Comments on: Brand Entropy http://yastrow.com/2009/brand-entropy/ Author, Speaker, Consultant: Ideas on Creating Profitable Customer Relationships Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:05:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Andrea Keating http://yastrow.com/2009/brand-entropy/comment-page-1/#comment-2340 Andrea Keating Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:09:07 +0000 http://yastrow.com/?p=853#comment-2340 Mr. Yastrow, Just finished reading Brand Harmony! Brand Harmony was informative, interesting, and well-written. I think you make strong points on how to make a successful (and lasting) brand...certainly a perspective I agree with. This book will without a doubt be a key resource as I go into my Masters in Commerce at UVA this Fall! THANKS! Andrea Mr. Yastrow,

Just finished reading Brand Harmony! Brand Harmony was informative, interesting, and well-written. I think you make strong points on how to make a successful (and lasting) brand…certainly a perspective I agree with. This book will without a doubt be a key resource as I go into my Masters in Commerce at UVA this Fall!

THANKS!

Andrea

]]> By: Steve Yastrow http://yastrow.com/2009/brand-entropy/comment-page-1/#comment-2149 Steve Yastrow Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:39:16 +0000 http://yastrow.com/?p=853#comment-2149 Dan and Leonghw get at a key challenge: Have a strong brand essence, but be flexible enough to adapt it to an individual customer's needs and situation. This is very much like jazz; if you know the underlying chords, melody and form of the song, you can improvise over the tune and it's in harmony. Scripting is the "fart in church" (excuse me for that metaphor) of customer service, just as it would be in improvised jazz. Eliot's question is a good one. Answer: It could be a mission statement, but I tend to avoid the term because the mission statement process has, for many companies, become watered down, formulaic and generic. "Exceed expectations," "Treat our customers and employees with respect,"serve our markets," etc., are the fodder of many mission statements that could have been created from those word magnet sets you play with on your refrigerator. Oh, and I didn't mention the next steps after you write your mission statement: You frame it in your lobby, give your employees wallet cards imprinted with it, and then ... you forget about it! So, a good mission statement can be based on a good brand essence, but a mission statement that is not based on a clear, compelling, differentiating brand essence is not worth having. Dan and Leonghw get at a key challenge: Have a strong brand essence, but be flexible enough to adapt it to an individual customer’s needs and situation. This is very much like jazz; if you know the underlying chords, melody and form of the song, you can improvise over the tune and it’s in harmony. Scripting is the “fart in church” (excuse me for that metaphor) of customer service, just as it would be in improvised jazz.

Eliot’s question is a good one. Answer: It could be a mission statement, but I tend to avoid the term because the mission statement process has, for many companies, become watered down, formulaic and generic. “Exceed expectations,” “Treat our customers and employees with respect,”serve our markets,” etc., are the fodder of many mission statements that could have been created from those word magnet sets you play with on your refrigerator. Oh, and I didn’t mention the next steps after you write your mission statement: You frame it in your lobby, give your employees wallet cards imprinted with it, and then … you forget about it! So, a good mission statement can be based on a good brand essence, but a mission statement that is not based on a clear, compelling, differentiating brand essence is not worth having.

]]> By: Eliot http://yastrow.com/2009/brand-entropy/comment-page-1/#comment-2147 Eliot Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:15:40 +0000 http://yastrow.com/?p=853#comment-2147 But Steve, How is brand different from mission statement in this example? or are they one in the same? But Steve, How is brand different from mission statement in this example? or are they one in the same?

]]> By: leonghw http://yastrow.com/2009/brand-entropy/comment-page-1/#comment-2143 leonghw Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:24:23 +0000 http://yastrow.com/?p=853#comment-2143 "..who define their brand essence with great richness and detail.." i agree. the fastest way to dilute a brand is to promise to be everything to everybody. strong brands have their unique messages. some are known for the low prices, others stand for luxury, still some are based on superb customer service. also like you said, the brand's promise must be clearly defined. fast means focused efficiency yet flexible and friendly. fast doesn't mean shoddy work. just pushing products out there. it has to be clearly defined. brands with strong promise that's clearly defined are easier for the customers to understand and employees to follow. remarkable brands always have these qualities. rgs leonghw “..who define their brand essence with great richness and detail..”
i agree.
the fastest way to dilute a brand is to promise to be everything to everybody.

strong brands have their unique messages.
some are known for the low prices, others stand for luxury, still some are based on superb customer service.

also like you said, the brand’s promise must be clearly defined. fast means focused efficiency yet flexible and friendly. fast doesn’t mean shoddy work. just pushing products out there. it has to be clearly defined.

brands with strong promise that’s clearly defined are easier for the customers to understand and employees to follow. remarkable brands always have these qualities.

rgs
leonghw

]]> By: Dan Gunter http://yastrow.com/2009/brand-entropy/comment-page-1/#comment-2142 Dan Gunter Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:14:24 +0000 http://yastrow.com/?p=853#comment-2142 Excellent points you're making here Steve. As I began reading the first few sentences, one of those dreaded "Okay, but..." thoughts crossed my mind. But you appear to have seen it coming and addressed it. What I'm referring to is the fact that some people would stop with your initial words and make the grave error of trying to create customer "encounters" by trying use too many specific, forumulaic customer responses. I've heard the description of a great business as being comprised of the "four F's:" * Fast * Focused * Flexible * Friendly What you so well describe is being "focused," particularly where a particular "way" of doing things is concerned (i.e., helping find just the right pair of shoes for each customer.) But you must also be flexible enough to realize that some customers will have different needs and personalities, meaning you have to be "flexible" enough to treat them as the unique customer they are. All too often, in the name of being "fast" and "focused," customer service people get indoctrinated into ways that *seem* to be most efficient, completely killing and chances of being "flexible" and "friendly" to the customers. Excellent points you’re making here Steve. As I began reading the first few sentences, one of those dreaded “Okay, but…” thoughts crossed my mind. But you appear to have seen it coming and addressed it. What I’m referring to is the fact that some people would stop with your initial words and make the grave error of trying to create customer “encounters” by trying use too many specific, forumulaic customer responses.

I’ve heard the description of a great business as being comprised of the “four F’s:”

* Fast
* Focused
* Flexible
* Friendly

What you so well describe is being “focused,” particularly where a particular “way” of doing things is concerned (i.e., helping find just the right pair of shoes for each customer.) But you must also be flexible enough to realize that some customers will have different needs and personalities, meaning you have to be “flexible” enough to treat them as the unique customer they are.

All too often, in the name of being “fast” and “focused,” customer service people get indoctrinated into ways that *seem* to be most efficient, completely killing and chances of being “flexible” and “friendly” to the customers.

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