When a customer makes a decision to purchase from you, it’s usually based on some belief that your product will meet their needs. It could be your presentation, delivery, reputation, marketing materials or the product itself, but there will be something that causes them to choose you over someone else. They now have a set expectation and you need to deliver.

Every day companies just like yours make a “promise” to their customers in some means or another, and over time customers grow to count on certain things when they interact with your business. Whether you intended to or not, your customers have formulated a “brand promise” about your business.

A little example… I’m a big fan of McDonalds hamburgers. You know, $.89 with ketchup, pickles and onions. I love ‘em. And over time I have grown to expect that hamburger to taste the same way whether I buy one in Anniston, Alabama or Spokane, Washington. To ME it is part of McDonalds’ brand promise of consistently delivering the product, regardless of location. I’ve grown to expect that consistency.

So here is the issue that you face as a leader in a growing business; can you deliver what your customer expects on a consistent basis?

Over the years I’ve witnessed numerous businesses that have grown on the shoulders of strong product quality and innovation, attracting new customers and business along the way. And as these companies got busier they made changes in their successful processes to keep pace with the growing demand – different people, different inputs, different control measures, etc. The risk? Changes in those successful processes lead to decreased quality and chance of failing to deliver on the brand promise… the same promise that brought them success in the first place.

Too many companies have grown aggressively while losing sight of the success factors that brought them there. As your customers formulate their own beliefs in what your brand promise is and the front door starts to swing open more often, keep close watch on quality. The fastest way to destroy your pristine brand promise is by failing to meet customer expectations.

Stay focused on your brand promise, grow carefully and maintain quality and your customers will believe in your business for many years to come.

Dr. Colin N. Clarke is a senior strategist for Flint Group. Follow him on Twitter @colinnclarke or on Facebook at Facebook.com/cnclarke

Traditional evolution of business has lead to segmentation by department for many companies. Marketing, sales, customer service, human resources, finance and fulfillment are some of the most common. But digital communications is creating a virtualization and convergence that is dramatically changing the way businesses operate.

How customers engage with companies has changed with the explosion of digital and social networking tools. Customers have wrested power to engage with companies on their own terms and in a fully visible environment. One-to-one conversations have now become open forum, placing greater pressure on companies to be well organized and prompt in response.

Customers can choose to engage on your company website using Google Sidewiki or your own message boards. They can also engage via social media outposts should you have a presence there. And if you don’t have social media outposts, they can still engage your brand in discussion whether you are present or not!

A service question, warranty question, sales question, human resources question, finance question or shipping question or concern can all be directed to the same place in the digital environment. Customers look at your company as one entity, not as a network of departments, and they expect your company to respond as one entity. The lines blur, the departments converge and at the end of the cycle only one thing matters – have you answered the customer’s question?

Your company’s success is based on the brand promise that you communicate to your customers. How well you manage customer expectations through their engagement with your brand, your company, ultimately determines your long-term viability and growth.

Step back and have a look at your organizational structure. Now look at all your customer touch points. Are you prepared to respond to your customers in an efficient, timely manner regardless of question? Do you have a strategy for managing customer interaction in a digital open-forum environment? Are your departments prepared and trained to work cross-functionally?

If not, it is time for digital strategy and social media strategy to integrate with your company’s management and planning process. Your customers are already converging. Are you prepared?

Colin is a senior strategist for AadlandFlint and the Flint Group. Follow him on Twitter at @colinnclarke.

Image courtesy CubeFigures.com

It’s truly amazing what marketing can accomplish when done right. I recently attended a performance of the musical The Lion King and simply had to marvel at what the marketing juggernaut Disney has done to create this “brand.”

Who would have thought that an animated movie could spawn such an incredible revenue generating franchise more than 15 years later! Of course Disney took us through the sequels and spinoffs, the merchandising and figurines, the soundtracks and re-releases. But after 15 years you’d think they might have exhausted the potential of that little old cartoon. Anyone else, but not Disney.

Disney Theatrical Productions has built a brand around the name The Lion King with ongoing productions taking place in New York City, Las Vegas, Paris, Hamburg, Tokyo, and London. In addition there are two touring companies settling into major cities across the United States.

Here’s a glimpse into the revenue generating power that has been built around The Lion King brand. By my calculation, a sold out week (9 performances by a touring company) in a 2,000 seat theatre can generate more than $1.3 million of revenue on ticket sales alone! Multiply that revenue generating power across multiple performance locations worldwide and you can quickly see how Disney has turned that little 1994 animation into a mega BRAND.

So what has Disney done right to maintain the appeal and longevity of a brand that should have run the course of its productive life long ago? Let’s have a look at what Disney has done, and what you can too to generate long-term affinity for your business’ brand.

1)      Understand your audiences – Their interests, what motivates their buying behavior and why they choose you.

2)      Appeal to the influencers – (For Disney, parents). They need to find interest in your brand and feel safe in recommending you or approving a purchase.

3)      Manage your reputation – Your brand must be trustworthy and unblemished. Keep tabs on what others say about your brand and be prompt in respectfully correcting misrepresentations.

4)      Be consistent – Day-in, day-out, deliver on your brand promise, maintain your brand standards and give your audience a reason to remember you (positively of course!).

5)      Be innovative – Monitor how your audiences’ interests and expectations evolve and deliver new products, services or information of VALUE that is representative of your brand.

These principles help build Disney’s The Lion King into a brand far beyond an animated movie.  Follow these 5 steps to build strength and longevity for your brand, and who knows, you just might create the next marketing juggernaut.

Colin is a senior strategist for AadlandFlint and The Flint Group. Follow Colin on Twitter @colinnclarke.