Brand as message

What does your brand communicate? What is it saying to the public? Chances are it is saying more than just a name, color palette and tagline. It’s more than your website or brochure. It is communicating an experience. It is saying all you have ever communicated. Your company is packaged within your brand.

AT&T is banking on this. So much so that they have dropped their name. A number of months ago AT&T took a bold move with its brand equity. They joined the ranks of Apple, Nike and Target and dropped their name from their logo and decided to go with just their icon. Yet, it’s not just an icon. That’s the point. It is a message—an experience (good or bad). Your brand contains so much, yes, the work and thought you put into your brand presentation, but also all the work and thought you put into the customers experience with your brand. The marketing campaign is as important as the layout of your store. The brand standards are as integral to the message as the customer service line.

Does your brand reflect the experience? Does the experience reflect the brand? Is there a disconnect? These two aspects of your company are not separate.