by: Idris Mootee
Should
the brand vision be limited only to the business? Is there a different
way of thinking about a brand vision? Patragonia was the first one that
came to my mind, I know it’s the same case for Bart. “Their
environmentally based brand vision is very visible in everything they
do.” according to Bart. I am in full agreement. A brand vision needs
to be connected deeply with the brand and what the company believes.
Should brand vision go beyond winning in market shares and create
shareholder wealth? How about brand vision is something more.. how
about changing the world? (Patagonia, Body Shop, Google)
It is the essential dream that inspires people inside the company to
keep striving even when the financial rewards are uncertain(i.e. stock
options under the water). Brand vision need to survive even the loss of
a beloved founder. It is not something to be framed on the wall but
quietly whispered inside the heads of each employee, from brand
managers to service personnel, it is embedded in the companies that are
bound for greatness, the dream that only every employee believes is
possible. And once the dream becomes reality, once you’ve achieved the
vision, the brand vision is fully realized, then it’s time to expand
the vision or lose the troops to complacency. The human spirit loves
(and needs) a good challenge – especially if it is directed at an
attainable and meaningful ideal.
Brand vision provides the focus that ensures a stable, cohesive
foundation through the roller-coaster ride of growth and industry
cycles. Who’s job is this? As Flavio puts its, “…someone should be really taking care of the job of transforming vision into reality on the shelves. And not only on the manuals.” On this note about “manuals”, that reminds me of fast food and restaurants.
So here’s another one for us to think about. I remembered in 03, McDonald launched a brand new brand vision: “our customers’ favorite place and way to eat,”
a theme they wanted their ad agencies to embrace. McDonald’s marketing
chief challenged 14 of its biggest agencies from 10 major world markets
to brainstorm new ideas based on this brand vision. “This was a meeting
about brand direction,” according to Larry Light, McDonald’s global
marketing chief, “We’re going to reinvest in local store marketing…we
are going to be passionately focused on the customer.” The question
for you is ..What does this brand vision has to do with customers?
Original Post: http://mootee.typepad.com/innovation_playground/2007/10/brand-vision—.html
