People often define companies as a thing, a place, a service or a product without really relating it back to the "brand." A brand is an organism that grows into a company and represents its perceived value and meaning.
A brand is defined as a toolbox of marketing and communication methods that help to distinguish a company from competitors and create a lasting impression in the minds of customers.
This is true in every way, and in addition to that, brand is the personality by which a company lives. The value of a brand is embodied in the perception of the company based on what they project. Some of the top brands in the world are known by their company name, and recognized for the "aura" that they create. For example, Apple, Nike, Tesla, Hershey, and Harvard are all names that immediately have recognition, and an established personality that people see, feel and breathe.
A common goal of any company's branding division is to be recognized as the best. The type of recognition that you are a specific type of company capable of exceptional performance. There are companies that fly under the radar and don't necessarily look to be a highly visible brand. Yet, within their circle, they express the same philosophy of being the leader and expert within their field.
A CEO can provide considerable vision and direction for the brand. Their leadership and charisma add to the personality of the brand. With each CEO change, a company's personality evolves even further. The CEO and c-level management define companies and set the tone for the brand perception. That is the primary reason that a CEO may be someone different than the founder of the company. A CEO can set an example to internal employees, project the energy and life of a company while expressing verbally what it literally means. The CEO can often be the first extension of the brand. If the CEO lives the type of culture they envision, the brand grows from there. The internal culture is then used to extend the CEO's reach to all external facing contact for the company. This includes advertising, public relations, human resources, and even the company’s reception.
Design at the forefront of every corporate touchpoint both internally and externally makes a huge difference in what becomes the brand. When a company uses design at the forefront, they are in control of the brand at every level. This means from the first time that someone sees the product, interacts with another human, or hears the company name, they will be using their senses to take in the brand. Design sets the tone for that by understanding how the brand looks, feels, sounds, and smells. When design is used to establish the way in which the brand is lived, the brand is brought to life. The first time that someone interviews with a company begins to set the tone for the internal brand perception. The first time that a product is offered and is visible to a consumer can set the tone for the external branding. In both cases, it involves an interaction that should be managed by design with purpose.
As you walk around your office, how does it smell? What do you see? Does the company reinforce the brand visually inside the office? Do you know from the moment that you walk in that this is the same company that you think of when you walk out? Is it organized? Are the sounds within the corporate doors loud and obnoxious or is it friendly and happy? What is the tone of the office atmosphere? Does the internal brand feel like the company that you think of as a consumer? These questions help to determine where and what may be shortcomings of a brand's external perception and ultimate success.
The challenge is to make the internal brand breathe the same life that you want it to live externally. It is very difficult to have an energized, innovative, and strong brand if you can't say the same about the corporate culture. Counter to many beliefs, the corporate culture internally is the most important and significant factor in creating a living, breathing brand that is alive and growing. You may be at the top now, but unless you continue to develop the internal brand, your demise is imminent. Bring your brand alive by creating an internal culture that pours out through its pores.