Their Perception Becomes Your Reality

When companies say they want to create a brand or build brand equity, what they really mean is that they want to improve their reputation.

Reputation is simply what people say about you behind your back. You see, no one has the time and energy to start from scratch, so people do listen and take opinion of others about you.

And then they act accordingly.

This has the power to make or break things. When reputation is good, it makes people want to associate with you. During purchase decisions, it makes people pay a premium for you. Make a few mishaps, however, and people will make sure others know about it.

So be it a company or an individual, reputation is work of art; it should not be left to chance.

We are too often lost in our own self-centeredness, and thereby create a gap between our reality and reality of the world. One of the greatest powers, therefore, which someone can have, is to see himself as others see him. And then shape and mould that lens for others.

Again, there are a lot of external forces outside the brand's control that will contribute to its reputation. That's why it becomes even more imperative that the brand works on tailoring the same as much as it can, such that the net-reputation remains positively strong.

Everything that a company does, the world watches. Every message that a company gives out, the world listens. Every product, every customer interaction, every promise kept or ignored, contributes to how people perceive a brand.

And their perception dictates the brand's reality. Craft that perception. Tailor it. But don't leave it to chance.