The two times CEO of P&G, A. G. Lafley, once said, "The only strategy your customer or competitor ever sees in the marketplace is what you execute." This means that, rather than what a brand may have planned or intended to do, what it actually does in the marketplace is what customers and competitors see and judge it on.

When choosing influencers or making decisions regarding colors, music, hobbies, and fonts, for example, people's personal tastes can sometimes impact their professional judgements. Consumers, not brand managers, determine how well a brand performs based on their own preferences and experiences. In spite of this, some brand managers think their preferences should take precedence over those of the customers.

Source: Shutterstock

To get around this, brand builders should be aware of both their own preferences and those of the general public and utilize this information to base brand-related decisions on the preferences of their target audiences.

Instead of just repeating what has already been done, it is crucial to expand on this information. Artists, who, unlike professionally-run companies, generate value based on their distinctive personal tastes and take larger risks in terms of acceptability, are not a good fit for this strategy.

Practices

A brand should follow these steps to avoid making bad decisions about their work:

  • Know who you're trying to reach. A brand needs to know a lot about the people it wants to reach and what they like. This will help the brand make content that resonates with them and avoid making decisions that could turn them off.
  • Take notes: By keeping track of your customers' actions, preferences, and feedback, your brand can make better decisions. Use this information to figure out which strategies work and which don't.
  • Keep up with the latest trends in your field to make sure you don't get left behind. Keep an eye on social media and industry publications to find out what's new.
  • Take risks, but do so with a plan. Brands should take risks, but they should also be strategic about how they do so. Before making a decision, you should carefully look at the possible risks and benefits.
  • Get feedback from other people. Getting feedback from colleagues, experts, and customers can give you valuable information and different points of view. It can help the brand see things from a different perspective and not get stuck in a rut.

By doing these steps, a brand can make decisions based on good information and avoid making mistakes at work.

Source: Envato

Examples

Starbucks handling of 2018 crisis

In 2018, two black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks while waiting for a business partner. This is an example of how Starbucks handled a crisis well. People were angry and said that the police were using racial stereotypes.

In response, Starbucks quickly said they were sorry and took action to fix the problem. The company closed more than 8,000 stores for an afternoon so that all employees could learn about racial bias. The company also put in place new policies and procedures to stop discrimination and set up a hotline for employees to use to report bias.

Also, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson met with the two men and apologized for what happened. A settlement was made with them by the company.

Starbucks handled the crisis well by acting quickly and decisively, admitting the problem, and taking concrete steps to stop it from happening again. They also worked to win back the trust of their customers and the community as a whole.

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer
Source: Brands Vietnam