Editor’s note: Our August guest contributor is Nancie McDonnell Ruder, CEO of Noetic Consultants. Be sure to read the full post and take the special Brand Health Diagnostic.
As with personal health, brand health is something we need to continuously evaluate, exercise, and protect. Right now, our everyday personal protective equipment (PPE) is the mask or face shield we wear. But when it comes to your brand, are you clear about your “Brand Protective Equipment” (BPE)? What BPE do you need to layer on, especially in times of crisis?
Strategic marketing leaders know that brand health is not something we only measure when there is a rush to the emergency room. We regularly measure brand health to ensure its steady performance.
The most strategically prepared brands have one thing in common: they have clear and focused vision, mission, and values that not only sustain them in a pandemic world but also enable them to transform for a post-pandemic world. Here are examples of marketing leaders who are taking bold steps to bolster their brand health:
- Mayo Clinic adeptly shifted gears as COVID–19 intensified, while quickly innovating technological approaches to treat complex medical conditions.
- 7-Eleven met customers where they needed it most. They established a pop-up store serving healthcare workers in Children’s Medical Center Dallas.
- US Chamber of Commerce super-served small businesses deeply impacted by COVID-19 through advocacy and educational resources and events.
- Discovery Inc.’s TLC television network now focuses on refining skill sets and retraining their promotions team on their creative process to ensure each consumer message reinforces the Brand’s core promise of creating remarkable real-life stories.
- Aspen Institute rapidly transformed its live meetings and events into engaging virtual exchanges between visionaries and thought leaders who discuss today’s most relevant public policy topics.
- University of Illinois expanded the Geis School of Business’s offerings to redefine and transform what lifelong learning looks like in today’s digital marketplace. This effort ensured that current students, new students, and alumni can continue their learning curriculum and education.
These organizations share one thing in common: they identified their BPE in the early phases of the pandemic and leveraged it on a grand scale.
Noetic has helped client companies assess their brand health. Our most recent offering is the Noetic Brand Health Diagnostic, which uncovers a brand’s strengths, areas of opportunity, and mechanisms that foster growth. When clients complete this diagnostic, they have a snapshot of what’s needed to protect their brand. This ensures marketing leaders can make informed decisions.
If you want to ensure your BPE is within reach, get your Brand Health Score here.
About Nancie McDonnell Ruder
Nancie McDonnell Ruder has more than 25 years of marketing experience. She began her career at the Leo Burnett Company and in 2002, and later launched her own company, Noetic Consultants. Clients have included Samsung, PepsiCo, Nike, Marriott, Mayo Clinic and Discovery, Inc. Nancie is the author of Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill: How Senior Marketers Scale the Heights Through Art and Science.
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