In working with clients who desire to achieve market leadership, we are often asked to help a potential client "improve their brand." By this, what is often meant is, "improve our image." However, what matters even more is the substance behind the external "visible" brand (visible "image").
In other words, if the actual capabilities, customer responsiveness, company culture, leadership attitudes, and other internal factors are shallow or lack substantive value, it simply won't help to get out the Turle-Wax and try to shine things up.
The most important factor in brand management is the substance behind the brand name.
That is why we always start with the C-Suite leadership, discern and articulate the reality of what is intended, and then work to build alignment throughout the organization - so that what is intended by the organization's leadership is actually occuring with customers who experience the company's deliverables.
Only when there is substance behind the external brand, can a valid message be developed - one that will be compelling through-and-through. When this occurs, the external branding will reap consistent and predictable positive results.
In short, the substance behind the external image is the brand; any other approach is a mere ruse (and doesn't work).
Your thoughts?