Canadian Retailer - Summer 2013 - 42

RETAIL qUICK TIpS

did You knoW that You can
build Your brand Without
a MarketinG budGet?
BROUGHT TO YOU BY RETAIL COUNCIL OF CANADA AND KIMBERLY CLARK, Principal, Redclever
ThE IDEA of brand is an interesting one these days. It has been confused with various names, various pro-

cesses and many different definitions. It’s become very complicated, when, in fact, it should always be kept
quite simple.
Brand is the sum result of all of your efforts as perceived through the eyes of your customer.
Since, as retailers, we directly own the relationship with our customers, it is important to understand that
we craft each customer’s belief or disbelief in our brand with each and every contact. Brand is not marketing.
And marketing does not build a brand. Marketing can support the effort through communications, but building a brand takes effort and action across every area of your business.
There are four stages involved in building your brand.
1. First, understand what your brand is
today, and ask the following…

2. ask your organization some difficult questions
to help build a new brand vision.

• What is changing in your marketplace
today and how can you stay ahead?
• How does your experience rate relative
to your competition?
• Who are your best customers and why
do they love you?
3. Set a plan to deliver the vision by creating
a new customer experience.

• Examine everything within the business
from how you hire to how you complete a
transaction with a customer.
• Develop new ideas, processes, etc. across
the business to bring your new brand
vision to life for the customer.

• Why does this business exist?
• What do we want or need to accomplish in the
near and far terms?
• How do we want customers to feel about us?

4. Begin activating your plan! and always
continue to take steps toward your
ultimate vision.

• Engage your entire organization by communicating the vision and the goals clearly.
• Allow everyone to contribute by asking for
ideas that make sense with the vision.
• Celebrate every victory, despite how small
they may be.

The process of building, or re-building a brand is never easy. To truly change consumer perception, it will
take real effort, from everyone in the organization, and it will take time. If you follow these steps to keep the
vision simple and make the journey as much fun as it is hard work, you will be all the more successful when
you reach your destination.
Kimberly Clark is principal at Redcelever, a retail consultancy that helps clients build a framework to focus
the entire company on delivering a winning customer experience. Kimberly will be presenting “Building Your
Brand Without a Marketing Budget” as part of RCC’s exclusive 2013 webinar series on July 30, 2013. For more
information about registration for this webinar and other presentations as part of the series, visit
www.retailcouncil.org/events/webinars.

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Canadian Retailer - Summer 2013

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