Different Facets of a Brand

On By ashleyfausIn Branding, Outfits/WorkwearLeave a comment
A "Non-Ashley" Outfit

 

Big, bright pink earrings

 

Brown flats (Pardon the wrinkled pants, long day!)

Pants: NY and Co.

Shirt: H & M

Earrings: JC Penney

Flats: Can’t remember, similar

Like the outfit? See more details here.

 

So, I talked about “Ashley” outfits in my post last Wednesday, and I posted on Monday about how brands are compromised. Looking at today’s outfit, I saw a pretty strong link between those two posts. Strong brands are multi-faceted, and you can’t just rest on your laurels when it comes to branding. Sure, you were the “safest” brand or the “trendiest” brand or the “highest quality” brand yesterday, but what are you doing to further your brand today? You need to branch out from the core trait and make sure some of the secondary traits are well-known to your customers. By doing this, you might just attract a new segment!

Why is this outfit “non-Ashley”? If you look at the details, you’ll see big, bright pink earrings, where “big”, “bright”, and “pink” are all out of my comfort zone. You’ll see immediately that the top is flowy and multi-colored, where, again, “flowy” and “multi-colored” are not words generally used to describe my wardrobe. So, have I gone mad, and completely compromised the “classic” brand that is Ashley? I think not! I think I’ve shown you another side my personal brand, the side that is adventurous, comfortable, and sometimes playful. While it may seem like these aren’t qualities to describe a professional person, they are qualities that help you move up the corporate ladder. For example, are you a team player, willing to get your hands dirty by going to the front lines and serving customers? Are you willing to take on a project that seems scary and challenging? Can you roll with the punches when your flight is late, the shipment didn’t arrive, or the client meeting got bumped up by 2 hours? While my “classic” style projects cool, calm, and efficient, business is not always that way. Business is messy and frantic at times, and you need to project a brand that can handle such an unpredictable environment.

The same is true with companies’ brands. Yes, you want to make sure customers know you offer the highest quality, but you also want them to know that you can meet their needs with competitive pricing, customer service, turnaround time, and consistency. Maybe you’re the most fashionable brand in your sector, but you want customers to know that you offer quality and selection, not just “the latest thing”. Brands aren’t compromised by showing a different facet, but rather when customers have a bad experience. A new facet of a brand should be a pleasant surprise, one that makes you say, “Wow, I had no idea that brand XZY ALSO offered this! I mean, they were great before, with the highest quality, but they also offer a huge selection!”

So which facets of your brand are developing and revealing? Are you putting your best foot forward in new ways, or are you clinging to one brand image that may not encompass its full potential? Like the outfit? See more details here.

When Brands are Compromised

On By ashleyfausIn Branding, Customer Service, SellingLeave a comment

I’ve had a few experiences recently that inspired this post, and I’m sure you’ve experienced the following: It’s a blazing hot day, you’re running late for a long meeting (or class in my case), and all you really want is a nice, cold Coca-Cola. You drive through a fast food restaurant and order your Coke, and as you pull away from the window, you’re ready to take that first satisfying sip. The liquid hits your tongue and it’s a flat or syrupy or otherwise compromised version of your favorite soft drink. This has happened to me twice at the same drive-thru, so I’ve decided to just avoid ordering Coke from that place. While it’s not Coke’s fault, and it’s not really in Coke’s control, their brand has been compromised. So, as one major part of a marketer’s job is to protect the brand, how do we fix this situation?

Absolute control. Let’s talk about control, the kind where every piece of a product is made for and by the company, sold by the company, and maintained by the company. The first company that comes to my mind is Apple. Apple is all about the control, from every piece that enters the computer and every sales person that walks onto the Apple store floor. They are reluctant to give any piece of quality control over to any other company, which makes for fewer opportunities for the brand to be compromised. If you maintain strict control over every aspect of a product or service, you’re much more likely to keep the brand image in place. While control can help you maintain your brand, it can be expensive, and in some cases, can limit growth. It can be expensive because efficiency and therefore lower costs are generally achieved through specialization. The likelihood that a company can efficiently produce every piece of their product puzzle is slim, so complete control will make it difficult to cut costs. Further, complete control can limit growth. This is particularly true in the service industry, since one person may provide the service better than another, and you can’t clone that person. So, if you get to the point where customers only drink coffee made by one barista, or only do business with one teller at a bank, you’ll have a hard time growing. It’s great that you’ve got one or two stellar employees, but you’ve also created a bottleneck if you can’t get the rest of your employees or partners up to par.

It wasn’t me. Another tactic to avoid compromising your brand, is to make your partners or franchisees take the risk with their own brand. This is especially prevalent in the fast food industry, where most of the restaurants display a plaque stating that each store is individually owned and operated, with a local contact for complaints. However, this approach is a little frustrating to customers. I’ve found that Taco Cabana is very inconsistent throughout the metroplex, and it drives me nuts! I get a craving for some enchiladas, and I know there’s a Cabana in close proximity, but then I have this fear that it will turn out to be one of the “bad” ones. You never want anyone doubting the quality of the brand and changing their purchase based on the fear induced by several bad experiences. Technically, Taco Cabana the parent company can claim that it’s the individual store’s fault. But, realistically, Taco Cabana has entrusted their brand to these individuals, so the “it wasn’t me” trick rarely pans out.

Better training and personal ownership. I think the best way to combat brand compromises, is better training and personal ownership. We all know my affinity for Starbucks, and I’ve got to give them credit once more. This company goes to great lengths to train their employees to take personal ownership of each customer experience. They have several weeks of training to ensure that each barista knows how to make a quality product, and empowers them to embody the Starbucks brand. They offer incentives for long-term partners, from benefits to career paths, which helps employees feel more invested in the success of the company. Many large companies offer tuition reimbursement or additional certifications to help train their employees to better represent the company. By giving employees the tools, and empowering them to own the brand personally, companies ensure that their brand experience will be consistently delivered by those on the front lines.

Be “known” for something. Finally, I think brands can avoid being compromised by picking one trait to be “known” for, and make sure that this aspect is always consistent. For example, Nordstrom is known for outstanding customer service, and they instill this sense of service at every level of the corporation. It’s less important to customers for the size to be right or the shipping to be fast, because they know that dealing with the Nordstrom customer service representative will be pleasant. The customer service is always consistent, which covers any mistakes in other areas of the purchasing process. Some companies try to be everything to everyone all the time, and this lack of focus often results in inconsistent experiences with the brand. Thus, one bad experience isn’t viewed as just “one”, it’s viewed as a reflection of the brand as a whole. After you’ve mastered the aspect you’re “known” for, you can begin tackling the other issues. Again, Nordstrom has become known for quality and consistency in sizing, shipping and materials, but only after mastering customer service.

So, how do you deal with a compromising brand experience? Are you putting in the effort to make sure that customers trust your brand, or is it a risky choice each time they decide to try out your product?

Welcome Weekend!

On By ashleyfausIn Link Round-UpLeave a comment

This week went by pretty quickly, but I did manage to find some interesting reads! I’ve got a whirlwind weekend planned, started with a boot camp workout this evening, a group meeting with my accounting classmates, a bridal shower, and some singing! If you’ve got some down time, check out these links for a little mental stimulus:

 

The class of 2011, via Forbes: Hiring Millenials, What They Really Want

For the Marketer, via AdVoice: Decision Quicksand

For the free spirits, via MSN: The Never Ending Road Trip

For the manager, via The New Professional Blog: How to Edit Someone Else’s Work

For the entrepreneur, via Paul Graham’s Essays: What Start-Ups are Really Like

 

Like the links? Follow me on Twitter for links and posts each day!

 

Form vs. Function

On By ashleyfausIn Outfits/Workwear6 Comments

 

+1 for form, -1 for functionality
Surprisingly comfortable heels and skirt
Bracelet, Faux skin belt, wedding ring

Skirt: Ann Taylor

Button down: Express

Black pumps: Alfani

Belt, bracelet, earrings: NYC and Co.

Like the outfit? See more details here!

 

Today’s outfit is great for form, not so great for function. I’ve been trying to break out of my style box over the past year, and this outfit has many elements of an “Ashley” outfit, but a few elements of a “non-Ashley” outfit. So, what makes it an “Ashley” outfit? To begin, I believe I’m on of the least fashionable people you’ll meet, especially when compared to my mom and my sister. The nice way to put it, is that my style is “classic”, which tends to translate into “boring”. “Ashley outfits” are usually simple, symmetrical, clean lines, and minimal jewelry.

I started trying to figure out why I’ve always been less fashionable, and I believe it’s because I have a hard time with the fundamental discrepancy between form and function. It always seems like the outfits that look best are the most difficult to perform in! Throughout middle school, high school, and college, I was always in situations that required a lot of movement, making it difficult to wear form-fitted clothing and skirts. I started the morning bright and early with show choir rehearsal, where I was often literally kicking up my heels… not so much appropriate for jeans or a skirt. After a long day of classes, it was off to track practice or musical rehearsal, where I was again, kicking up my heels for hurdles or dance numbers. Flash forward to college, where I spent 3.5 years starting classes at 8 am, and often packing them into 2 or 3 days instead of spread out over the week. Who wants to look nice for 12 hour days of class? Not me! My first job out of college was a start-up, where all the other employees were young and male. This meant that “office attire” was a term used loosely to describe wearing something, ANYTHING, that semi-covered your body. Half the time, the guys showed up in ripped jeans and a sweatshirt, or shorts and a faded t-shirt. While this isn’t true of all young male employees, it was always the case at my start-up office. Thus, wearing khakis made me significantly more dressed up than any other person in the office.

Now, I’m in an office environment that does require business casual, and I sometimes like to take it up a notch to what might be termed as “presentation day” business casual. I’ve always loved the look of a tailored suit and heels, or a pencil skirt and nice blouse, but I’ve never had an environment in which to wear such attire. It’s a whole new world to explore, where I don’t have to be so brutally conscious of the functional qualities of an outfit. To be sure, there are some restraints, as noted in my post about the physical requirements of my job. I also prefer not to wear heels on a day that I have class, since I end up trekking all over campus (I learned my lesson quickly on choice of footwear!). So, at this point, I’ve decided that I can discard function for preference of form at least 2 days per week. This outfit is definitely worn on one of those days without class, without tradeshow shipments, and without a million errands to run after work.

Have I totally gotten over my aversion to pure-form clothing? Definitely not! But, I’m starting to get out of my box, and I’ve found that being conscious of my corporate attire has helped take me into a more fashionable realm. What tricks have you found to strike a balance between function and form? Like the outfit? See more details here!

An MBA “Aha” Moment

On By ashleyfausIn MBA Degree, Work and OfficeLeave a comment

So, I’m excited to report that I FINALLY had an “aha” moment with accounting! As a marketer, I am generally averse to all things accounting, as I find it boring and completely useless for my day-to-day tasks. I know, all the numbers people out there are shocked, and I’ve probably lost all credibility, but this post is about a redeeming moment for accounting! Last night, while studying for my mid-term, I was looking at allocating costs to different departments, one of which is marketing. I was thinking about how I’m always making sure that tradeshows costs are billed to the proper accounts, and how we could do all of that much more efficiently if we utilized the CRM. Then I started thinking about all the features I could implement on the CRM to track, forecast, budget and book all of our tradeshows for the next year. Then I got really excited, and sent myself an email 🙂 I know this stuff isn’t rocket science, and I’ve had some fleeting thoughts about additional ways to utilize our CRM tool, but this was the first time I could actually trace some of the features back to an accounting class. Good ‘ole cost accounting helped me hone in on some improvements to an existing tool to provide more value to different branches of the organization. See, us marketers CAN play nice with others…. even with accountants!

On another note, it’s these kinds of moments that prompted, in part, my return to school. Going “back to the basics” in academics has already helped me open up my mind to consider some of the possibilities that usually get blocked by the day-to-day “noise” in the office. The academic environment usually presents concepts purely, or “in a perfect world”, so it allows you to go through all the options that you wouldn’t normally consider because of budget, time, or talent constraints. I’ve had several marketing ideas that I’ve been able to bring into the office and modify to work around the constraints. It’s only my first semester, but I am already seeing the value of going back to school. Especially for a degree like the MBA, which emphasizes well-rounded business knowledge, you can really take the classroom experiences into the workplace.

Guest Post: Pick Me! (On second thought, don’t.)

On By ashleyfausIn Work and Office2 Comments

I’d like to give a big welcome to Angeline from The New Professional today! She’s written a great post on volunteering at work:

 

Hi folks! Angeline from the New Professional here.  I’m stoked to be writing a guest post for Consciously Corporate. As a relative newb in the workplace (about four years out of grad school), it’s tempting to give everything the ol’ college try. Throughout high school and college, I was the over-involved kid. If you asked me, I’d do it, if only for a chance to meet cute boys and add another notch to my resume or application. But in the workplace, that kind of strategy (or lack thereof) can run you down quickly without helping you in your career at all.

So when should you volunteer? There are several reasons to volunteer at work: to learn new skills, to demonstrate your leadership and innovation, to show initiative and drive, and to make nice with the right people. But what does this look like in practice? Here are some examples of common opportunities to volunteer and how they can (or can’t) help you in your career.

Projects

When to volunteer: If the project draws on skills that only you have, or if the project is in an area that you’re hoping to grow in. Taking on a challenging project that no one wants (and you’re not hugely averse to) can be a great opportunity to show how you can adapt and rise to a challenge.

When not to volunteer: If you already have a full load of projects, taking on another when someone else has space can look like you’re trying to hog the work, and later on, the glory. Do what you’re doing now well, and you’ll be primed to take the lead next time.

Committees

When to volunteer: When the time commitment is manageable and when the committee has an actual goal, deliverables, and deadlines. Otherwise you’ll just sit around spinning your wheels. This is also often a way to make nice with other departments or organizations—you want to make sure your department comes off as a team player (and depending on your position within your department, committee work may fall to you).

When not to volunteer: If you get the feeling it’s just a time-waster and there’s no real goal. Also, when the commitment threatens to compromise the time spent on your own work, you should probably step back.

Grunt work

When to volunteer: A one-time project stuffing envelopes for a big mailing your department is doing is no biggie—if you have time that day then by all means lend a hand.

When not to volunteer: Grunt work for another department may make you feel good lending a hand, but it’s best to do the job you’ve been hired for. If you’re in a support-type department, that’s a different story.

Conferences and events

When to volunteer: If you don’t mind the physical toll of working an event, are the best person to represent the program or service, or really have an interest in learning from a conference, do it! Companies are interested in investing in and fostering the growth of their employees through training, and if you can come back from a conference or event with a wider (relevant) network or new ideas and skills that can help your work, it’s totally worth it.

When not to volunteer: When you just want to travel or get out of the office. Don’t be a moneysuck or drag the team down with your whining from standing all day in an exhibition hall. People notice these things.

When does volunteering take a turn for the worse?

* When you’re overloading yourself and you don’t have time for your actual job.

* When you’re being asked to do way more than your share of the volunteer work.

* When you’re spending more time doing your volunteer duties than doing your actual work.

* When you’re automatically added to the list every time a new committee is formed.

Do you jump at every opportunity or assess each one before you raise your hand?

 

Angeline raises some great points about volunteering at work in this post. She discusses more business and fashion issues on her blog, The New Professional, so make sure you take a look at the great insight from her other posts!

Finally Friday!

On By ashleyfausIn Link Round-UpLeave a comment

It’s just been one of those weeks, I tell ya! The one consolation is that apparently it’s been one of “those” weeks for everyone I talked to, so hopefully next week will be better. To round out the week and hopefully begin the start of a great weekend, check out the following links!

For the fellow grad student, via Fashionable Academics Blog: Grade Inflation and the Feminizing of Academy

For the strategically minded in tech and anti-trust law, via Forbes: Microsoft Gatecrashes Google’s Anti-Trust Case

For the artistically-minded in the DFW area: Fort Worth Opera Festival or Upper Deck Blues, Wednesday Open Mic Night (checked this one out with my husband this week, and it’s a pretty cool scene for amateur and semi-professional blues music!)

For the historians and curious: Origins of April Fool’s Day

 

Like the links? Follow me on Twitter for links and blog posts all week!

Behavioral Observations

On By ashleyfausIn Advertising, MBA Degree, SellingLeave a comment

Being in a Consumer Behavior class has heightened my senses when observing people as they make decisions and consume products. That’s part of the point of going back to school, right? Well, I’ve had to analyze a few different behaviors for school projects over the years, and a recent incident at work reminded me of how weird we all are!

It’s not really weird, but weird when you magnify it and realize that people are often very predictable once you have observed and identified a pattern. I was looking to purchase pens as promotional items for the company trade show, so I had the promotional rep send over some samples. I then took the samples around the office to poll for the most popular choice. Upon handing the pen to each person, I noticed the following in almost all members of the office:

1) They held up both pens side-by-side, and turned them each to the side and back to the front

2) They felt the weight of each pen in their writing hand, and then felt the weight in comparison buy loosely holding one pen in each hand

3) They clicked each pen several times

4) They wrote with each pen

5) They repeated all the steps again

This whole process took about 3 minutes, and it was a little funny to watch, as everyone took this process quite seriously. It’s funny to me as a marketer, because I doubt that any of these people stand in a store and run these same tests when buying their own pens. But, suddenly asking them for an opinion turns it into a huge purchase decision, requiring many tests to determine the best possible choice. It’s also interesting because while I’ve asked them to choose among two, there are literally thousands of pens from which to choose. So, if they don’t like either of the samples I’ve given, in theory they would speak up and say that they want something different than what I’ve shown. However, by only showing them two choices, it seems I effectively told them those were the only options. This type of bias has been shown to be much more detrimental in the case of suspect line-ups and suspect photo books. For pens, it’s not problem for my colleagues to feel like they must “settle” on one of the choices I’ve given them. But, what if victims feel that they must “settle” on a suspect, even if the person they really want to pick isn’t offered as a choice? You see this type of decision all the time in the real world, so observing it in a smaller setting can lead to bigger ramifications.

I had a project during my time as an undergrad that required me to interview 3-5 people about their habits when brushing their teeth. How long did they brush? What did they do with the toothbrush after they finished? Then I had to observe 1 or 2 people brushing their teeth, and put that in my report about behaviors when brushing. It’s amazing how differently people perform the same everyday task when you actually start watching them and asking them to tell you about their routine. It’s even more interesting when you ask them WHY they do what they do. Even now, I catch myself considering my nightly routine, and how it differs from that of my husband.

This information can be valuable for design decisions as well as marketing strategies, and most people just don’t think about these things as they go about their everyday lives. Looking at life through a marketing lens reveals the seemingly mundane tasks and small-impact decisions are actually really complex if you take time to look at them. What areas do you find interesting when you apply your expertise to the situation?

MBA Students Dress Better

On By ashleyfausIn MBA Degree, Outfits/Workwear1 Comment
From Corporate to Class

 

Early Spring Outfit for the Office

Like the outfit? See more details here.

 

I mentioned that I’d be sharing some thoughts about pursuing my MBA, and I thought this post would be the perfect time to share one of my most immediate observations about my classmates: they dress better! This may be especially true for the Part-Time Professional Program, as most of the students are working in addition to their classes. So, we’re all coming from our corporate jobs right after work, meaning we’re all in business attire. I don’t know about you, but my undergraduate days were spent in comfortable clothing.

Ok, I’ll admit it… I went to class in yoga pants and a sweatshirt for most of my freshman and sophomore year! I upgraded from this habit slightly after a semi-embarrassing moment in the spring semester of my sophomore year. I had an 8 am class in an auditorium with about 200 other students, so my yoga pants and a sweatshirt were rarely noticed among the other pajama-clad students. A guest professor came to speak about a new program that was accepting applicants, and he requested that we give him a call at his office if we were interested in applying for the program. I called right after class, since I was only on campus 3 days per week, to set up a meeting for another time. It turns out he only had an opening within the hour, and was heading out of town for a conference for the next 2 weeks! He requested that I head to his office right then to discuss the program, which I was clearly reluctant to do, since I was NOT dressed to meet with a professor for, essentially, an interview. Needless to say, after attending that meeting in my gym clothes (and apologizing for my shoddy appearance), I determined that I should attend class dressed in jeans at minimum.

Fast forward a few years to my MBA days, where you’ll generally find me in suit pants, button-down shirt, and a blazer. Now that it’s warming up, you’ll probably find me in skirts and cardigans more often. It’s kind of nice to be presentation-ready at all times, and I’m glad I don’t feel the need to re-schedule based on how I’m dressed. It’s also nice to see my classmates looking professional, as it lends some additional credibility to the fact that we’re all hard-working professionals with a specific goal in mind. It’s also interesting because the professors don’t put “business attire required” on our presentation criteria anymore, since everyone seems to know the dress code. It always surprised me in undergrad presentations when people didn’t know how to “dress up”, so it’s been a pleasant surprise to see professional attire in each class. How do you dress for the different obligations in your day? Like the outfit? See more details here.

First Name Basis

On By ashleyfausIn Corporate Etiquette, Customer ServiceLeave a comment

I saw an email recently that begin, “Dear <<Name>>”. Apparently the mail merge function wasn’t working properly, and instead of saying my name or the company name, it just gave the fill-in-the-blank. I know we all use form emails and mail merge functionality at some point in our careers, but I’ve found these tools to be a little risky, depending on the situation. I know the theory that says you should address people by their name, but I think it does more harm than good to call them by the wrong name. Prior to getting married, I booked an overseas trip with my family under my maiden name. I ended up getting married before we left for the trip, so my new husband joined the family for the trip. This was an unusually luxurious trip, as we were booked for First Class seating. Part of this luxury included flight attendants who learned your name and called you by name throughout the flight. Imagine the confusion when they learned my name as “Mrs. MaidenName”, instead of “Mrs. MarriedName”. Then I explained that I was married, and they started calling my husband “Mr. MaidenName”. It took several minutes to explain the names and why the name didn’t match the passport and ticket anymore. I was content to just be called “Ashley”, but they were insistent on using my “proper” title. Everyone in the situation laughed and took it in stride, but there are people out there who are genuinely offended when their name or title is used incorrectly. Good business says that you should know your customers and call them by name to solidify the relationship, and I completely agree that using someone’s name helps the business transaction. But, this means you must make sure that all the tools are used correctly to meet this goal. For this reason, I tend to stick with “Hello” at the top of an email to strangers, and “Ms.” or “Mr.” until told otherwise by a new associate.