In this blog post, Seth Godin talks about Cultural Wisdom. We spend tons of time doing expensive research to find the insight that drives our even more expensive television commercial, and our company branded vehicles drive around in a serious need of a wash. Of course, some impressions are more important than others yet they are all important. And unless the whole company embraces the idea that everything we do to the brand either adds or takes away from it, then it is likely that we will take away from it without realizing.
Like when I called an office this morning and the recorded message directed me to take certain action which when completed did not deliver the promised outcome, it did not make me feel good. When I eventually got a human voice, the recorded one provided more help.
As brand stewards the first thing we have to acknowledge is that marketing people are not the only brand captains. Everyone has a stake. We have to view brand management as everyone’s business; including the parking lot attendant. We can leave our brands to marketing at our own peril.
