Why customers walk away from your brand

Brands + Business x Christine Moody*

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In The Huffington Post article, ’10 Ways to Make Customers Fall in Love with Your Business’, Brian Honigman presents some interesting data about customer service:

  • Only 37 percent of brands received good or excellent customer experience index scores in 2012. Whereas, 64 percent of brands got a rating of “OK,” “poor” or “very poor” from their customers. SourceForrester Research
  • As many as 89 percent of consumers began doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience. SourceRightNow
  • Up to 60 percent of consumers will pay more for a better customer experience. SourceDesk
  • Average annual value of each customer relationship lost to a competitor or abandoned -289. SourceGenesys Report

This data shows how important customer services is to your brand and your business. The worst case scenario is when your customer move onto your competition. Many organisations are confused about what customer service actually is. Customer service is so much more than being friendly to your customers. It is about understanding your customers and building a relationship with them—it is about your developing your Brand Promise and then delivering that every single time and from every aspect of your organisation—from website to sales to delivery of the product. It must be ‘on brand’ and there must be an understanding of customer service across the organisation—not just within brand’s marketing department.

…and don’t forget to say “Thank You”!

Honigman suggests there are 10 ways to ensure your customers stay in love with your brand:

  1. Treat your Customers Right—Genuinely Interact
  2. Don’t Come on Too Strong—Respect Your Customers
  3. Always Listen—Hear What Your Customers Are Saying
  4. Continue to Satisfy—Offer Ongoing Support and Specials
  5. Treat a Customer Like a Valued Partner—Communication is Two Way
  6. Build Trust—Alert Customer to Large Scale Changes, Good or Bad
  7. Be Transparent—Honesty is Crucial When it comes to Mistakes
  8. Follow Through on Your Word—Follow Up on Promises
  9. Recognise Responsibility—The Customer is Always Right
  10. Always say “Thank You”—Kindness and Gratitude will Take You Far.

From the list you can see that they ’10 Ways’ are really common sense but clearly the data shows that organisations are not following them. The number of times I have personally experienced a mismatch between the brand’s advertising and the actual delivery of the product or service. The more we create digital platforms the more we need to move closer to the customer and get out there and observe and listen to what they are doing and saying.

So you want to know why customers walk away from your brand? Just ask them. Oh yes…and don’t forget to say “Thank You”!

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

Are you practising safe branding?

Brand + Business x Christine Moody*

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In the excitement of starting a business—and then surviving the first few years—trademarking the brand’s identity (the logo/symbol) is often forgotten or seen as an unnecessary expense. But the important process of trademarking—what protects your valuable asset—needs to be included in your start-up or expansion plans. Where I have seen it being a  problem is when the lack of protection is revealed during the due diligence process of the sale of the business. When the organisation goes to register it, it is may not be able to secure the trademark. This occurs for various reasons but the main one is that the front-end research stage was not included in the process of deciding on the trading name.

I have seen this far too often and it is part of our standard procedures to conduct initial research into the name and symbol, prior to engaging an IP lawyer. The initial checks are no guarantee for the acceptance of the trademark but what it does give us is a good indication of names more likely to be successful in the process. It is not enough just to register the domain name and the business name. Registering a trademark is different.

…you need brand specialists to help your organisation protect and manage one of your most valuable assets—your brand identity.

As well as securing the services of an accountant and lawyer, you also need brand specialists to help your organisation protect and manage one of your most valuable assets. And once it is registered, it needs regular audits to ensure that the brand remains ‘on brand’ and what has been trademarked is what is still in use by staff and suppliers. You would be amazed at the number of audits I have done where the logo has been recreated and bears only slight resemblance to the trademark. This logo is then used across the organisation without anyone seeing the difference. This leaves your trademark exposed as part of protecting your trademark is using it—the organisation needs to be using the logo that was trademarked.

The best way to ensure everyone in the organisation understands the importance of using the correct trademark, is to regularly conduct formal audits. Another way is to educate staff and suppliers on the brand identity and ensure they have access to the current guidelines and digital files. Regular presentations of exemplars of the brand identity usage along with inconsistencies in use, also helps to educate and encourage staff and suppliers to work with the correct—and valuable—trademarked brand identity.

Every organisation should be practising safe branding. Is yours?

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

Brand lessons from Queensland Ballet

Brands + Business x Christine Moody*

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This week I attended the launch of Queensland Ballet‘s 2016 Season. The launch was held at the stunning Brisbane City Hall and the event was beautifully choreographed and so aligned with the ‘QB brand’. It began with one of the Principal dancer’s—Clare Morehen—introducing the overview of the season’s program and then Artistic Director—the well-known “Mao’s Last Dancer—Li Cunxin presenting the details of the season and each ballet.

The speeches were interspersed with excerpts of the four ballets live on stage plus videos of the ballet in London and highlights of the coming year. This was a very impactful event as each of the presenters demonstrated to the audience their passion for their art. Their words, expression, and personal stories of their time with the organisation resonated with the audience. As I looked around the audience I could see the smiles on their faces and feel the love in the room! Imagine if your brand could have that sort of impact on your ‘audience’!

I got carried away with the magic of it all. And isn’t that what every brand wants?

It was obvious that a lot of effort and planning had gone into this event. Every detail was considered and delivered to represent ‘Queensland Ballet’ the brand as well as the upcoming program. This season’s theme—”the season shimmers with stardust, as we share ballets that enchant with the glamour of a golden age”—was made tangible and exciting in so many ways. From the entry line up of Queensland Ballet branded staff who greeted us as on arrival, to the gift of gold-dusted macaroons and the gold-foiled program booklet handed to us as we left the venue, every thing and every little detail made the event memorable. It would be interesting to see the spike in ticket sales the next day as I am sure that many people went online that night and booked their tickets—I know I did.

I got carried away with the magic of it all. And isn’t that what every brand wants?

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

Why disruption is great for business

Brands + Business x Christine Moody*

NYC 2015_from cable car

There has been so much discussion here in Australia around Uber and its impact on the traditional taxi service. Without getting into the politics of the matter, what does matter is that these game changing organisations disrupt the status quo.

…disruption is great for business—without it things would stay the same.

The entrepreneurs see a gap in the market—often from their own experiences and pain points with other service and product offerings. They develop innovation around what they want and what they believe other like-minded customers will want as well. The rise of Uber is due to the fact that it was developed to make getting to places easier and cheaper as well as the addition of seamless delivery of the service—easy to book, pay, and get to the destination. What I observed in New York was that the traditional taxi service has had to pick up their game—now easier to book and pay, plus the drivers seem friendlier!

So I believe disruption is great for business—without it things would stay the same.

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

Finish something meaningful to take you to the next level

Brand + Business x Christine Moody*

Going up to MOOD_NYC 2015

I wrote a few days ago titled, ‘The power of finishing the last 10 percent’, and have since found many articles on how to complete that big work project that takes you to the next level—professionally or personally. Finishing something gives you the confidence and motivation to go to a whole new different—and exciting—level!

An article by Faisal Hoque in Fast Company, ‘Taming the last 10%: Lessons for finishing meaningful work‘, outlines the importance of completing a project because as hard as it is, this is where the ‘magic’ happens.

…whatever little successes I have had, it has been about putting most of my energies toward the last 10 percent.

Whether it is a book, or a simple two-page report, everything depends on your last 10 percent.

Do you agree? Have you got a story?

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

Malcolm Turnbull: The Brand

Brand + Business x Christine Moody*

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I have waited a couple of days for things to settle down in Australian Federal politics before I commented about our new Prime Minister but I can wait no longer. I have some observations on our new leader—Malcolm Turnbull—purely from a brand perspective.

From a personal brand perspective Malcolm has the pedigree to make a good leader—well spoken, intelligent et al. But it is how he has translated this into his personal brand—what we see and hear—that sets him apart. These tangible aspects of his personal brand is why he has the potential to be a great Prime Minister for Australia.
In Malcolm’s case here are some observations about his personal brand that are the hallmarks of great leaders:
> he speaks very clearly and succinctly on topics—everyone can understand him (he doesn’t try and complicate messages)
> he dresses like a leader—beautifully tailored suits and ties with a little a twist (not afraid to show a little bit of individuality)
> he walks like a leader—long strides down the halls of Parliament House (Julie Bishop also does this)
> he worked his way up through the ranks and kept going until he reached his goal—being Prime Minister (he always acted like the leader)
> he networked and built key relationships on the way up through the ranks—these relationships are even more crucial for him now he is in the top job (eg, Former Prime Minister, John Howard has been and will remain a valuable advisor).
While it is early days, I will be watching and observing our new Prime Minister as he no doubt will puts his personal stamp on his role as our newest Prime Minister.

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

Lessons from the (mud) trenches

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On Sunday, I got out of my comfort zone and participated in Tough Mudder 2015. I have never, ever done anything like this before—not even a fun run! The course was 20km with lots of mud and lots of obstacles to climb over, under, and through. I was really scared but had to face my fears, and push this aside. Rather than be overwhelmed by the enormous task ahead—and of course not dying!—our team decided to think about and approach one obstacle at a time. While I was unable to complete all obstacles I was determined to finish and kept going—and going towards the finish line.

And finish I did!

On reflection—post-hot shower and a clean set of clothes—I have seen so many parallels in what makes successful people and successful brands. Here are four of my observations:

  1. How you approach obstacles is how you face life. You have a choice to either give it a go or bypass the obstacle. Even when I was scared and didn’t know how to tackle it, I gave it a go. Sometimes, especially towards the end I had to bypass a couple. But that was okay. Sometimes you have to choose.
  2. Surround yourself with like-minded people who have your back. I decided to do the event because I did it with my team mates from my training group. Our team stuck together and helped each other over, through, and under each obstacle. I knew they had my back and they knew I had theirs. And more importantly, I knew they were not going to leave me behind in a mud trench somewhere!
  3. No matter what, you need to keep your sense of humour. There were many times during the course (especially the last 10 percent) that I found it really challenging. But as a team, we never lost our sense of humour (mud does that). We were able to find humour in every challenge and laugh at each other and ourselves right to the end. It made it fun and it  motivated me to keep going.
  4. Celebrate each achievement, no matter how small. On the second obstacle—climbing over a high wall after coming out of a mud bath—I was finding it difficult and had decided to bypass. But my team encouraged me go back and to give it a go. They knew I wanted to do it. I needed their help and I just had to ask for it. Not only did I get their help, I also got help from others around us. For me, it was more than just getting over the wall—I needed to get over this wall to prove to myself that I could get over any obstacle.  In the bigger picture, it was a small thing but we celebrated each achievement as we made our way around the course. Because the course—like life!—is about getting over small (and large) obstacles and celebrating each achievement along the way.

Overall the biggest thing I realised was that doing Tough Mudder for me was more about my mental strength than my physical strength. My mantra throughout the course was ‘be courageous’. And I proved to myself that I was! I use this mantra in my business every day.

Bring on Tough Mudder 2016!

Thanks to my team—Loretta, Erica, and Alex for getting me over, under, and through the course; and to Integral Fitness for training my body and mind to build my resilience and reframe my ‘why’! 

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

Books that changed my life: Part Two

Brand + Business x Christine Moody*

Chris' library

Last week I started a blog on ‘Books that changed my life’. To recap—I read at least one book per week. I prefer ‘real ones/hard copies’ so I buy them from my local bricks-and-mortar bookstore Folio Books. I choose each book because I have seen the review in a magazine article, blog, or Facebook page. If you missed Part One here is link.

This week’s ‘Top Ten’ books have a common theme—visiting the craft of design in diverse fields—from fashion to food to fabric. These books represent design expertise outside my own. They were chosen to enable me to understand a different perspective on design whether it is the design of a skateboard (Disposable Skateboard Bible), or the design of a postcard or telegram (Letters of Note). Broadening my knowledge and interests inspires me to design outside the box!

I can recommend these books to be part of everyone’s library:

  1. 101 Things I Learned in Film School by Neil Landau
  2. Art of the Restaurateur by Nicolas Lander
  3. Best Designed Flagship Stores by Jons Messedat
  4. Disposable Skateboard Bible by Sean Cliver
  5. How to Make Books by Esther Smith
  6. 100 Unforgettable Dresses by Hal Rubinstein
  7. A Field Guide to Fabric Design by Kim Kight
  8. Letters of Note by Shaun Usher
  9. Amazing Spaces by George Clarke
  10. Food Truck Feasts by Erika Budiman

What are some books that have changed your life?

Next week…part three of ‘top ten books’!

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

The power of finishing the last 10 percent

My Personal Achievement x Christine Moody
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Today I am celebrating—over a long lunch. I am celebrating the fact that I have finished something that took me from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows—and every other emotional level in between. I am celebrating the fact that I stuck it out and hung in there for the what was the last 10 percent.
Six years ago I set off on my masters degree (research and thesis) and after the initial excitement of having my abstract written and my research place accepted, I started ‘researching’ my topic. I had no idea what I had got myself into. Every weekend and most weeknights, I was exploring, writing, and trying to make sense of what it was I was actually researching—in fact, what I was doing! Remembering that I also consult full-time, I walked around with a constant feeling of a huge weight on my shoulders and it was relentless. 
 
Then I realised that I had started this journey to understand research and have the luxury of deep diving into my topic. It was supposed to be “fun” as I am naturally curious and love learning! Once I revisited my ‘WHY’ and reset my ‘fun’ attitude it was so much easier to get through the endless drafts, rewrites, and edits that are part of the process. I remember during orientation a diagram was shown of a ‘pit’ with a skull and crossbones graphic at the bottom. This diagram was used to explain the feeling you experience during your thesis writing. They were not wrong…I reckon I remained in that pit for five and a half years because I was waiting for someone to throw me a rope to drag me out…until I realised that was my job!
 
And that is what I did. I took the thesis writing by the horns and dragged myself up and out of the pit and ran to the finish line. I started exercising with a group to train with my ‘why’ in mind. I ran those stairs and hills not knowing how I was ever going to finish but I did! I translated the feeling of pushing my body physically to align with pushing my mental strength to push myself to finish. I could ‘see’ the finish line and I kept crawling towards it. The last few months meant 3am starts and late nights but at the end I had the entire document completed for assessment and eventually final submission. The last few years of researching and writing had come down to just finishing that last god damn 10 percent. Understanding this is what made the difference. It wasn’t about the completed 90 percent it was about finishing.
The last few years of researching and writing had come down to just finishing that last god damn 10 percent. Understanding this is what made the difference.
Finishing the last 10 percent of anything gives you a boost of confidence and achievement but it is also where most people simply give up. Personally it has given me a huge boost for so many reasons but the most important for me, is the fact that I am am proud of my achievement in finishing such a huge task. The number of stories I heard during my writing from people saying, “I started my thesis but didn’t finish and I didn’t see it as important”. I too had lots of reasons to not complete mine (some of you know the story and know that I had some really good, ‘dog ate my homework’, valid reasons) but I did not give up. I chose to get out of that ‘pit’ and help myself. My focus was on getting it done for myself. I also did it for my children and my family. What message does that give them if I just simply threw away six years of hard work? 
 
My message to you is fight, fight, fight and keep going. When things get tough refocus on your ‘WHY’ and just keep going. The last 10 percent is the hardest but completing it is the most wonderful feeling! That feeling of achievement and “I can do anything!” is the power of finishing something as it goes on to inspire the next big challenge—what ever that may be!
 
PS thanks to my family and every one of you for your love and friendship I needed to get me to the finish line!

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

Building a strong brand takes courage

Brand + Business x Christine Moody*
NYC 2015 Central Station_Christine Moody
The Fast Company’s article, How to Build a Courageous Company Culture by Shawn Parr, outlines what it takes to build a strong culture—hard work + true commitment.

It’s important to understand what drives brand culture. Is it power and ego that people react to or a culture of encouragement and empowerment?
Is it driven from top-down directives or cross-department collaboration?

Culture fuels a strong brand
A vibrant culture provides a cooperative and collaborative environment for a brand to thrive. Branding is the single most important asset to differentiate a company consistently over time. It needs to be nurtured, evolved, and invigorated by the people entrusted to keep it true and alive. An example of this is Zappos, one of the fastest companies to reach $1 billion in recent years, fuelled by an electric and eclectic culture—outlined in the book by Zappo’s CEO, Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits Passion, and Purpose—one that’s inclusionary, encouraging, and empowering. The energetic culture is well documented, celebrated, and shared willingly with anyone who wants to learn from it.

Parr says that building a strong company culture takes hard work and true commitment and, while not something that can be ticked off in boxes, and suggests there are four very basic building blocks to consider:

1. Dynamic and engaged leadership
2. Living values
3. Responsibility and accountability
4. Celebrate success and failure.

What is your organisation to build a strong company culture that fuels a strong brand?

Read the full article How to Build a Courageous Company Culture here.

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.