
Someone commented on the fact that the Starbucks brand is not just represented by their graphic image but it is also the smell of coffee when you walk into the store that helps to represent their brand.
We live in a multi-channel world that offers customers varied touch points across Web sites, microsites, print, email, mobile and social networks. Every channel adds to the customers’ total brand experience --whether they are reading through product reviews, walking through the mall, reading an email on their phone, passing a billboard on their way to work,or checking into a store on Foursquare on their iPhone.
The key to success is to ensure that you have the ability to measure, react and engage across these various touch points in a way that is consistent. Consistency builds trust and trust is what will lead you to a loyal customer.
Learning Opportunities
At OpenText we have worked with several customers that struggle with brand consistency both as a result of introducing new channels as well as inheriting additional websites through acquisitions. People’s United Bank is an interesting case study. They wanted to present a unified perception of their brand even as they moved from 3 websites to 11.
They also needed the people who authored the content to be able to push it out in real time across a variety of channels. When all was said and done, they found that they increased channel performance by 70% -- a great statistic. Check out this detailed interview with the People's United Bank project team.