.png)
How to Avoid Creating the Grand Disconnect:
When the Brand Reality Doesn’t Meet Expectations
I am a true book lover and die-hard Amazon fan: I have an Amazon credit card, I have a prime account, I have TWO kindles (including a Kindle Fire, of course) so I couldn’t wait to visit Amazon Books open in my former home of San Diego.
My Underwhelming Experience at Amazon Books
Oh, my; I am so underwhelmed! The store that wowed me with technology? The Internet giant that introduced one-click? It set up a book store, er, like a book store. There is no killer techno wall, no flashy “hot new books” section; there wasn’t even a place to sit down and read a few pages. So, the internet behemoth which is always ahead of the curve was tragically at the end of the line looking like a small, Barns & Noble a la 1997.
Promo copy states that the store allows you to read reviews; true, own your own device! The reviews on the shelves are stagnant, paper one-liners just like anywhere else. I had visions of an electronic review below the books or the ability to search the book or….
The bottom line is that I was besieged with disappointment: the brand experience didn’t meet my expectation. Brand disappointment is when the expectation doesn’t meet the reality @AmazonBooks Click To Tweet
The exact situation occurred when my Staples credit card was stolen and $4,000.00 worth of gift cards were charged to my account. Dealing with Staples wasn’t easy; it was a nightmare! It was another case of not living the brand.
4 Steps for Ensuring Your Brand Expectations Meets Reality
So, how you manage brand expectations?
Understand Your Brand DNA – Get clear on who you are and who you’re not. Fair Warning: this exercise takes work in terms of understanding how others perceive you; you must be clear on how vendors, clients, and colleagues see your strengths. (Drop me a line if you need help on this exercise.)
Create a list of what you will do…and what you will never do
Identify who your target is…and who it isn’t
Turn your lists into commandments that you never violateTo understand #BrandExpectations, understand your #BrandDNA first Click To Tweet
To fully live your brand means that not everyone will like you. In fact, you will earn raving fans and chalk up unhappy prospects who never want to work with you; that’s OK. If everyone loves you, you are not a brand!If everyone loves you, you are not a brand! Click To Tweet
BUT, if you get comfortable and sure in who you are, you are poised to conquer your market: you offer what your clients need in a way they want to receive it; you offer an experience and you have the opportunity to charge a premium price. In essence, you have morphed into a brand – congratulations!
Share your story below!
To your sizzling success,
Liz