How to Evaluate Brand Behavior

Do you have a brand strategy? 

I hope so. It’s important. But understand that in reality, your customers and target customers never experience your brand strategy. 

They experience your brand behavior, and they experience that in brand moments that bring your strategy to life.

As such, these moments of brand behavior --  interaction and reaction with real customers in the real marketplace -- are critical to successful branding. Your brand should treat people like people, individuals if possible, and not just product/service users or sales targets.

One simple way to take a look at your brand is through

George Tannenbaum’s Brand Behavior Checklist

George doesn’t call it this. I do when I follow his advice:

“To evaluate the behavior of brands, I've made things simple for myself. Do the brands I interact with act like people I like? Do they treat me like I would like to be treated? Are they more like a friend and a help or a pickpocket and a fiend?”

George characterizes most brands, most organizations, most companies you work for, and most people you work for as say “one thing and do something else. Mostly rob you of your time in an ongoing effort to rob you of your money.”

Would George describe your brand that way?

When it comes to your personal brand and/or your company brand:

• Act like people your customers like
• Treat your customers the way they want to be treated
• Act more like a supportive friend
• Respect your customers’ time

PS George reminds us: This is a really simple business.

We like brands that act like people we like.

We like brands that are honest.

We like brands that understand our issues.

We like brands that speak to us as equals.

We like brands that don't condescend.

We like brands that don't bullshit us.

We like brands that don't holler.

We like brands that don't tell us how great they are.

We like brands that are honest and admit when they fuck up.

We like brands that tell the truth.

We like brands that help us.

We like brands that listen.

We like brands that are funny.

We like brands that are reliable.

We like brands that are consistent.