How well do your people know your brand?

A few years ago, I had a very interesting encounter with a CEO of a construction company. He sat me down in a conference room with a large white board at the far end. “Do you know why you’re here?” he asked. He then pointed to the whiteboard behind him, and answered his own question: “That’s why.” Upon closer inspection, written on the board was a list of 24 different phrases. The CEO explained, “I asked my team to explain what we do as a company in one sentence; they came up with 24 different responses. Bottom line: we don’t know how to uniformly explain our value. That’s why you’re here.”

Your personnel are your brand ambassadors. They are the ones interfacing on the front lines with clients, communities, suppliers, and partners. Are they consistently communicating your brand’s value proposition? Do they know what it is? If you asked them to say it in a sentence, how might they respond? We address this very issue during Internal Discovery, the first phase of our Brand Leadership Solution®. Internal Discovery involves an exploration of ideal relationships, competition, brand difference, and brand personality. Through this process, we help establish a collective understanding of how to articulate simply and clearly, who you are as a distinctive brand.

About The Author

Ed Delia became President of Delia Associates in 1998, assuming full control of the company founded by his father, Michael A. Delia, in 1964. Under Ed’s leadership, Delia Associates has contributed directly to the success and growth of a wide variety of clients, from global to regional organizations. The firm has helped many businesses to grow and expand their sales opportunities through the development and implementation of highly successful brand-based programs. Known for its business-centric creativity, Delia Associates has received numerous professional awards and industry commendations.