactions. Because of this, brands need to come alive, have a personality, take a stand, and be held accountable.

Brands need to be experienced by both their market and the employees. Customers are looking for a connection, an experience, not a show, but rather something that allows them to connect. Employees have the power to create, change, and influence a customer's experience. They bring the brand alive based on the environment of where they work. The marketing game is now about the brand experience. When done correctly, your brand becomes a movement.

If their perception is your reality….Will you do what is necessary to create the movement? Create your brand experience by focusing on things that you can control: your brand's design, conversation, connection, innovation, and vision.