Hi-fi Branding
I love hi-fi (not those all-in-one music systems, but rather your separate components with chrome feet and massive cables). I have been a big fan of it since I purchased my first system as a university student. I still remember it; a Pioneer A 337 Amplifier and a Philips CD502 CD player. Whilst that system has been phased out (regrettably I traded in the Amp about 15 years later - it was a cracker, I should've kept it!) I have been hooked on buying and trading various components ever since.
So what does any of this have to do with business? Well ten years ago I broke my cardinal rule of not buying those all-in-one things and bought a Denon Amp/CD/Tuner for my bedroom. I needed an alarm clock. Relevance... well that unit has been going strong and trouble free ever since - and it's been used every day. It's feature rich with multiple alarms, 3 x CD player's, a nice balanced sound, etc. So what do you think my perception of the Denon brand is? It's one of quality, value and reliability of course. Now that has been my one and only interaction with that brand and my experience was exceptional.
So it lead me to thinking, how does that relate to my business - and in particular the experience that candidates have with us. Whilst typically we develop a deep understanding of, and a subsequent relationship with candidates, more often than not that relationship will be formed based on having something appropriate for them. So there remains a large group of people who we only briefly interact with - and that will be our only opportunity to create a (hopefully positive) impression on them. This impression is likely to be pervading - it will stick with them and be the image they maintain of our brand - and then inform others of it. In the words of Warren Buffett - "A reputation takes a lifetime to create and 5 minutes to destroy".
What measures do you have to ensure that people have a positive experience of your brand? Do you ensure that each service interaction is one that leaves the customer wanting to have more? The clincher of course is that if we haven't created a lasting and positive experience, then we're highly unlikely to ever find out.... How do you create your Denon experience?