Official vs. Unofficial Branding

Yesterday, I met with Jeff Garrison, of JCG Consulting. Although we covered a lot of ground, one of the most interesting (yet briefest) things we talked about was something I referred to as “unofficial” branding, based on the tried and true cliché that “actions speak louder than words.” The goal, of course, is to have your official brand be consistent with your unofficial brand. In a negative example of this, a company I have dealt with in the past proudly displayed their official brand – incredible customer experiences – around the store. Yet, the wait for service was always quite lengthy (at one point, they were telling customers it was going to be two hours before someone could help them!). Clearly, the official brand (i.e., what the company said its brand was), and the unofficial brand (what the company actually did) were inconsistent. Which one do you think the customer believed?

This is true of “internal” brands as well, i.e., the relationship you have with your employees. If you list “family” as one of your values, yet are consistently resistant to allowing employees to be flexible with their schedule so they can care for their families, you will lose credibility and trust. Your employees (internal customers) are going to believe your unofficial, action brand rather than your official, stated brand.

It’s not going to matter how many ads you run saying that you are devoted to great customer service or being a family friendly employer; if your actions don’t back up what you are saying, your unofficial brand will always speak louder. Even if you change course and begin “walking the walk,” it may take you a very long time (if ever) to convince your customers/employees that you have changed.

So – do your official and unofficial brands match?