As a big believer in the importance of companies and brands having at their centre a core brand belief that drives them to be distinctive and build a connection with their consumers, I am always on the look out for good examples.It struck me that maybe a good place to look is at organizations that are driven to lobby or are charities set up to champion something.
As we are currently considering get a dog at home, I was at a dog event at Chiswick House in our local neighbourhood and came across The Dog's Trust.
Interesting to me was that their literature and site starts with those significant words: We believe
This is what they say:
We believe no healthy dog should ever be destroyed and that every dog should have a chance to lead a happy and healthy life in a loving home.
They go on in their charter to give their mission, which is:
Our mission statement is 'Dogs Trust is working towards the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction.'
And what do they do about it:
we never destroy a healthy dog these dogs stay in our care until a loving new home can be found for them
As marketers as we look at examples of how to define and use brand beliefs, we should look at the visionaries who created what have become major brands that people admire and also charities like these who are really driven by a core belief.
What do you think?
1 comment:
But Gary, surely a charity by definition has a "brand belief". It's the core and only reason that the charity exists.
Brands themselves are also influenced by the company that owns then, their P&Ls, competitor activity, retailers who have to sell them. Any belief (no matter how strong) is diluted...
Even Apple is seing brand belief dilution with their current decisions:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/customers-ask-is-apple-going-rotten/
The reality of working with record labels and content providers, driving share prices and hitting wall street targets, has diluted Apple's brand belief to such an extent that a website designed as a maven writes an editorial asking if the company is going the wrong way.
How can a brand keep a belief whilst meeting financial and internal goals?
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