Think Different about the brand

Brands. Don’t we just love them? They have the power to create more than just customers. They build followers, trends and sometimes whole movements. If they’re any good, we tend to be loyal to them. And if they’re really good, then there’s a strong possibility we’ll become advocates or champions, recommending them to friends, to family, to people we don’t know. As an introverted brand junkie, sometimes even I can be drawn in by the lure of a good brand and be compelled to share my brand experiences online.

So, what makes a ‘good’ brand? In my opinion, the answer is that it’s in the eye of the beholder. However, this isn’t an article on general buyer behaviour or consumer psychology. It’s way more revealing than that. It’s about my brand choices and motivations and the attributes of a brand that really matter to me. Let me give you some examples and at the same time, disclose way too much about me to be comfortable with, but here goes:

Apple: Yes, I keep the boxes. I’m one of those people. The packaging is lovely. It is. Most importantly though, Apple’s stuff works, consistently well – iPads, MacBooks, Airpods, headphones and streaming TV boxes. The user experience tends to be intuitive. The connectivity is pretty seamless. There’s plenty of innovation and new stuff coming along that’s cool. Admittedly, I’d like Apple to be more sustainable and the whole lightning/USB-C is a bit tedious. How is it that even with ‘Dad’s’ written on all my chargers, they regularly go missing. Seemingly, I need to stop randomly plugging them into the sockets in my children’s bedrooms.

Adidas: a.k.a. fits the dad bod better than the other ‘skinny’ brands with the more aggressive shark or armour propositions. I see it as athletic wear for the former athlete. The sizing is reliable wherever you buy it from. Much of the clothing range is multi-use - a hybrid of sports and leisurewear. The quality of the fabrics means the clothes wash well and they last. And, if it’s good enough for Jude Bellingham and Lionel Messi, then it’s good enough for me. Although, I’m confident they’re not choosing the apparel with the same brand attributes in mind as me.

Sonos: The smart home sound system that’s reinventing home audio for today and tomorrow. Incredible sound for music TV and more. I can’t stop buying their beautifully designed, little portable speakers or their immersive soundbars, or their rich bass sub-woofers. In black. Beautiful, matt black. And heavy. Reassuringly weighty, properly robust. They make me want to do a little dance even when there’s no music. The new Ace headphones? They’re calling me. Any package that arrives at the house with my name on the kids speculate, “I think dad’s bought another Sonos”. I’m an addict. It’s true. I put it down to my susceptibility to palindromes. Our garage is packed with race cars and kayaks.

Enough examples. I’ve shared way too much already. A simple assessment is that I like brands that do what they say they’re going to do, that work and are easy to use. Brands that offer what I consider to be value for money, are high in quality and made to last. Ones that don’t give me buyer’s remorse. Above all, they offer me the single most important currency a brand can provide. Trust.

These brands have built a reputation with me based on that trust. I’m locked into a cycle of repeat purchases that strengthen and enhance their reputation with each new brand experience. That is, until my level of trust is tested.

The 7th of May 2024. A day of seismic importance. Sonos launched its newly designed app. I eagerly downloaded it, keen to explore the promised new UX, features and capability. And that’s where it all unravelled. Glitching, failing, not connecting. A bugfest app release. Nothing worked. I was close to being done with Sonos until I received a letter from the CEO in my inbox. It was a straight-up, heartfelt apology that didn’t try to cover up any of the issues. It was honest, transparent and emotive and one paragraph really struck a chord:

“There isn’t an employee at Sonos who isn’t pained by having let you down, and I assure you that fixing the app for all of our customers and partners has been and continues to be our?number one priority.” (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/25/24206203/sonos-ceo-apology-redesigned-app-controversy).

As a Sonos ‘follower’, I believe it. Maybe I’m na?ve but I’m willing it to be true. They have let me down, but I’m prepared to forgive. Why? Because the reputation they’ve built with me to this point has generated a level of goodwill that means they have credit in the bank. They have time to make things right.

So, what does any of this mean for employer brands? It means that obsessing with employer value propositions and ‘selling’ those employer brand attributes is important but it’s delivering on the promises that you’re making and creating those positive employer (consumer) experiences that are paramount.

What are you doing to build trust and goodwill with the people that encounter your brand? It’s not enough to package and promote your employer brand, you need to enhance and strengthen your employer reputation too.