For professional firms too much emphasis on the cover and not enough on the content has heralded the demise of many a branding initiative. Moreover, firms’ inability to walk the talk of their brand promises has sadly done more than waste oodles of money. It has actively disenfranchised clients and confused the market.
The common or
garden lexicon of management-speak has successfully corrupted a number of
concepts to the point where the idea in practice bears only a passing
resemblance to its theoretical genesis. Professional-service
brand strategy falls squarely into this category of the misunderstood and
misused.
It is commonplace to hear partners referring to the latest re-brand or
bemoaning the quality of the firm's branding. However, on closer investigation
it is clear they refer to cosmetic changes of visual identity or brochurewear,
advertising or other promotional techniques, or the creation of a new
letterhead. Few of them have a deeper
understanding of brand and its potential impact on strategic direction and
client relationships.
Crucially, one should visualise a professional-service brand as the totality of
the client's experience with the firm. Taking a holistic view makes it
immediately apparent that a large number of touch-points between the firm and
its various audiences must be managed if a strong brand is to be built.
Central to successful brand strategy is a consistent client experience – that
the firm will set out a promise of ‘what you see is what you get, every time
you work with us' and align itself to deliver on it. It is also fundamental
that the brand experience will be one that is both valued by the client and
different (in a meaningful way) from the competition.
The process of developing a brand has the same principal components as any
strategic review – understanding the here and now from a number of different
perspectives; considering future scenarios and their impact on the business;
choosing a preferred route; understanding how to engage the whole firm in a
change programme; and crafting an implementation plan. Of course, actually
making the plan work in practice is the only true measure of success!
The first couple of hurdles will claim a few victims on the journey to a
successful brand. Understanding where
you are today is fundamental to the creation of a robust vision of where you
might aspire to be tomorrow. Also key is the development of a realistic
picture of how the world might look in a few years and what this might mean for
the firm.
Professionals generally enjoy the next stage of the process – the creation of a
vision and strategy. It is crucial to create stretching yet realistic
objectives. Aspirational yes, but grounded in realism, as strategies that
cannot be implemented are not strategies at all – rather they are fairy
stories!
It is the operational phase, however, which holds the key to success for any
brand strategy. How realistic is the firm being in setting targets that require
far-reaching changes to working practices and cultures? How determined is the
management team to see through the hard-yards of change? How will these changes
be effected?
Providing a consistent client experience is anathema for many professionals –
and a huge challenge for those tasked with the management and development of
professional-service firms.
Finally, there is the communication phase – going out and telling the world;
producing visual identities that align strongly with the vision and altering
the physical components that define how the firm presents itself. This is an area firms focus much time, but
– in truth – it is not the essence of brand strategy.
In the journey research-vision-strategy-operations-communications, by far the most challenging aspect is the firm's
ability to ensure the brand promise is backed up by effective operational
delivery. Sadly, this is inevitably the stage at which many firms fail.
The vision and strategy may be compelling, but they are no more than fantasy if
the firm cannot deliver the reality on the ground.
The communications plan may position the firm brilliantly and create superb awareness
and expectation, but if there is a disconnect between the promise and the
experience, the only logical result is clients that are at best left confused –
at worst, feel misled.
If you want to build a successful brand, make sure your book's cover and
content tell the same story.
Managing Partner Magazine
