Branding Bytes 17

Issue 17
Winter 2010

Welcome to the 17th edition of Branding Bytes.

Branding Bytes is a FREE quarterly e-newsletter courtesy of Larry Checco of Checco Communications (please refer below to our privacy policy and how to subscribe/unsubscribe). Past issues are archived on my website (www.checcocomm.net). Simply click Branding Bytes on the website homepage menu to access them. NOTE: Branding Bytes is copyrighted and may not be reprinted or reproduced without attributing Larry Checco of Checco Communications as its source and providing the website address above. Thank you.

In this issue:

A Good Brand Requires TLC: Just Ask My Wife!

Bits & Bytes

Speaking schedule

What clients say

A Good Brand Requires TLC: Just Ask My wife!

My family has been going to the same dental practice for years.

Although one of the most expensive in town, this is a group of professionals who pride themselves on acquiring and knowing how to employ the latest in dental technology (most of which seems focused on pain reduction, which I think is the reason my wife likes it so much).

The waiting area and examination rooms are attractively appointed; all the dentists and hygienists are extremely skilled and personable; and the receptionists are as warm and friendly as can be. Even the Musak playing softly in the background is agreeable.

In short, this practice is not simply about dentistry. This is a business that over time has distinguished itself by building a solid brand image around the ultimate in professionalism and state-of-the-art dental
technology delivered in a peaceful, soothing customer-friendly environment. These attributes are the covenant, or promise, the practice has made to its clients-and it nearly succeeds at making "going to the dentist" seem like a pleasant experience.

And as my wife likes to say, "I don't mind paying a premium for that."

As a result of this kind of appreciation for and loyalty to the brand, she and I never hesitate to recommend the practice whenever someone asks us if we know of a good dentist in town.

A Ding in the Brand

Imagine my wife's shock when one day she calls to make an appointment and is treated differently than she expects from this business.

"I can't believe it," my wife said to me in exasperation after she hung up the phone. "I've never been treated like that before by anyone in that office."

Now, my wife isn't someone who often complains about being mistreated. On the contrary, she has worked in the education field for years, mostly around teenagers, and subsequently has a high level of tolerance for what others might consider less than civil behavior. But after getting off of this particular phone call she was visibility upset.

"The receptionist was simply rude to me for no reason," she huffed.

"Maybe she's just having a bad day," I consoled.

"Maybe so," replied my wife, "but I don't think Dr. G would be happy if he knew that one of his patients was treated this way."

And therein lies the rub. The brand image that Dr. G and his associates take such pride in promoting, at least in my wife's eyes, was ever so slightly tarnished by that one bad phone call experience with a
receptionist.

Now, does this mean that our family will no longer have our teeth cleaned, drilled, extracted or capped by Dr. G's practice in the future?

No.

But there is now a small chink in the brand, and I can assure you that should another incident like this occur, my wife will, at the very least, be less inclined to recommend the practice to others.

The Moral to the Story

When we speak about creating or defining a brand for a business or organization, we're not simply talking about developing an attractive logo and catchy tagline that can be slapped onstationery, signage, brochures and the like, and, voila, we have a brand.

On the contrary, a brand is fluid and dynamic-and everything that an organization and its staff do is a reflection on its brand. The quality of its products and services, the way those products and services are delivered, the way staff treat and relate to customers, funders, partners and each other, and how people perceive who you are and what you do are all part of the brand experience. It gets down to even how your phone is answered.

Just ask my wife!

The above was excerpted from my book, Branding for Success, which can be ordered on line at my website (www.checcocomm.net), as well as through www.amazon.com, www.trafford.com, and the websites of numerous organizations.

Bits & Bytes:

Do you work for a government agency and want to learn how to improve its image to both internal and external audiences? I will be conducting a full-day workshop, entitled "Rebranding the Federal Government--One Agency at a Time," at EEI in Alexandria, VA, on Friday, January 15 and again in Silver Spring, MD, on April 2. For more information and to register, click here: www.eeicom.com/training/dispclas.cfm?classID=15233

My thanks to our Washington, DC-metro area NPR affiliate, WAMU (88.5 FM), for airing a social commentary of mine this past November. The topic is "trust" and you can access it from my website homepage. Just click on "No More Bull".

"Demystifying Nonprofits" radio talk show host, Celeste Terry, and I will be discussing "trust" and its implications for branding on Wednesday, January 13th, at 5 pm ET. Simply log onto www.globaltalkradio.com at the appropriate time for your time zone and click on "Listen Live". Or listen to it after it's been archived.

GuideStar has invited me to be a panelist--along with Terry Axelrod and Katya Andresen, two high-profile names in the nonprofit world, on Wednesday, January 20, at 1 pm ET. For more information and to register for this FREE webinar, CLICK THIS LINK.

My Latest Speaking Schedule:

EEI one-day course, entitled "Rebranding the Federal Government--One Agency at a Time", January 15, 2010, in Alexandria, VA; April 2, 2010, in Silver Spring, MD (see Bits and Bytes above)

Global Talk Radio's "Demystifying Nonprofits", Wednesday, January 13th, at 5 pm. ET (See Bits and Bytes above)

GuideStar webinar January 20, 2010 (to register see Bits and Bytes above)

Texas Association of Centers for Independent Living (TACIL), Austin, TX, February 8-9, 2010

Ausherman Family Foundation Nonprofit Summit, Frederick, MD, March 25, 2010

NeighborWorks Training Institute, Phoenix, AZ, May 6-7, 2010

NeighborWorks Training Institute, Philadelphia, PA, August 16-17

Mid-Atlantic Network of Youth and Family Services (MANY) Mentoring Children of Prisoner Skill-Based Training Series, Kansas City, KS, Aug. 19-20, 2010

Mid-Atlantic Network of Youth and Family Services (MANY) Mentoring Children of Prisoner Skill-Based Training Series, St. Paul, MN Sept. 9-10, 2010

Weinberg Fellowship Program, Sept. 13, Baltimore, MD Sept. 13, 2010

What Clients Say:

"Since taking Larry's class I have expanded in a way I never thought I could. The class gave me so many tools, ideas and information to launch a comprehensive branding strategy. I even had my Executive Director and the President of the Board eating up the ideas
I brought to the table."--Jennifer Jonassaint, Homeowners Rehab Inc., Cambridge, MA

"Larry's class was an excellent learning experience. Not only did I learn about branding, I learned about the new way in which businesses and non-profits manage their employees, structure their staffing and present a unique, successful brand to the outside world. I strongly recommend it for people who want to learn more than how to build and maintain a
successful brand." Joan Coyle, Northern Virginia

As always, I look forward to receiving your feedback, questions, success stories and branding challenges. Also, if you are in need of a motivational speaker, trainer or branding consultant/coach, I invite you to contact me or log onto my website for more information.

In the meantime, good luck with your branding!

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Branding Bytes is copyrighted and may not be reprinted or reproduced without attributing Larry Checco of Checco Communications as its source author.