Who really runs a brand?

There is a lot of disagreement on the ownership of a company’s brand. Whether it is the CMO, ambassadors, employees or the customers still needs to be decided. At the same time, everyone cannot run the company; it will result in a catastrophe. Thus, every company is different and has a unique representative. So who really runs a brand?

The Employee Perspective

Many say that allowing the employees to act as ambassadors of the company has its advantages. It can reduce some effort of the brand management team and the brand can grow on its own.

Moreover, social media is working as a bridge between the customers and brand ambassadors. People love to talk about the brands they use or adore. They wear, eat and listen to the brands while representing them. Whoever mentions the brand over the social media acts as a brand ambassador and increases its worth in the society. This is also a proactive method of getting a response from the consumers and the ambassadors can evolve with their needs.

A clear brand strategy provides the customers with the clarity that your staff needs to be well-coordinated and successful in making the right choices for the benefit of the brand. It is also mandatory to make sure that all the ambassadors are thinking of the same strategies and plans to prevent a catastrophe.

The Customer Perspective

There is a very old and effective saying: “Customer is always right”. This clearly states that public can be the owner of the company. People use the product of the companies that they know of. If the brand has a stable record and an easily recognizable identity, people will feel connected with the company. It permits the customers to maintain a more personal relation with the brand.

All companies are dependent on customer response or feedback. Thus if the general response towards a specific product is negative, it can cause a setback for the company in the market. This is how the public becomes a significant part of a company. B2B companies like Laneterralever especially rely on the public to judge the success of the product. To measure the product market share it is necessary to know if the product is appreciated by the community. This balance increases the importance of the customer. This is the main reason that companies come up with creative and striking ads. These are produced to attract the customers and pull them towards their product. They highlight the product or brand in the minds of the consumers.

The Marketing Perspective

It is very easy to wander off the main idea and loose the train of thought. A clear vision and mission plan of the brand is very important for the company and for the success of its brand Bright, new ideas are launched to spark and maintain interest of the customers in buying a product. If the branding is effective, consistent and relatable, the product will be a success.

Gatorade has adopted some new and intriguing techniques to increase the interest of the consumers. They are compelling the customers to do physical activity in order to get the product. The say “sweat it to get it” or have the “Winning attitude”. This new YouTube sensation enables the customers to represent the brand on their channels and transform from a simple soft drink to an athletic drink. They are presenting something new to the market, something that has not been aired before. This idea compels the customers to try it which in turn makes them brand ambassadors or representatives.

No matter how much the public is involved in the future of the brand, it is the CEO or CMO who pull the strings. They call the shots and take big steps which determine the future of the company and its brands. They have the ability to take action in response to the public feedback or simply ignore it. The difference is that the customers may hold the future of brand in their wallets but the company is the one that gets to decide the fate of the brand. These are all some valid reasons that make a company and its brands. Another fact is that consumers do not always know what is best for them or what may fulfil their needs entirely. They do not know if a certain product will quench their thirst or if a better product is being manufactured for them. Unaware of these facts, customers themselves cannot completely choose what to select for themselves. They can never have the right amount of expertise to make such decisions.

At the same time this makes the jobs of brand owners harder. They have to manufacture the perfect product and take the right decisions for the public as well. However the composition of the strategic components belongs to different audiences. In the end it really comes down to the brand owner to make the big decisions. So as a stakeholder, take a step back and analyze which part is most important and who is capable enough to handle it. Then, give them a job in brand ownership.