Why knowing what’s said about your brand behind your back is so critical to your success. Part III
Consider the opinions of other stakeholders.
Take a step back and think about your company from a broader perspective. In addition to employees and customers, consider the other stakeholders you may need to engage. Often this includes members of a board of directors, civic leaders or key vendors and partners you work closely with. This group likely came to know your brand in a different way than the others. Their unique understanding of who you are and what you do can benefit your brand audit in a few different ways.
First, they likely value your company for different reasons than your employees and customers. Knowing what they see and care about can help you identify opportunities that are more difficult to see when you’re living and breathing the brand. While the thoughts and opinions of boards of directors can be valuable, you may need to evaluate how much weight to place in this segment. The rebranding process is a constant evaluation of what people are saying and why they’re saying it. This is an ideal group to investigate what your purpose and vision mean to them. If they don’t understand these elements, it is likely a good sign that your audience may not either.
Next, this group of stakeholders often have exposure to your customers or prospective customers. They can offer another way of looking at what your audiences need and want. Additionally, your vendor partners will likely share what they’d like to see change or what they value most, which can positively influence your business practices. Whether it’s easy to recognize or not, the more you learn about what people feel about and need from you, the easier it becomes to align your business objectives with your brand strategy.
Key considerations:
The effectiveness of your brand can be influenced by more people than your employees and customers, especially in today’s digital environment. Consider who might be sharing your story on your behalf and engage them in this work.
Gaining real-life examples of how their perception of your brand was shaped is incredibly valuable.
It’s important to know their initial impressions of your brand and their current perception.
Consider where prospective, and even former, customers fit in.
Identifying the right target audience(s) is an important part of the rebranding process. It can be helpful to consider an additional round of surveys or focus groups with prospective customers. First, it can help you determine if this audience reflects where you want the company to go. Learning more about your target audience can help to further refine who they are and what they value from your brand.
As consumer expectations evolve, your audience may change over time. Understanding this and how it could impact your brand can go a long way toward helping internal brand and marketing teams prepare for the future. Being able to adapt without losing sight of your brand strategy has never been more important.
It may sound impossible but it can be incredibly valuable to reach out to former customers to learn about their experiences with your brand. Consider those whose relationship ended amicable, possibly due to cost or some unforeseen circumstance. Although they can lead to some hard truths, these conversations can also bring the greatest clarity to opportunities.
Key considerations:
From focus groups to online surveys, it’s important to gain insight from your prospective customers or even people that may never purchase from you.
It’s possible you have former customers who would be willing to share their thoughts and experiences with your brand. And yes, they may even say positive things about it.
At pivotal moments, rebranding is the most effective way for leaders to signal significant change. Are you at a pivotal moment? Drop us a line, and we'll be in touch.