Karen Leland is all about helping brands build better strategies that connect wholly to the customer experience.
In her keynote session on May 25, which was titled, “Mapping a Branding Strategy that Harmonizes with the Customer Experience,” at the 9th annual Loyalty Expo, presented by Loyalty360 – The Association for Customer Loyalty, Leland offered sage advice to loyalty marketers that want to build stronger and more Customer Experience-focused brands.
Leland kicked off the session with a multi-layered lifetime branding/marketing lesson: “One response does not tell the whole story,” she said. “If you want to master something, learn from the best. Principles never go out of style. Be consistent in what you say and what you do as a brand. Don’t be taken away by bright, shiny plates. Take a step back.”
Building a Marketing Mastery Pyramid involves the following, Leland said:
-Thought leadership leads to brand authority
-Brand and buzz building
-Platform development (brand design and strategy)
“It requires a really focused effort,” she said. “We can’t be anything less than congruent and aligned. We’re not doing the groundwork to get to that brand authority. You can’t go broad and do everything. Creating content is one of the ways brands can build new and better Customer Experience.”
But, Leland noted that content has to be compelling.
“SEO keywords are no good with bad content,” she said. “The bottom line is we’re trying to build credibility and trust.”
Leland said there are three aspects of brand management:
-Personal aspect (key aspect)
-Process aspect
-Product (quality) aspect
“You need all three,” Leland said.
When creating a brand-centric company, marketers have to be “living the brand,” Leland stressed.
Leland listed five functions of brand alignment:
-Organizational infrastructure
-Customer Experience
-Processes/procedures/systems/standard
-Employee engagement
-Management commitment
“Do all five and create fierce customer loyalty,” she said. “Truly listen to your customers. There are three or four main paths to create customer loyalty and superior customer experience. Work them deeply. Employees have to be brand ambassadors.”
When asked what brand represents all of the key aspects she discussed, Leland touted Apple.
Leland is the President of Sterling Marketing Group where she helps authors, experts, small businesses, and Fortune 1000 companies build stronger brands and businesses using The Modern Marketing Pyramid™ method,— a strategic and comprehensive approach that integrates business development, branding, content/Internet marketing, public relations, and social media.
Drawing on 25 years of consulting experience, Leland takes a systems approach to help her clients effectively navigate the wired world of today’s business landscape, while powerfully communicating their messages to the public, potential customers and media.
She has worked throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America with a highly diverse group of industries. Her clients have included: Apple Computer, Cisco, AT&T, Oracle, Avis Car Rental, Johnson & Johnson, Bank of America, Sprint, and Xerox.
Leland is the best-selling author of nine books, which have sold over 350,000 copies and been translated into 10 languages. Her latest book is, “The Brand Mapping Strategy: Design, Build and Accelerate Your Brand.”
She writes regularly for Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.com.