What is required to be a marque of excellence?
We probably all have different views about what makes a marque of excellence, and justifiably so. However, one thing is clear; a marque of excellence is much more than a ‘pretty’ logo on a page.
To define a marque of excellence, we first need to define its brand promise.
This should sit at the heart of the organisation as a guiding principle for everything it does. After all, what value does a promise have if it is not delivered throughout the brand experience? The experience we have of a brand is usually interpreted through a series of ‘recall triggers’, delivered and experienced across the brand’s communications, environments, products/services and behaviour.
The authors of “in search of excellence” suggest that the best-run companies follow eight basic principles. These are; a bias for action, close to the customer, autonomy and entrepreneurship, productivity through people, hands on value driven, sticking to what you know, being simple and lean, and finally being dedicated to the central values of the company.
Consistent with this, a marque of excellence must ensure its promise and the experience of it are always aligned so as to create positive ‘recall triggers’ for each of the brand’s audiences.