Keep a Hand on Your Brand

Over 250 retail industry influencers attended the 2009 National Retail Summit. Susan Parker, along with Becky Powell-Schwartz of The Powell Group, demonstrated how marketing and public relations work together to protect a brand through brand management in a break out session. The following is an excerpt from that presentation.

The 5 Cs
  1. Connection - Engage all audiences by understanding their perspective and the relevance of your brand to them. Do you know your influencers, best customers and those that avoid your brand?
  2. Contemporary - Anticipate needs and continually evolve - either you are changing or dying. Does your target audience look to you for what is new and to make their life better?
  3. Collaboration - It takes the entire organization to consistently deliver a brand promise. Is each interaction with your customer one that adds value to the customer and your company?
  4. Credibility - How you "Walk the Talk" makes or breaks long-term brand value. Do your target audiences trust you and serve you up as a good example?
  5. Community - Genuinely invest in valuable relationships to build loyalty. Are your target audiences proud to be part of your brand club?