4 Characteristics of Leaders that Help Build Strong Brands
As with most aspects of business, a successful branding effort starts at the top. The brand must be developed in such a way and with an end product that provides for easy and full buy-in from leadership across the organization.
But what is often overlooked is how the characteristics of the brand are not the only factors involved in leadership’s role with the brand. In fact, it is a two-way street. Leaders who wish to preside over successful brands must also possess certain characteristics in order to utilize their role in the organization to the fullest extent when dealing with the brand.
- Understanding of the Importance and Impact of Brands
In order to fully integrate branding into their business mindset, they must first and foremost have a strong understanding on why it matters in the overall organizational picture. These leaders know that a strong and differentiating brand is often a crucial element to success, and in addition, know all of the various areas of business a brand will impact.
- Knowledge of the Brand’s Target Audience
When developing a brand, an initial step in the process is identifying the key target audiences to whom the brand will ultimately communicate. Strong brand leaders will be a contributing member of these discussions, as they will have a deep knowledge of these groups and the benefits they could provide for the brand.
- Affinity for Process-Driven Actions
Building a brand isn’t an overnight creation; nor is it an undertaking to go on without a strong plan in place. As such, a strong brand development favors a leader who sees process-driven actions as second nature. They see road maps, strategic planning and data-based decision making as hallmarks of strong organizations, a mindset that translates into strong brands.
- Passion for Living the Brand
It has been said that a brand’s employees are its most important marketers. They are the ones coming face-to-face with the consumer and having the biggest impact on audience reaction to the brand. To repeat a phrase from the beginning of this column, that mindset starts at the top. These employees want to live the brand and they look to the leadership for motivation and guidance in doing so. If the most visible brand advocates aren’t passionate about the brand, it makes it very difficult for those under them do be that way.
A leader’s impact on the brand is massive. In that sense, branding is identical to a vast majority of the other sections of a business or organization. It’s also no coincidence that many of these characteristics can also be applied to quality leadership in general – building and sustaining a successful brand is not a foreign concept, it’s one that can easily mirror your business actions.
Has your company recently experienced change or growth? Due to changes in business strategies, acquisitions, internal organizational changes or the addition of new products to a portfolio, your brand strategy may need to evolve over time. Click here to download your free copy of “Your Brand’s Guide to Corporate Change” today, and learn how to align your brand and business strategy for success!