
Have you dreamed of driving an airplane – the profession of a pilot?
Do you think your dream has remained a dream? In fact, you are managing a brand whose flight, maintaining altitude in turbulence and successfully reaching the final destination depends on your efforts.
In the modern era, where technological advances and the diversity of consumer preferences have made competition even more intense, brand strength has become a key asset of any business – a “healthy brand” as a critical determinant of a company’s long-term success.
At its core, brand health is the set of actions, emotions, perceptions, or associations that consumers have toward it. It is a multifaceted construct that includes several key dimensions: brand awareness, experience with it, market share, brand equity and, of course, loyalty to it. Frequent changes in the market landscape caused by other factors have further increased the need for frequent monitoring of key brand indicators.
Just like managing a airplane, managing a brand requires careful and constant monitoring of a number of parameters, quick decision-making and the ability to navigate turbulence.
What makes a successful flight?
Creating a big and successful brand starts with a dream about it – we know how to create a brand, i.e. we find ways to create it. And in order to take off, we need to have a coherent brand health plan – to know at what height, at what speed and with what resources we need to move to reach the set goal.
Brand recognition among many competitors is often the first step on the road to success. However, high awareness alone does not guarantee its health. Every day, the consumer creates an idea about this or that brand – tries the product or service, observes how much the brand fulfills its promises and how consistent it is in this promise. A positive perception of the customer translates into loyalty towards the brand in the future. Rob Rush of Deloitte & Touche LLP defines brand health as: “The closer the customer experience is to the brand promise, the healthier the brand.”
A healthy brand creates emotional connections – instilling trust in the customer and building loyalty. How effectively you navigate from awareness to loyalty determines the health of your brand. Healthy brands stand out for their resilience and stability against market fluctuations. Finally, goodwill towards the brand is reflected in its market positions – consumer and market shares, and as a result, business profitability and development rate increase.
The example of sportswear giant Nike is enough to illustrate that brand health management is part of strategy and has great power. Over the decades, Nike has built a brand that is synonymous with achievement, innovation and strength. Its “Just do it” campaign proved to be inspirational for athletes as well as ordinary consumers – are you looking for motivation and inspiration? Just do it!
The consistently healthy condition of the Nike brand is due to consistently high product quality, establishing a strong emotional connection with the customer, and offering constant innovations following market trends. In order to achieve this, it is helped by the constant consideration of the user’s voice. A brand’s ability to keep pace with changing consumer preferences and societal expectations is the formula for that brand’s success.
A strong brand is not only built on past successes and experiences, but also continuously evolves and proactively responds to the market.
How optimal is our flight?
Navigating the path to brand health is complex – it requires consistency in strategy and constant communication with customers, and for more flexibility, constant monitoring of results.
We must remember that achieving brand health is not a one-time effort, it is an ongoing pursuit of excellence, authenticity and customer centricity. The main pilot on the way to brand success is the customer. Their loyalty and behavior significantly determine the course of brand management – heights can be reached only when the pulsation of the customer is taken into account.
And if yes, “healthy is the brand whose promise is closest to the consumer”, the main arena should be given to the consumer. The voice of the customer is the unique weapon that helps brands reach new heights in this collective flight.