Not too long ago, most professional services firms thought of their brands (if they thought of them at all) as marketing artifacts – something that belongs in the marketing department. A great deal of energy was expended convincing leadership that a brand is important to the firm’s business, not just marketing.
Today, more and more executive leaders understand the role of brands as high-value strategic business assets critical to their firms’ ability to compete and win in today’s dynamic business environment.
Much research shows that a well-positioned, high-performing brand helps firms in many critical areas – from culture and communications to customer experience and firm valuation. And yet, as a business function, brands are far from being fully utilized.
Undifferentiated branding among firms in a highly competitive professional services category makes it difficult for prospects to see each firm’s unique value, leaving them with no choice but to compare on price.
A differentiated brand will pull your firm from a gray fog of seemingly identical firms with relatively similar offerings and copycat points of difference. It will help your “ideal” clients and employees to answer the fundamental question: Why should I choose this firm?
Your brand directly impacts your firm’s ability to attract and retain the best-fitting, high-performing, and fiercely loyal workforce.
A strong sense of purpose, a unique set of values, and a clearly defined employee value proposition will help you attract those who are like-minded and see the value of working with your firm beyond purely transactional (people do what’s required in exchange for a paycheck).
Customer experience encompasses all ways in which customers interact with your brand throughout their entire lifecycle. A sum of these interactions defines the perception of your brand, which, based on the experience, could be positive, negative, or indifferent.
The alignment between the brand (setting expectations) and experience (delivering on the promise) establishes a stronger emotional connection, builds trust and loyalty, and further differentiates your firm from the competition.
Your brand is the north star for navigating uncertainty and making smart, strategic choices. A strong brand gives your firm the flexibility to adapt to new market dynamics while remaining true to its core.
For a brand to achieve this level of agility, however, it must have a strong strategic foundation (brand platform) from which it can be responsive without becoming either diluted or irrelevant.
Brand is not what you say it is. It’s what they say it is. (Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap)
Whether you intentionally manage your brand or not, the perception of your firm exists.
All interactions with prospects, clients, and industry partners, as well as your website, social media, proposals, and marketing materials, influence what the marketplace thinks about your firm – for better or worse.
A clearly defined and well-executed brand that’s consistently reinforced across all communications and interactions puts you in control of what your audiences think (and say) about your firm.
Increased competition, commoditization, and the speed of change call for brands to become the point of convergence and the catalyst for aligning business strategy, customer experience, and company culture.
To put this into action requires a much deeper understanding of the branding discipline.
For more resources to help your firm navigate the always-evolving world of branding, visit our Branding Resource Center for Busy Marketers and Business Leaders.
How Substance151 Can Help
Substance151 bills brands the transform companies. We help professional services and AEC firms meet tomorrow’s challenges by cementing their position and growing their strength in the marketplace to attract ideal clients and top talent. Contact us to start a conversation.
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