BRANDS AND BRANDING
point improvement in customer satisfaction, which in turn will drive a 0.5% improvement in revenue growth. To get the most value out of a brand, it must be:
defined by behaviours that will bring the brand to life; interconnected with elements driving organisational performance;
recognised by leadership as a source of strategic focus; launched internally with a sustaining plan; reinforced by pr efforts in times of crisis or celebration. To leverage the value of their brands, organisations need to recognise and communicate with the full range of stakeholders. Public relations can play a crucial role in this. pr is not simply about making statements and issuing press releases. Today’s best corporate communications functions recognise that accurately assessing and strategically shaping corporate perceptions must take account of the full array of influencers who drive issues, shape perceptions and have an impact on media coverage, and ultimately corporate reputation. An affirmation of “who this corporation is and what we promise our customers, our shareholders, our employees, our communities” serves any organisation in times of crisis or celebration. US Postal Service: in crisis The US Postal Service as a brand has been tested over time, from “going postal”, referring to violence in the workplace, to “the mail moment”, representing the anticipation and value of the mix of mail in a mailbox. The “We Deliver” tag line neatly encapsulates both the delivery of the mail and the brand promise. Measures of the usps brand reveal that it has enduring relevance and value to consumers, despite negative images of “snail mail” that attach to the medium itself. The brand attributes of traditional, reliable, trustworthy, and “cares about customers” served it particularly well throughout the anthrax crisis that followed the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001. Letters containing the deadly anthrax virus were delivered through the mail to the US Senate in Washington, dc, and to news media offices in New York and Florida. Some 800,000 employees were potentially at
150