Brand Assessment : Brand Message Deviation

Lately, we have noticed a boom in MSMEs (Medium, Small, Micro-enterprises) opting for exciting and challenging brand building activities. With little or no knowledge in brand development entrepreneurs may end up making the same mistake that many older businesses have been over generations.

While it is exciting to opt for out of the box ideas to build a brand, it is also important to stick to a message. A message, that becomes the core of a business. A brand message, that is strong and imbibed into everyday business practices.

Brand Message is the communication that a brand would like to convey during the process of brand building. The communication could be on at an individual level or to the masses through a medium. It is very important for every individual and every media to carry the same or similar message when conveying it to the desired audience.

Brand Message can be conveyed through a very simple PowerPoint presentation, a visiting card that your executives carry, an office interior design, etc.

Why is it difficult for any business to follow this? The simplest reason would be a lack of awareness, but sometimes it’s just pure negligence on the part of an organization, due to which there might not be a brand style guideline to be followed.

There was once an instance where a client, a popular FMCG product producer, came up to us complaining about losing customers. Owning to a long-standing relationship, we offered to help. During one of our interviews for brand assessment, we noticed that the business development team was not in sync with the production team. The promises that were made by the business development guys about the delivery of products were not met by the production team.

Consequently, the delay in the delivery of products resulted in a deviation in the brand message. If one is not careful about sticking to a brand message, it could have long term adverse impacts on the brand itself.

It is hence to be noted that brand builds business and not the other way around.

Chengappa