John Moore urges marketers to evaluate the impact of brand activities like their personal checkbook! I quite loved the idea as it really puts things in perspective for marketers. It's a simple idea that makes the point with a telling impact.
Here's what he had to say:
Just as your personal checkbook has credits and debits, a brand checkbook has credits and debits in the form of brand credits and brand debits. "Brand credits" are business activities that enhance the reputation and perception people have of a brand, and "brand debits" are those that detract from the reputation and perception of the brand.
...when it comes to measuring and managing the Starbucks brand on a daily basis, the Starbucks marketing department generally relies on a much simpler method—a brand checkbook.
When faced with determining the appropriateness of marketing activities such as a promotion, sponsorship, program, or special event, the marketing department first determines whether the activity is a brand credit or debit.
To determine the positive impact (credit) or negative impact (debit) of a potential marketing activity, Starbucks marketers ask the following questions:
- Does the marketing activity respect the intelligence of Starbucks customers?
- Can Starbucks expertly deliver on all the promises made to customers in the proposed activity?
- Will Starbucks employees be excited and motivated by the activity?
- Will customers view the marketing activity as being clever, original, genuine, and authentic?
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